After Independence from the British in 1948, the Colombo government started implementing new legislation to requisition land and settle the Sinhala population…

Year	Tamil Speaking	Sinhala Speaking
1827	99.62%	0.00%
1881	93.27%	4.75%
1891	93.2%	5.21%
1901	92.34%	5.21%
1911	92.95%	3.74%
1921	93.12%	4.56%
1946	92.55%	5.83%
1953	87.64%	11.52%
1963*	95.6%	3.35%*
1971	94.49%	4.49%
1981	95.95%	3.21%

After Independence from the British in 1948, the Colombo government started implementing new legislation to requisition land and settle the Sinhala population. The government put into place a scheme plan so as to reduce the land of the Eelamtamils and increase the land of the Sinhala population. In its plan was the demarcation of borders intended to reclaim Eelamtamil land in order to benefit the Sinhala people. Since 1827 – Tamil and Sinhala populations in Batticaloa district Table is shown on language basis (Until 1963 it includes Amparai district) * Creation of Amparai district

The Gal Oya Project – Pattippalai River was renamed “Gal Oya”

In the year 1952 the Pattippalai River was renamed “Gal Oya” which is a Sinhalese name. A dam was built across the river. The water pumped from this dam was used by the Sinhalese who settled there. This was another master plan to stifle the progress of the Eelamtamil nation. 1963 saw the creation of a new district known as Amparai (beautiful rock). Later an area was created for voters to assist the Sinhala people. This new area was called “Digamadulla” in the Sinhala language.

Tamil and Sinhala population in Amparai district Table is shown language basis (Amparai district was created in 1963)

Year	Tamil Speakings	Sinhala Speaking
1963	70.22%	29.34%
1971	69.47%	30.18%
1981	62.03%	37.64%

Those who were resettled under the government plan were looked after by the Sri Lankan government. These Sinhala settlers were the troublemakers and the government did nothing to control them.

As part of the genocidal perpetration the Sinhalese brought armed thugs to chase the Tamils away from their villages and the Sinhalese came and settled in these Tamil areas.

Recently in the District of Amparai more than 300 Saivaite (in English – “Hindu”) temples were damaged. The priest of the well-known Murugan Temple was driven out and replaced by a Buddhist priest. Buddhists also control the nearby Buddhist Temple. In the Eastern Province in 1948 the Sinhala population was only 5% but by 1995 it had increased to 24%. This is the result of the Sinhala government’s planned resettlement of Eelamtamil area by Sinhalese colonists. According to the government Resettlement and Border Demarcation plan, Digamadulla electorate will be annexed to Uva Province.

Allai – Kantalai Project in the Thirukonamalai District

Gal Oya was planned. The same plan was used to resettle Sinhalese in Kantalai and Allai in 1952. Here also the Sinhalese are in the majority. This zone is in the District of Thirukonamlai. Medirigiriya and Lankapura are areas that were inhabited by Tamils in the past. When Thumpankadawa was annexed to the North Central Province, it had been taken from the East. During the ongoing genocide Eelamtamils were driven out of these areas and were replaced by Sinhalese. Now the Sinhalese are in the majority.

In the Eastern areas of Kandhanai and Allai, the government settled the Sinhala people, creating a new Kandhanai administration block. Through this resettlement plan the northern parts; Marvel, Kumaran and Kadavai were given to the Sinhalese.

This resettlement plan stretched as far as Seruvillai. A story was fabricated saying that in Seruvillai there was an ancient Buddhist temple. The government encouraged the Sinhala people to promote their cultural heritage in this so-called sacred place.

Since 1827 – Eelamtamil and Sinhala populations in Thirukonamalai district Table is shown on language basis

Year	Tamil Speaking	Sinhala Speaking
1827	98.45%	1.53%
1881	90.72%	4.21%
1891	91.44%	4.3%
1901	89.04%	4.22%
1911	90.54%	3.82%
1921	92.13%	4.38%
1946	75.09%	20.68%
1953	78.8%	18.22%
1961	79.25%	19.9%
1971	70.2%	28.8%
1982	65.38%	33.62%

This resettlement plan stretched as far as Seruvillai. A story was fabricated saying that in Seruvillai there was an ancient Buddhist temple. The government encouraged the Sinhala people to promote their cultural heritage in this so-called sacred place. Since 1827 – Eelamtamil and Sinhala populations in Thirukonamalai district Table is shown on language basis.

