Demolition of houses!

- Thinakkural Editorial

(July 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The demolition of houses and the sudden eviction of people in Slave Island by the Urban Development Authority officials has created a crisis and legal proceedings have been initiated. During the eviction, there had been house break and heart break. The occupants of the houses almost confronted the officials and the police had to fire tear gas to disperse the agitated crowd.

It is a touching scene to see more than hundred families being evicted from their dwellings where they have been living for long years. Two fourths of our country consists of rivers and jungles. One portion is highways. Only the rest is human dwelling. Among them there are lawful and unlawful settlements and normally governments do not bother about unlawful settlements.

If a house constructed unlawfully is demolished it is understandable. But, in this instance, houses are demolished after 30, 40 years of occupancy. They have been provided with electricity, water facilities legally. Even the local government bodies have levied and collected taxes from them.

Therefore, alternate measures must be taken to ensure that these people are not badly hit!

(An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily based in Colombo)
- Sri Lanka Guardian