QURBAN PROJECT 2013 – SRI LANKA MUSLIM REFUGEE ASSISTANCE (UK)

Please download the full report to read with the figures and amounts. Click here

The instructions were to spend mostly on ethnic refugees and poor families.   

In  the past years, Muslim Hands in UK contributed  towards Qurban by granting funds to the  SLMRA. This year, however, they did not contribute saying that the quota allocated to Sri Lanka was very much lower than in the previous  years. However, the large  contribution from Canada,  initiated by Mr. A.G.A. Barrie, and  the larger local contributions augmented the funds to distribute Qurban meat.

CRITERIA FOR DISTRIBUTION

    It was decided to distribute Qurban meat as follows, with the availability of funds.

    (a)   To distribute 1 kg. per family to cover a larger number of families.

    (b)   To cover the border villages in the Polonnaruwa district.

(c)   To cover camps/villages in the districts of Anuradhapura and Vavuniya.  

(d)     To distribute to IDPs from Jaffna and Mannar living in Puttalam.

(e)     To distribute to those affected in Mutur

(f)      To distribute to Jaffna Muslims in the Crow Island camp in Colombo.

(g)     To distribute to IDPs from Jaffna resettled in Kilinochchi

(h)     To distribute to IDPs in Punnakuda in Eravur

DISTRIBUTION

The distributions were carried out on Eid Festival on 16.10.2013 after Eid prayers  and on the next day due to     the logistical problems, thereby to complete the programme as 18.10.2013 was Poya Day. Each family was given about 1 kg. of meat. Our contacts were entrusted with the distribution and it was not possible for me to be present. 

(a)     Anuradhapura and Vavuniya Districts

The job was entrusted to S.M. Sahabdeen. The meat of about 1 kg. per family were distributed as follows, giving preference to those who are undergoing difficulties in Vavuniya. The villages selected in the Vavuniya District were those close to the Medawachiya-Mannar road, where IDPs had returned mainly from the Anuradhapura District. Thereby no distributions were made in Mannar and Anuradhapura, which benefited in the past years.

(a)     Polonnaruwa District

The job was entrusted to S.H.M. Ansar. The distribution was arranged through the Mosques, and 1 kg. of meat per family was distributed to poor families. Due to the recent unruly incidents created by radical Buddhist monks, the Mosques were very reluctant to slaughter bulls in their premises but arranged elsewhere,and requested that photographs are not taken.  Mr. Ansar gave funds to ten Mosques covering a bull each.

In 1992, following the Kattankudy killings in mosques, the LTTE brutally massacred a large number of families in the  Polonnaruwa/Batticaloa  border  villages  of Alanchipotana,  Palliyagodella, Pangurana, Akbarpuram and  Ahmedpuram  in  the  Mahaweli  ‘B’ zones. The villagers   were  moved  to camps set up in  Welikanda, Tambala, Sungawila and  Nugagahatenne. They are now  back  in  their  villages. The recent rains and flooding had affected their cultivations not to mention the non availability of fertilizer.

Muhajireen Camp in Crow Island, Colombo

One large bull was purchased for  Rs. 70,000/-  and the meat was divided into packs of about  1.4 kg. and  distributed to  120  families, who are from Jaffna living in this abandoned school since 1990. This was arranged by the ‘talaivar’ Kamaldeen.

When the LTTE evicted the Muslims in October 1990, about 200 families from the Jaffna town areas came to Colombo and occupied the abandoned school in Crow Island. Over the years with increases in marriages and births the population in the camp too increased, and due to lack of space many families moved to Puttalam. There are about 120 families in the camp at present. The living conditions are congested and some have built upper storeys to their wooden structures. The toilet and sanitation facilities too are appalling. These families lived in rented houses in Jaffna, and are reluctant to go back as the Govt., though have made promises, have not done anything to resettle them. The IDPs are disgusted with the Muslim leaders who turn a blind eye. The Govt. food rations which were granted since 1990 were withdrawn five years ago. Mr. A.G.A. Barrie and others have come forward to assist in education, self employment, electrification and other projects.

(d)      Mutur

The  assistance of  K.M.H. Akbar was sought. 4 bulls of average sizes costing Rs. 120.000/- were selected and  slaughtered  on the day  following  the  Eid  festival. Meat  was  packeted  into  parcels of 1 kg. each and distributed to 398 poor families and widows in the suburbs of Mutur as follows.

           Shafi Nagar Mosque area                                                        125 families

           Hutha Mosque area                                                                102

           Arafa Nagar Mosque area                                                        131

           Widows in selected areas                                                         40

       Total                                                                                         398  families

 

 

(e)          Eravur

Eravur is the only Muslim town North of Batticaloa upto Valachenai. During the ethnic conflict, Muslims living in the Tamil areas of Rugam, Unnichchai, Kasankuda, Vadichchal, Thamaraikerni, Iyankerni and others moved to Eravur, which became somewhat overpopulated. After the war ended in May 2009 they were prevented from  returning to their homelands. In Rugam and Unnichchai on the Chenkaladi-Badulla A5 road where irrigation tanks are situated, the Muslims were prevented from returning by the earlier Chief Minister’s ex-LTTE supporters. With the present Muslim Chief Minister of the UPFA it is hoped that the land and other issues will be resolved. A wealthy paddy lands and rice mill owner, Abdul Majeeth Hajiyar, gave about 14 acres of land in Punnakuda near Eravur to settle 225 families. They are living in cadjan houses and lack many facilities including water and sanitation. A Mosque, Masjithul Zainab, was built with funds from Saudi Arabia.

