by LankaFiles, July 28, 2025
It has been revealed that the repeated claims made by successive presidents, including the current head of state, regarding the release of ancestral lands in the Valikamam region of Jaffna district, are largely political rhetoric.
At a press conference held in Jaffna, civil society activists and local residents asserted that the government has yet to revoke the gazette notification issued twelve years ago, which formally acquired thousands of acres in the area.
They emphasized that, despite official claims, these lands are still designated as government property, and access to them remains restricted.
On the morning of July 15, over 100 people who were dispossessed of their ancestral lands staged a peaceful protest near the Presidential Secretariat, demanding that their long-held lands be returned.
“Give Back Our Ancestral Lands” was the central slogan echoed by protesters during a demonstration organized by civil society organizations, demanding the return of lands in Valikamam.
Participants in the protest — including those who have been dispossessed of their ancestral lands — met with Jaffna District Secretary Marudalingam Pradeepan on Monday, July 21, urging swift action for the immediate release of their properties.
Following the meeting, Yardson Figurado, co-organizer of the North and East Civil Coordination (NECC), told media at a press conference in Jaffna that the government had not yet annulled the 2013 gazette notification related to the acquisition of over 6,000 acres of Tamil-owned ancestral lands.
“A total of 6,317 acres of land was brought under state control through a special gazette issued on May 28, 2013. While successive presidents, including the current one, have claimed to have released 200 or 300 acres, or reopened access roads, none of these announcements hold legal weight while the gazette remains in force. We clarified to the officials at the Presidential Secretariat—and to the Jaffna District Secretary—that although the land may have been physically released, it has not been legally restored to the original owners.”
The acquisition was made during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term, under the Ministry of Lands and Land Development. Through Special Gazette No. 1812/10, issued on May 28, 2013, over 6,000 acres in the Valikamam region were declared as required for public purposes by the government of Sri Lanka.
The Sinhala and Tamil versions of the gazette state that the acquired land covers 6,371 acres, whereas the English version records the area as 6,317 acres.
“An allotment of land in total extent of about 2578.4475 Hectares (6317A. 01 R. 15 P.) depicted as Lot Nos. 01 to 72 in Advance Tracing No. Ya/TLL/2013/111 of 24th April 2013 prepared by the Surveyor-General situated in the Villages of Kankasanthurai West, Kankasanthurai Central, Wimankamam South ,Theiyadi South, Palali South, Ottapulam and Walali in the Divisional Secretary’s Division of Walikamam North, Walikamam East in Jaffna District and bounded as follows: North: Indian Ocean; East and South: Earth Bund;West: Land of the Ports Authority land claimed by Cement Corporation and Earth Bund.”
Following discussions with Jaffna District Secretary Marudalingam Pradeepan on July 21, Joseph Albert Aloysius, President of the Valikamam North Landowners Association, held a press conference in Jaffna where he disclosed that he had met with a Secretary of the Presidential Secretariat after the peaceful protest near the Presidential Secretariat on July 15. He revealed that the official was unaware of the very existence of their village, where land rights have been contested for years.
“Even the Secretary of the Presidential Secretariat is unfamiliar with Valikamam North. Our government officials, whether through negligence or intent, have failed to present our documentation. They do not understand the location of Valikamam North in Jaffna or the nature of our grievance. Despite the 2013 gazette notification, no action has been taken,” he stated.
He also highlighted that while approximately 2,800 acres of the over 6,000 acres of ancestral Tamil land seized under the 2013 Extraordinary Gazette have been gradually released, the gazette itself remains in effect.
Consequently, the released lands continue to be classified as state property.
Joseph Albert Aloysius stated that of the approximately 6,300 acres of land, around 2,800 acres have yet to be released. He noted that even the land reportedly released still remains classified as state property. Until the gazette notification is formally revoked, all these lands will continue under government control. Aloysius insisted that the gazette must be officially canceled and that ownership of their private lands must be restored.
He further emphasized that, under the current conditions, accessing his land to carry out even minimal cultivation is impossible. Aloysius also highlighted that no positive outcome was achieved during discussions with Jaffna District Secretary Marudalingam Pradeepan on the land issue.
5,941 Acres of Coastal Land
The Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending the implementation of a recent gazette notification that sought to acquire nearly 6,000 acres of coastal land in the Northern Province, where establishing individual ownership has proven difficult.
Had the order not been stayed, the government would have gained the legal authority to take possession of these lands immediately following the court’s ruling.
The Department of Land Title Settlement had published Gazette No. 2430 on March 28, 2025, warning that if legal ownership of 5,941 acres of land in four coastal districts of the North was not substantiated within three months, the state would proceed to take over the lands listed in its schedules.
The Supreme Court issued its interim injunction on June 27, 2025, after hearing a petition filed by President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran challenging the legality of the gazette notification.