National People’s Power (NPP) parliamentarian M. Jegatheeswaran has claimed that land demarcation activities carried out by Sri Lanka’s Department of Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation in the Northern Province have been halted following recent discussions in Colombo.
Speaking at a meeting in the Muthaiyankattu area of Oddusuddan, Jegatheeswaran stated that a parliamentary discussion held last week, which included the Governor of the Northern Province, senior government officials, MPs, the State Minister of Lands, the Deputy Minister of Irrigation, and forest department officials, had resulted in a decision to suspend the controversial demarcation process.
According to Jegatheeswaran, the previous administration used GPS technology and gazette notifications to mark boundaries for forest and wildlife zones, including in areas historically inhabited or cultivated by Tamils. These practices, he claimed, have now been halted.
He added that further discussions are expected to take place at the Presidential level, involving local villagers, Grama Sevaka officers, Divisional Secretaries, and District Secretariats, with the aim of identifying and releasing occupied or cultivated lands to their rightful residents. Jegatheeswaran assured that appropriate actions would be taken following these consultations.
Land appropriation through forest and wildlife demarcation has been a major issue in the Tamil homeland, with Tamils across the North-East repeatedly raising concerns over state-led land grabs. These demarcations have frequently resulted in the displacement of Tamil farmers and the seizure of lands.
Tamil civil society and political parties have long accused the Sri Lankan state of using environmental regulations as a cover to systematically appropriate Tamil land, undermining both livelihood and cultural ties to the land. Despite promises of reform, successive governments have continued to expand forest and archaeological boundaries, often enforced by military-backed departments.
