Two Indian companies, Verdanta Harvest Pvh and Shapoorji Pallonji, are set to sign an agreement with Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Deve

Addis Fortune reports the land will be used to grow tea and Pongamia Pinnata, a plant used for biofuel and industrial chemical production.
Verdanta Harvest Pvh received 5,000 hectares of land while Shapoorji Pallonji was allocated 10,000 hectares.
The lease period for both companies will be 20 years or less.

Land Rights Minority

Although the war has reached the curtain call, yet the actors continue playing their different roles. People of North and East continue to struggle with issues of resettlement with no proper mechanism and infrastructure. Especially when IDPs complain about their land issues and rights, indications from the government show establishment of new economic zones in North and East as part of their speedy development plan.

Development at what cost? Will there be any space for peoples’ voice in the process?

Complains emerge that lands owned by others have been given to different people and unavailability of proper documents for the land possessed for more than ten years. Gender is yet another aspect that needs serious consideration, when it comes to land rights, where women are marginalized in succession. It is vital that State Land Ordinance needs to be revisited.

Large scale land allocations are taking place under the pretext of development; Allocations as high as 20,000 acres in some areas. Areas such as Horowapothana have new owners with strange ownership lineages for forestland. The newly resettled in the Trincoimalee district has created ethnic imbalances in the areas such as Gomarankadawala and Thiriyaya, thus building tense situations amongst people, and arousing suspicion of colonization. It could well be the story in many other areas as well in North. Elephant fence at Mutthur by government and land grab in muthtur by majority community is a serious situations also another places in the eastern province things happening with the state patronage

Coastal areas, especially beach land in the north and east are being allocated for tourism purposes and small Islands are being targeted by business tycoons from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Do people have any choice in such issues or can they voice their concern as minority communities. People in the South protested…at times violently following Tsunami. Can the same be said to the minorities in the North and East?

Bearing in mind the severity of this problem and considering it as a timely issue, Land Rights is the thematic focus of the Minority Rights Coalition.

CHRD intends going on a fact finding mission on this issue in the Wanni Region, Jaffna District and East soon after the meeting. Apart from it, we do call upon everyone to support thios endeavors and initiatives in Land Rights as members of the Minority Rights Coalition. CHRD together with other like minded civil society organizations will take up issues in terms of campaign and advocacy for policy changes.

By Herman Kumara.