Hakeem on Musali meeting
City Planning and Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem has responded to the report headlined “Wild Scenes at Hakeem’s meeting” in these columns last week.
He writes: “Following Gazette notification No. 2011/34 issued by the President, which designated four defined areas north of Wilpattu Sanctuary as conserved forests, it was necessary for me as the Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and a Cabinet Minister to make an assessment of how it would impact the settlement of IDPs who were returning to their original homesteads.
“At a meeting attended by the Secretary to the President, officials of the Ministry of Environment, the Conservator General of Forests and the Director General, Wildlife, it was agreed to send a team of officials to the Musali Divisional Secretariat to discuss the grievances of the IDP returnees.
“Senior officials of the Forest Department, the Wildlife Department, the Armed Forces, the Police, and former Vanni MPs, Unais Farook, Muthalif Bawa Farook, Deputy Minister Faisal Cassim and many other officials attended this meeting at the Musali DS office. Hence, the claim in the published news item that “no official turned up except myself” is not consistent with the facts and what transpired at the event.“Prof. S.H. Hasbullah, former Professor in Geography of the Peradeniya University who has made a pioneering study of the issues involved and Dr. Nawfel, another senior lecturer of the Geography Department from the University of Peradeniya, were also present to explain and elucidate on the effects and implications of the gazette notification. There was a free and friendly exchange of views and contrary to the news report, was wholly devoid of any party politics.“However, a group led by Mr.M.H.M Nawavi, representative of the All Ceylon Makkal Katchi, turned up at the meeting and demanded to know why the Secretary to the President did not turn up as promised.
“This group arrived much later and clearly intended to disrupt the proceedings. Inevitably, it resulted in some heated exchanges between this group and other participants.
The Divisional Secretary very sternly asked Mr. Nawavi and his group of disruptors to leave the premises and ensured their removal.”
The invitees had been assured that officials from the Presidential Secretariat will be present to discuss the issue. However, they were not present at the meeting where the Gazette notification issued by the President himself was to be discussed. Minister Hakeem also admits that the meeting was interrupted by those protesting.