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.