Farmers from Muthu Nagar in Trincomalee have passed their 38th consecutive day of their protest, braving relentless rain as they demand the return of their agricultural lands that have been seized by the Sri Lankan government for a solar power project.
Gathered in front of the Trincomalee District Secretariat, the farmers — many of them poor labourers accompanied by their children — have continued their sit-in despite the worsening weather conditions. Soaked by the downpour, they vowed to remain until their demands are met.
The protesters said their farmlands, which for generations had sustained their families, were taken over for an energy project without proper consultation or compensation. They accused the Sri Lankan authorities of ignoring their repeated appeals through official channels and district coordination committee meetings.
The government has remained indifferent to our suffering, one farmer said, adding that despite raising the issue multiple times at local meetings, no effective response had come from the Anura Kumara Dissanayake administration.
Parents with young children were seen among the protestors, struggling to endure the hardship caused by both the monsoon rains and their loss of income. Many said their protest was not politically motivated but a desperate effort to reclaim their livelihood.
Their sit-in, now extending well over a month, has drawn attention to the continued displacement of farmers across the Tamil homeland, where agricultural lands have been seized for military use, tourism ventures, or state-backed projects.
Despite repeated pledges by successive Sri Lankan governments to resolve land disputes, affected families in the North-East continue to face displacement and economic hardship, with little indication that meaningful restitution is on the horizon.