Padawiya Settlement in the North Central Province – Padawikkulam was renamed  “Padawiya“

Padawiya is in the north of Thumpankadawa in the North Central Province. The government in its plan settled Sinhalese here also. Thirukonamalai’s northern area is Kokilai. In the south of Kokilai lagoon lies Pulmoddai, a sea-shore town where Tamils lived. There was an abundance of corals in this coastal region. The government wanted to export this coral and it settled Sinhalese in this area, so as to enable them profit from the sale of the coral. The Sinhala government by means of its colonisation policy, settled many Sinhalese here. Padawiya Sripura administration came into being here.

On the borders of the District of Thirukonamalai, to the south there is Seruwil, to the west lies Kantalai, Morawewa, Kumpankadavai. To the north is Padawikulam-Sripura became Sinhala settlements.

Other state sponsored Sinhala settlements in Tamil areas

Horse-Shoe settlement

Around Thirukonamalai(Trincomalee) the Sinhalese government created a Sinhala settlement in the shape of a horse-shoe. In 1976 this horse-shoe shaped settlement became Seruwila a separate constituency with a Sinhalese majority.

Musali-Manalaru

In the seventies the Sinhalese government planned to settle Sinhala colonists in the Northern Province. In the southern Mannar District is Musali. The administration cleared the forests and resettled Sinhalese people there. On the coasts of Mullaitivu in the Vavuniya District lies Manalaru. This name is now changed to Weli Oya, a Sinhalese name. The government cleared the forests and settled Sinhalese prisoners and their families.

Fishermen settlements

The Sri Lankan Government encouraged Sinhalese fishing families from the south to come to the eastern coast and trouble the Tamil families who lived there. In the areas where the Sinhala people live the sea is deep. There are about 200 such places. In the Tamil areas the sea deepens step by step. The sea deepens after a few kilometres.

The Eelamtamils carry out their cultivation in all of the months except during the month of October-December. Initially, the Sinhala fishermen worked closely with the Tamil fishermen. However, the Sinhalese fishermen slowly drove the Eelamtamils away and took control of Musali, Chilapaththurai, and Thalaimannar in the west and Nayaru and Kalmunai which is a long stretch of sea coast land in the east.

As time went on the Sinhalese fishermen drove the Eelamtamils away and occupied the following places; Nayaru, Kokilai, Kuchaveli, the town of Trincomalee, Elakanthai, Verutal Panichan Kerni, Manokerni Punnaikuda Eravur, Batticaloa Chinna Mugathuvaaram Kumari, Thirukovil. These places were all taken by the Sinhalese with the help of the government, which wanted to drive away the Eemailtamil people from the places they had always inhabited.

Conclusion & the Sinhala Government’s Five Point Plan

The Sinhala government’s five-point plan to settle the Sinhala population was implemented as follows:

• (1) Point One. Along the Pattipalai River, to Amparai and Kumanai.
• (2) Point Two. Allai, Kantalai, Seruwil.
• (3) Point Three. Padawikkulam, Manalaru.
• (4) Point Four. Wilpattu, Musali.
• (5) The fifth Point was to destroy the Eelamtamil fishermen’s families.

This was a step by step plan of encroachment to reduce the traditional and historical Eelamtamil land.

In 1833 the Colebrook-Cameron Commission allocated approximately 26,500 sq.km as the Tamil People’s Ancestral Motherland. In 1901 when the nine provinces came into being, the Tamil administration of the Northern and Eastern Provinces measured approximately 19,100 sq.km Due to some of the area being incorporated into the Sinhalese provinces the Tamil area had been reduced by approximately 7,500 sq.km.

After 1948 the government’s settlement plan deprived the Eelamtamils of 7,000 sq.km. in the Eastern Province and 500 sq.km. in the Northern Province. Although the Eelamtamils protested, the Colombo administration ignored the Eelamtamils and settled Sinhalese in these regions. Approximately 7,500 sq.km of Eelamtamil land was plundered by the Sinhala Government’s Demarcation and Resettlement Plan when it came into operation. This has been taking place over the last forty years.

Before 1833, 25% of Tamil speaking people occupied 35% of land, which was in their administration as Eelamtamil traditional and historical homeland. In 1901 this area shrunk from 35% to 29%.

Within 162 years the Sinhalese government under its Demarcation and Resettlement Plan has plundered 50% of the  Eelamtamil traditional and historical homeland and is still attempting to colonize more and more…!