Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Trincomalee MP R. Sampanthan has written to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe this week voicing his dissent against the possible division of the Mutur Divisional Secretariat.
Labelling the move as unfair on the Tamil residents in the area, Sampanthan said that dividing the Secretariat into Mutur and the newly proposed Thoppur Divisional Secretariat would create two Muslim Divisional Secretariats.
“The Tamil community would become the minority in both divisions with no Divisional Secretariat dedicated to them,” he stated in his letter, calling upon the PM to intervene and halt the move immediately.
The TNA leader also told Premier Wickremesinghe that despite being the senior most politician in the Trincomalee district, where the Mutur Divisional Secretariat comes under, his opinion had not been sought on the matter and neither was he informed of the move. “Other Tamil politicians in the area were also not informed,” he said adding that a final decision on the division must be made only after extensive discussions among all relevant parties. “Prior to presenting a Cabinet paper in this regard discussions must be held,” he said.
Trincomalee is currently divided into the three Divisional Secretariats of Mutur, Seruwila and Verugal. At present, there are 26, 608 Tamils among a population of 70,188 in Mutur. (MB)