Protest staged by residents to mark one year

Sathyagraha campaign in Iranaithivu Island 

A demonstration had been organized on Monday (23) near the Catholic Church at Iranaimatha Nagar Beach to mark the completion of one year of the Sathyagraha campaign  by the original residents of Iranaithivu Island, who had lost their native lands for more than 26 years. 

The residents of Iranaithivu island and several voluntary organizations had participated in  this protest that had been organized opposite the Matha Nagar Catholic Church.   

The protestors said  they were deprived of the native lands in Iranaithivu island since 1992 due to the north-east war situation, but the attempts made by them to come back to their lands on several occasions had ended in failure . They also said, in spite of the fact that they were in the hope of receiving their lands after the war in 2009, the previous governments as well as the present government, have not taken any steps to give them any solution.   

They also said they had organized a Sathyagraha campaign in the year 2017 asking for their lands but no authority has focused their attention and taken any action on behalf of their demands so far. It is similar to an act of adding insult to injury of these residents who had been displaced due to the war.   

The protestors said there were about 200 families who lost their native lands in the Iranaithivu island due to the war before 26 years and at the time of losing their native lands, they had 125 houses and five drinking water wells, including a medical centre.   

At the end of the demonstration, they had met the officers of the Navy camp in Iranaithivu and explained their problem, in response to which the Naval officers had promised to discuss the matter with the Defence Ministry for a suitable solution.