WILPATTU AND MINISTER BATHIUDEEN
The hue and cry made by environmentalists and nature lovers that the authorities should look into the ‘controversial’ resettlement activities taking place within Wilpattu National Park has never been heard so loud.
Much has been said against the resettlement projects initiated by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, but these activities have continued since 2011; underscoring the fact that such activities have received the blessings of both the present Wickremesinghe Government and the past Rajapaksa regime.
Bathiudeen was in the news recently when he accepted an additional portfolio which now makes him the head of the Cooperative Development and Vocational Training and Skills Development. But he has a dark past to erase during which he threw his weight behind the questionable resettlement programmes which took place within Wilpattu. This was in his capacity as Minister of Industries and Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, a portfolio which he still enjoys.
What critics who voice their protests against these resettlement projects point out is that Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, who functioned as Minister of Environment in 2012, had extended the length of Wilpattu National Park there by declaring some of the neighbouring villages as part of this forest reserve. This put an end to people who occupied these lands staking a claim for them, despite they being in possession of valid deeds.
What Bathiudeen now seems to be doing is encouraging these people to return to where they belong. But this is one side to the story.
There is another aspect to this issue where as much as 3080 acres of land cleared by Bathiudeen for resettlement was removed from the Mawillaru Forest Conservation and gazetted. This makes much of the resettlement process of Muslim IDPS near the bordering villages of Wilpattu National Park happen within the frame work of the country’s law.
However, this resettlement process has earned the wrath of environmentalists and nature lovers during the past. Leading institutes like Environment Conservation Trust, Wildlife Conservation Forum, Sri Lanka Environmental Federation, Reforest Sri Lanka and movements like Save Wilppattu, www.change. org and Thambapanni Group have organised protest campaigns or signing of petitions to highlight the deforestation taking place within Wilpattu National Park. For the record Thambanni Group has organised a protest in front of the Court of Appeal today (March 22) while www.change.org has organised an online petition campaign where its organisers want to raise 15,000 signatures.
What environmentalists and nature lovers point out is that this resettlement process is affecting 605 different plants and 328 animal species which have made this forest their habitat. What these protesters must fathom is that they are taking on the Government authorities in a way and not only Bathiudeen because these resettlement projects have always had the blessings of the regime. This is why minister Bathiudeen once said that these lands were cleared by state agencies and not by Muslim IDPS.
The present issue is also in a way a result of the civil war that raged for almost three decades. It’s known that during the time the LTTE reigned in the north, Muslims were chased out from this province. These Muslims had no option but to remain in IDP camps in Puttalam areas. It is said that life in these IDP camps, where Muslims stay, can be best described as demoralising.
For the record Thambanni Group has organised a protest in front of the Court of Appeal today (March 22) while www.change.org has organised an online petition campaign where its organisers want to raise 15,000 signatures
Those promoting these resettlement programmes also point out that the government has given priority to Tamils over Muslims when resettlement takes place in the war affected areas of the island.
Sometime back Minister Bathiudeen presented an affidavit seeking the dismissal of a petition filed against him regarding the settling of IDPS in the Wilpattu National Park. However the Court of Appeal dismissed minister Bathiudeen’s affidavit and ordered to take up the petition.
What Bathiudeen must understand is that preserving wildlife inside Wilpattu is as important as resettling IDPS. The Government can consider giving for resettlement projects some of the crown land it clears for ambitious hotel and tourist projects.
Wilpattu is the biggest national park the country owns and needs care and attention. It must be saved at all costs and preserved for the benefit of future generations!