The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam

¶ 01 Hon. Minister, with the motives you stated, we would have no problems. But the law you are using has the opposite intent. If your intention is not to vest the roughly 6,000 acres as State land, this is the wrong law. Do what you propose for wildlife/forest lands: appoint a committee or commission and we will cooperate.

¶ 02 We accept there are severe land problems due to displacements and tsunami; people lack documents. We will cooperate—but please do not use this law. Once gazetted, by 28 June, unclaimed lands will vest as State land. You cannot suspend; you must revoke. We will cooperate to solve our people’s problems. But using this law will, by 28 June, declare those acres State land. Kindly withdraw the Gazette. All Tamil Members from the North-East will cooperate to resolve land issues.

¶ 03 You should have consulted us. Only three months were given. Without us publicizing it, affected citizens would not even have known. What did you do to raise awareness? Without the controversy, nobody would have known. This is not the way; you are frightening us. Withdraw the Gazette; we will cooperate if the aim is to solve problems.