Military halts Palaly temple road project after landowners protest occupation of private land

Sri Lankan military construction work to establish a permanent access road to the Palaly Raja Rajeshwari Amman Temple in Jaffna has been suspended following objections from local landowners, in the latest dispute over civilian land use within the High Security Zone in Valikamam North.

The road to the temple lies within an area that has been under the control of the occupying Sri Lankan military since residents were displaced on 15 June 1990. The locality has remained inside the High Security Zone for more than 35 years.

Last year, the Sri Lankan military arranged a special temporary route to allow devotees to visit the temple for worship. The pathway ran through privately owned lands and the premises of a nearby Vairavar temple located inside the restricted zone. Entry was permitted only for religious purposes, with devotees required to return immediately after their visit.

In recent weeks, however, the military began upgrading this temporary pathway into a permanent road by depositing soil and carrying out construction work across the private lands.

Upon learning of the development, affected landowners lodged objections with the Tellippalai Divisional Secretariat and the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha. Following these interventions, the construction work was halted.

Residents have raised concerns that the military is attempting to formalise a route through private land despite there being an existing original access road to the temple within the High Security Zone. They point out that there are no military camps situated along the route, apart from a vehicle repair workshop in the vicinity, and question the continued restrictions on access.

The dispute comes amid ongoing demands for the release of civilian lands in Valikamam North, which remain under military control despite repeated promises from successive Sri Lankan governments. Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar has recently stated that a portion of lands within the High Security Zone will be released before the Tamil New Year.

In this context, residents have urged authorities to release not only the temple and its surrounding lands, but also the original access road, allowing devotees to freely visit the Palaly Raja Rajeshwari Amman Temple and carry out Pongal rituals during the upcoming festival season.

The incident reflects wider tensions across the Tamil homeland, where large swathes of private land continue to remain under military occupation, decades after the end of the armed conflict.