Janaka Perera

Is the Government planning to release the Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya in Jaffna to the private individuals or companies, instead of giving bit back to the Sinhala children and their teachers who have been compelled to do their studies in Anuradhapura and Kurunegala among other places?

This issue has surfaced in the light of the Government’s decision to release all buildings occupied by the Army in Jaffna. These include the Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya building which the Army has decided to vacate. It is here that Sinhala children studied prior to the outbreak of LTTE Tamil terrorism in 1983.

Education Department officers have already visited the Sinhala Village in Nawakkuliya to find out how many children arhere at the settlement. It is high-time that Education Authorities give serious attention to this matter so that when the school recommences all its students studying elsewhere will return to Jaffna. So will Sinhala Government Officers.

The Tamil National Alliance have apparently ignored dubious Tamils groups encroaching on State land (some probably at the behest of Tiger sympathizers abroad). Among them has been the Church adjacent to the Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya. The former has occupied part of the premises belonging to the Vidyalaya and established a Tamil Chrsitian School after 1983.

The so-called international community too has turned a blind eye to this, despite the fact that the Government has handed back almost all Tamil schools occupied by the security forces during the war.

LTTE occupation eroded Sinhala identity in Jaffna during 1983 – 2009. The situation is bound to deteriorate further after full police and land powers are devolved to the Northern Provincial Council under the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution.