In a fiery May Day address, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran warned the government that its recent land acquisition moves in the Northern Province are unacceptable — and that government officials will “not be allowed to set foot in Jaffna” if the current course continues.
Speaking at ITAK’s May Day rally, Sumanthiran accused the Anura Kumara Dissanayake-led administration of betraying pre-election promises to return lands in Jaffna to their rightful owners. Instead of honoring those commitments, he said, the government has now begun issuing gazettes to acquire thousands of acres of land, much of it still occupied by the military since the end of the war.
“They promised to return our land — now they’re grabbing more,” Sumanthiran said to loud cheers from supporters. “If this continues, government ministers will not be able to enter Jaffna.”
His remarks come amid growing anger in the Northern Province following the publication of Gazette No. 2430, dated March 28, 2025, which, under Section 4 of the Land Settlement Ordinance, states that 5,940 acres of land in the Northern Province will be declared as government property unless ownership claims are submitted within three months.
Sumanthiran slammed the gazette for being issued only in Sinhala and English, excluding Tamil — a move he described as discriminatory and strategically exclusionary. “How can you expect Tamil-speaking landowners to respond to a notice they can’t read?” he asked.
To counter the move, Sumanthiran announced that a legal team will be available from May 2 to assist affected landowners in filing their claims and protecting their rights.
He called for the immediate withdrawal of the gazette and demanded that all land acquisition efforts in the north be suspended. “The government cannot walk over our people’s rights. We will resist this — politically, legally, and publicly,” he declared.
No immediate response has been issued by the Ministry of Lands or the central government, but the issue is expected to spark political tension and legal battles in the weeks ahead.
