Delayed justice for Cattle dairy farmers and animals
Dairy farmers in Batticaloa, Mailattamadu, and Madavani areas of the Eastern Province have been on the street since October and are demanding justice from the authorities due to the criminal acts committed against them and their cattle by a group from outside the province. The dairy farmers express displeasure that even though a court decision has been given, justice has not yet been done.
The dairy farmers are holding a silent protest in front of the milk collection center at Sitthandi Junction, Batticaloa, and today (Nov. 29) is 76 days into the protest.
A group of Sinhalese farmers forcibly residing in the Madawani-Maiylaththamadu of Batticaloa, is carrying out massive repression against the majority of Tamil dairy farmers, and on the 13th of November, Batticaloa-Eravur Mobile Court ordered 13 Sinhalese farmers who were engaged in such dispute to leave the area.
The Mahaweli Development Authority had filed this case on September 22 against 13 farmers who were engaged in cultivation in the area which is said to be a grassland belonging to the Mahaweli Development Authority, and the case was heard on November 13.
On the day the case was heard, the Honorable Court announced the verdict and ordered the 13 farmers who appeared before the court that day to leave the area.
Last month, during a visit to the Eastern Province, President Ranil Wickremasinghe requested the Sinhalese farmers to leave the pastures of the dairy farmers. Despite the request and the court order, the Sinhalese farmers who came from the outlying regions have not left their cattle grazing land and are continuing to harass their animals to death.
On the 13th of October, a group of Sinhalese farmers broke into the natural pastures in Maiylaththamadu -Madavani areas, destroyed the temporary sheds of the dairy farmers, and attacked the dairy farmers as well.
“These are our pastures and sheds that were destroyed on the 13th of October, by a group of Sinhalese farmers. Sheds were broken down and set on fire. Now we live with fear.” told Mojo News, Muththupullai Siyanthar, a cattle farmer who had been brutally attacked by the group, showing a banner with photographs of the attack.
“We are asking the government and the authorities to release our grazing land properly. We want all the Sinhala and Tamil people to see cattle in that grazing land. Those areas are our life. If our animals don’t have food, we don’t get milk. They will die. Then we don’t even have jobs.” Siyanthar expressed great disappointment.
“We do not understand how to take care of our cattle without our pastures. Therefore, we are only asking for the grazing lands to be cleared.” he added.
Father Kandaiyah Jegadas, secretary of the Batticaloa District Inter-Religious Committee, is contributing to the silent protest of dairy farmers demanding justice, told Mojo News, “ When the president came to this province last month, he asked the police and the courts to remove the Sinhala farmers occupying the pastures of these dairy farmers from those areas. On the 13th of November, 13 farmers were informed to leave by a court order. But still, none of those orders have been fulfilled.”
“That’s why these dairy farmers continue to face severe threats and suffer. Since they don’t even consider the court’s decision, we kindly request the international community to help these innocent voiceless dairy farmers get justice.” Father Jegadas added.
Also, wives and children came to the protest site to support their husbands’ fight, and one of the women cattle farmers, Selvi, told Mojo News, “We are not asking for anything else. We only ask for pasture for our cows. We cannot stand by and watch our men (husbands) suffer. And we can not tolerate how our innocent
animals suffer too.” Selvi burst into tears.
“We don’t have money to teach our children, we don’t have money to live. Our animals protect our lives. How can animals sustain us without food? Therefore, we only ask that justice be done to us.”
According to the protesting dairy farmers, around 7000 cows have been destroyed so far. There are 3000 dairy farming families who depend on cattle. There are more than 980 farms in the area, and 3000 liters of milk per day have been given to Milko. But milk production has been stagnant for about five months. Since June 25 this year, 15 cows have been shot dead.
One of the coordinators of the People’s Uprising Movement from Pothuvil to Polikandi, Velan Swamigal, speaking against the injustice done to the dairy farmers, told Mojo News Service that the grazing land of the cows of Myilatthamadu Madaveni dairy farmers has been forcibly occupied by the Sinhalese farmers from other areas and it is a complete coercion against the Tamil people. And it is a total suppression.
“As a human rights activist and a spiritual leader, I join them against the injustice done to these innocent people. They are only asking to be given their professional freedom that will determine their entire lives.” Said Spiritual Velan Swamigal.
He also added that he felt that this government would not do “justice to the Tamil people of the North and East” when even a “Court order was not respected”.
END.
