Land Grabs in Mullaitivu Leave 255 Families Homeless, MP Raises Alarm

The continued encroachment and forced land acquisitions by the military, Forest Department, and Wildlife Department in Mullaitivu district have left hundreds of families without land to live on, according to Vanni District MP T. Ravikaran.

He warned that if such actions persist, residents may be forced to live on the streets.

 

The issue was raised today during the Thunukkai Divisional Development Coordination Committee Meeting, where it was revealed that 255 families in the Thunukkai divisional secretariat division lack land for housing.

 

Communities Deprived of Their Lands Breaking down the numbers, MP Ravikaran pointed out that in different areas of the Thunukkai division:

 

• 21 families in Aiyankankulam

 

• 4 families in Palaiyamurikandy

 

•12 families in Puthuvettuvan

 

• 15 families in Kalvilan

 

• 5 families in Thennian Kulam

 

• 5 families in Kottaikattiyakulam

 

• 5 families in Ambalaperumal Kulam

 

• 7 families in Amathipuram

 

• 8 families in Thunukkai town …are left without land for resettlement despite repeated appeals.

 

Government Departments Seizing Lands Without Notice MP Ravikaran accused various government agencies of seizing lands without proper notice or consultation with local authorities.

 

He stated that the Forest Department and Wildlife Department have been placing boundary stones on people’s lands without prior notification, preventing rightful landowners from reclaiming their properties.

 

Many of these lands were originally occupied by residents before the war displaced them.

 

After returning home post-war, people found their residential, paddy, and farming lands taken over by authorities and designated as forest reserves without due process.

 

Despite repeated complaints, government officials responsible for these land acquisitions do not attend the development coordination meetings, making it difficult to address these concerns at official forums.

 

Massive Land Grabs Post-2009 Providing further evidence, MP Ravikaran revealed that:

 

• Before 2009, the Forest Department controlled 222,006 acres in Mullaitivu.

 

• After 2009, an additional 435,000 acres were forcibly taken, depriving thousands of residents of their lands.

 

He emphasized that before 2009, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) safeguarded people’s lands, ensuring they could live in peace.

 

However, post-war, large-scale land grabs by state institutions have placed people in dire conditions.

 

Call for Immediate Action Condemning these actions, MP Ravikaran demanded that:

 

1. The government must return lands forcefully taken from the people.

 

2. All concerned departments must attend development meetings to address the issue transparently.

 

3. Further encroachments and land seizures must stop immediately.

 

He stressed that land is the people’s fundamental right, and without land, there is no future.

 

“If all our lands are taken away, where will our people go? Will they be forced to live on the streets?” he asked.

 

The issue of forced land grabs remains a major crisis across Mullaitivu, affecting thousands of families.

 

With tensions escalating, calls for government intervention grow louder as displaced communities fight for their right to reclaim their homes and livelihoods.