The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, while today’s debate on the National Audit (Amendment) Bill is valuable to the public, I wish to raise issues from my district.

¶ 02 People of Mullikulam, an indigenous Tamil village in Musali DS Division, Mannar District, must be resettled without delay. Due to the extraordinary situation in 1990, around 400 Tamil families, who had been leading prosperous lives in fishing and agriculture, were displaced.

¶ 03 About a decade later, in 2002, they were resettled in their native Mullikulam. Around 300 families returned and 150 permanent houses were reportedly provided. But within five years, in 2007, they were again forced to leave. Though 16 years have passed since the end of the war and nearly two decades since displacement, they have not been resettled on their own lands. Many now live amidst hardship in nearby villages such as Malaikadu and Kayakkuzhi; over 250 families live as “refugees” locally, 175 families are in refugee camps in India, and others are scattered.

¶ 04 Meanwhile, the Navy and Forest Department—together with other departments—have fully occupied Mullikulam village. Over 1,500 acres of paddy fields, garden lands, homesteads and irrigation tanks belonging to the Tamil people have been taken over. Tanks such as Paravelikulam, Sinnathanakkan Kulam, Periyathanakkan Kulam, Arakulam, Pudukulam, Paladik kulam and Chettiyar Kulam remain under occupation by the Navy.

¶ 05 Cultivation takes place on Tamil-owned lands; houses built in 2002 for returnees now house Navy families. Traditional fishing areas are fully occupied. The people have continuously protested for release of their village and resettlement. In 2017, following month‑long protests and a visit by the then Governor who guaranteed release, 77 acres were to be released. Lands were cleaned by the people. Yet, even burning debris in cleared areas was obstructed by the Navy; efforts failed.

¶ 06 Although Mullikulam people are not resettled, the Mullikulam Roman Catholic School functions with 42 children—mostly from Malaikadu—commuting daily. People also attend the Our Lady of Assumption Church in Mullikulam. Carrying the burden of displacement, unable to return to their own lands, they continue a refugee life. This must end. I respectfully urge this House to ensure immediate resettlement of Mullikulam people and to take swift action accordingly. Thank you.