Udayan trying to divide all communities

Suraj A Bandara and Rakshana Sriyantha

In yet another attempt to fan the flames of communalism the Udayan Newspaper had carried a story quoting a speech by TNA MP Selvam Addaikalandana at a public gathering in Jaffna that the government is to settle 1,500 Sinhala families in Musal in the North. The way the story was presented betrayed the racist intent and Udayan's clear intention to arouse racist feelings of the Tamils in the North.

Asked for his comments Northern Governor Major General G. M. Chandrasiri said that the government's policy was to resettle all those who were driven away from Jaffna at 24 hours' notice.

He said the Udayan Newspaper had forgotten that 25 years ago, the LTTE under their ethnic cleansing policy chased all Muslims and Sinhalese from Jaffna in a matter of 24 hours.

It is very sad to note that the writer and the Editor have forgotten history and carry news items that would create divisions between communities, he added.

Major General Chandrasiri further said it was well known to all the Tamil organizations and Media that the government gave priority to the Tamils in the resettlement programme after the war. But they all should remember that it is the government's duty to resettle all communities in their original places as all the regions are now free of terror, he said.

“Since peace has dawned in every nook and corner of the country we should give the opportunity to all those who lost their lands during the war. All communities irrespective of their ethnicity would be given their original lands, he said.

“I insist that not even a single Sinhala family have been resettled from outside. Those resettled are only those who were driven away during the war, from their lands, he said. This is not a government decision, since the development in the Northern region has been given priority after the war, all people who left the region wanted to go to their original lands. We, the government would only facilitate their resettlement, he said. “ What the Udayan is trying is to divide all communities', he said.