Delivering his message to mark the holy period of Lent, Bishop of the Diocese of Mannar Rev. Emmanuel Fernando said that Tamils in the region continue to face hardships, from poverty, to drugs and environmental damage.

“The livelihood of the people in Mannar continues to deteriorate,” said Bishop Fernando.

“Farmers are facing a financial crisis due to lack of yield even during the harvests, families living below the poverty line are affected by microfinance loans and the increase in incidents of drug abuse continues to affect youth.”

The Bishop went on to state that attempts were being made to postpone the general and presidential elections, stripping citizens of their civic right to vote. “People are disappointed and angry, those in power continue to make various manoeuvres to maintain their position,” he said,

The Bishop also referred to power projects planned in Mannar adding that the people have protested against this project and reiterated the impact it will have on both people and the environment. “However the government is not concerned about letting go of this project,” he said. “We will continue to show our opposition in the ways we can.”

Last month residents of Mannar protested calling on the government to conserve Mannar’s natural resources. They cited that “Illegal development activities destroying the environment in Mannar must be stopped immediately.”

They held placards that read 'Stop sand mining or Mannar will go underwater’, 'Mannar Island stolen in broad daylight,’ and 'If dredging is not stopped, fresh water will become polluted and salinity will increase’.