Flood affected Malayaha families are willing to resettle in N&E: Mano

 

Landslide affected region amidst heavy flooding during Cyclone Ditwah in late November. Pix:UN

Flood affected families in Malayaham who have lost their properties and resources due to landslides are willing to resettle in North and Eastern provinces in future in case government refused to provide safe state land in upcountry , leader of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganesan said. 

In a post on his Facebook page, MP Mano Ganesan said when he asked the plantation workers who lost their residences and resources due to recent landslides caused by cyclone Dithwah whether they are willing to resettle in North and Eastern provinces in the event government refused to provide land in safe areas, he said workers unanimously welcomed the move. 

MP Ganesan also noted that successive Southern governments in the past refused to provide land for plantation workers in Malayaham regions such as Kandy, Badulla, Kurumegala, Matara, Moneragal, Kalutara, and Ratnapura district despite community is demanding for equal treatment of obtaining land from state like other communities. 

‘As Malayaha Tamils, they are born and bred here and they have the right to live in Malayaham. If they are denied land rights in Malayaham, the other alternative is to settle them in North and Eastern provinces,” he said. 

Brought by British colonisers as cheap workers over 200 years ago, the plantation communities are still being marginalised and discriminated when it comes to decent wage, land and political rights in the country. 

Meanwhile, several religious organisations and political leaders in North welcomed the proposal to settle Malayaha Tamil in two provinces and expressed their full support. 

Aru Thirumurugan, a Hindu scholar and Trustee of Sivapoomi Foundation in Jaffna said Malayaha Tamils are welcomed to settle in North and Eastern and they can be provided with state lands for agrarian purposes as well. 

ITAK General Secretary M. A. Sumanthiran said : “ We wholeheartedly welcome the affected people to settle in the two provinces. Many of us have expressed their willingness to provide their lands and we will try our best secure adequate state lands for settlement and agriculture activities as well. “ (Northeastern Monitor / December 11/ 2025)