Mass resettlement of Muslims in Jaffna
by Ananth PALAKIDNAR
The Jaffna district Parliamentarian and Minister of Social Services,
Douglas Devananda has embarked on a mass rehabilitation and
reconstruction program to resettle Muslims back in the peninsula.
The Muslim residents forcibly evicted by the LTTE fifteen years ago,
had to leave behind their immovable assets in the region.
The Minister has taken the initiative to resettle them in their
original places after reconstructing their houses, business
establishments, schools and mosques, informed sources said. A delegation
comprising representatives from trade, education and religious
organisations of Muslims met Minister Devananda at his Jaffna office
last week.
Discussion between the Minister and the delegation had centred
extensively on resettling the community and to work out a reconstruction
and rehabilitation program. A considerable number of Jaffna Muslims who
were forced to leave the region has now returned to their original
places and started their business activities in a small way. Some
students have started their schooling as well, sources said.
Minister Devananda gave an assurance to rebuild the Osmania College
which was a prominent Muslim educational institution in Jaffna along
with the reconstruction of the dilapidated houses. The Government Agent
K. Ganesh and the Municipal Commissioner S. Saravanan were also present
at the meeting.
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