Paravipanchan is a village belonging to Kilinagar GS division which comes under the Karaichchi Divisional Secretariat Division in Kilinochchi district.
Kilinagar,Paravipanchan, Kannan koviladi, old kachcheri and Karadipokku are come under the Kilinagar GS Division. Among them, Paravipanchan which has high economic valued privately owned lands is located at the center of Killinochchi City. The irrigation canal which comes through Paravipanchan from Iranaimadu tank to Killinochchi tank passes the A9 road and runs towards Urithirapuram. It was always green landscape.
Paravipanchan had been being politically equal to Colombo during the last period of ceasefire. Main headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam including headquarters of the LTTE political wing, the Peace Secretariat and the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization were located at Paravipanchan.
All lands in this area are privately owned. Paravipanchan is also an important place among the places which have privately owned lands, which comes under the Karaichchi Divisional Secretariat. The lands in Paravipanchan were provided by Sir. Pon. Ramanathan to those brought from Southern India to undertake the construction works of Iranaimadu tank. People of Northern area purchased these lands later on.
Resettlement at Paravipanchan was denied when the people were resettled at Killinochchi after the war brought to an end. Paravipanchan was entirely under the control of 58th Division of the Sri Lankan military at the beginning of resettlement at Killinochchi district. Private shops located at the east of A9road along the Paravipanchan were also being occupied by the occupying Sri Lankan military. These shopping complexes were handed over to the respective owners in 2013.
However, Paravipanchan was entirely under the control of 58th Division of the Sri Lankan military. The people of Paravipanchan staged demonstrations and hunger strikes demanding the release of their lands. Paravipanchan became the subject matter in terms of political and humanitarian point of view. Consequently, some of the houses located at the South and East of Paravipanchan were released during the last regime. However, most of the areas of Paravipanchan were still being occupied by the occupying Sri Lankan military.
Some houses located at the front of Paravipanchan were released following the regime change. 20 acres of land out of the 43 acres of land which were being occupied by the occupying Sri Lankan military have been recently released. The remaining 23 acres of land are still being under the control of the 58th Division of occupying Sri Lankan military. 62 families got registered their names at Karachchi Divisional Secretariat to be resettled in these areas. But, 36 families are still continuing their displaced life inside the district with the ever readiness to be resettled at the remaining 23 acres of land.
These people have been exerting pressures to all parties with regard to Paravipanchan. The legitimate demand of these people to be resettled is yet to be met though 7 years about to be passed after the war brought to an end. The Sri Lankan military is taking its all efforts to seize these 23 acres of land. As a step of it, gazette notification, seizing the 7 acres of land for the occupation of military, dated 01-09-2014 was issued. In addition to that, all efforts are being made by the Sri Lankan military to seize the remaining lands.
Following the complaints made by the people with regard to the 23 acres which are yet to be released, R.Sampanthan, the opposition leader, has directly visited the place. This incident turned to be controversial.
Apart from that, 3705.5 acres of land are still under the control of the occupying Sri Lankan military, according to the statistical data. 229.5 acres of land out of the 3705.5 acres of land are privately owned. 231 acres of land belonging to Karaichchi Divisional Secretariat are still under the control of Sri Lankan military.
Those who are denied to be resettled at Paravipanchan are living in the homes of their relatives and friends. While the resettled people are gradually building up their lives, life of those who are denied to be resettled remains unchanged.
Sannasi Ramaiyah (Age-75), who is one of those who are waiting for their resettlement, commented that he should anyhow return to his home before he died. His wife Amirthavalli (Age-63) was born in her home located at Paravipanchan. They are living the refugee life though they have land and house, he added. He emphasized that he wants his own land instead of alternative land or any sort of compensation.
All these 36 families take the same stance like him in this regard. Though some of the families belonging to Paravipanchan are exiled, they have valid deeds for their lands. Despite the government claims that people’s lands for people, attempts are being made to seize these lands for the occupation of occupying Sri Lankan military.
Meanwhile, everybody is scared whether the plight of those who are waiting for their resettlement at Paravipanchan would turn as the parrot that waited the ripening of the pod of cotton.
-M. Tamilchelvan for Global Tamil News-