A large bull costing Rs. 55,000/- was slaughtered and 1 kg. meat to each was distributed to 180 families in Punnakuda. The distribution was arranged by M.S. Raheem of the YMMA.

(f)           Kilinochchi 

Many IDPs had returned to villages in Kilinochch and the Govt. has not helped them so far. One Bull of a larger size costing Rs. 46,250/- was slaughtered and 1 kg. of meat each was distributed to 150 families in Nachchikuda village. This was arranged by M.S. Raheem.

(g)         Puttalam

There are many IDPs from Jaffna and Mannar living in Puttalam, A large bull costing Rs. 56,500/- was utilized in distributing 1 kg, meat to each of 170 families living in the Arafanagar Camp, arranged by M.S. Raheem.

 

 5.     COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS

This year the SLMRA Newsletter and Qurban Appeal were not received, probably they were not published. These are useful as the Newsletter gives details of the project in the previous year.

The collection of funds and distribution of Qurban meat this year covered 3,484 families, as compared to 3,854 families in 2012. The SLMRA contributions were about the same as in the previous year. Though   Muslim Hands did not contribute, the funds from Canada and other sources were higher and the total spent was lower at Rs. 1,070,000/- as compared to Rs. 1,292,500/- in 2012. The total number of families assisted  was also lower as a result.  

The cost of bulls in Colombo are usually higher than those in the outstations. The number of total bulls slaughtered was 38 as compared to 36 in 2012 mainly due to smaller bulls in the remote areas and the cost per kg. too was lower. The SLMRA had estimated the cost of a bull at Sterling Pounds 180/- (Rs. 36,000/-). Thereby on the basis of 7 persons to a bull the cost per portion was Pounds 25/70 (Rs. 5,150/-). The concept of 7 persons to a bull is not quite logical, since bulls vary in sizes and costs, thereby the meat cost per kg. varies from place to place.

There is hardly any change in the status-quo of the displaced Muslims, who are still languishing mainly in refugee camps away from their homelands for the last 23 years.  Some families have returned to Mannar and Jaffna Districts but the Govt. has not assisted them to resettle. There is a large number of Muslim Ministers and Advisers. Since they are mostly from the East and South, they are not bothered about the Northern IDPs. The Northern Muslim IDPs have many problems to be resolved after being thrown out bodily 23 years ago for no fault on their part. After the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009, they had high   hopes  that all the problems will be solved without any delays. After many representations were made, more than 4 years later, the Govt. is now talking of resettling the Muslims in their traditional homelands. Their proposals and implementation are yet to be seen. In this connection I quote what I said in my Report last year.

Quote:

The Final Report of the Citizens’ Commission on the Expulsion of Muslims from the Northern Province by the LTTE in October 1990 was released in November 2011. It is a well researched and comprehensive document. It mentions that the Govt. considers only those displaced after 2008 for assistance and resettlement. Where do the Muslims of the North stand who were evicted in 1990 for no fault of theirs?  The Govt. is not bothered and the Report highlights all relevant details in the chapter on Conclusions and Recommendations. It is also critical in blaming the Muslim leaders and politicians for the sad plight of the Northern Muslims in particular and the others in general

 

The President appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in May 2010 to look into events of the Sri Lankan civil war between 21st February, 2002 and 19th May, 2009. The dates are, obviously, politically motivated to begin from the Ceasefire Agreement. The war intensified from July 1983 and the period does not cover the brutal killings of Muslims and the eviction of the Northern Muslims in 1990, which again shows the discrimination of Muslim IDPs by trying to avoid these significant events. However, the Citizens’ Commission made a lengthy and informative presentation to the LLRC.

The LLRC Report which was released and presented in Parliament about a year ago, says that the Muslims chased out from the North should be resettled in their native places. With regard to the Muslim IDPs displaced from Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, the Report adds that a State policy should include an assistance package including financial assistance and other material support such as housing construction to the IDPs. It adds further that the LLRC is of the view that durable solutions should be found to address this long standing IDP issue concerning the Muslims evicted from the North, which contains the seeds of disharmony and dissension if it remains unaddressed. The proposals are yet to be implemented.

Unquote

There have not been much progress, if not nil, though the Govt. keeps repeating that resettlements of IDPs have been completed, which refer to Tamils to satisfy the UN and the International Community, but certainly not to the Muslim IDPs.

In this scenario, as observed by leading academics, intellectuals and others, it is disheartening and pathetic that there is no leadership nor statesmanship in the Muslim community.    

Inshah Allah, it is hoped that the Muslim IDPs, in particular, will be looked after and their problems  resolved soon and that they will be able to resettle in their original homelands.

I am attaching 2 maps namely, ‘Muslim Refugee Migration Routes, October 28-30, 1990’ and ‘Location of Muslim Villages in the Northern Province’ as shown in the Citizens’ Commission Report referred to above. These have relevance to the displaced Muslims from the Northern Province. (Annexes 1 and 2).

 

M. ALI AZEEZ

Co-ordinator for SLMRA(UK) in Sri Lanka

10th November, 2013.

Please download the full report to read with the figures and amounts. Click here