A protest march was held last month opposing limestone excavation, mineral sand mining and a proposed wind power project across the villages of Veravil, Valaipadu, Ponnaveli and Kiranchi, in the Poonakary Divisional Secretariat division of Kilinochchi.
The demonstration was organised against plans to establish wind power stations and to carry out mineral sand and limestone extraction in the villages, which are among the most ancient settlements in the Kilinochchi district.
The procession began at the premises of Veravil Hospital and proceeded to the Kiranchi Karpaga Pillaiyar Temple. Demonstrators raised slogans including "Do not exploit our resources" and "Our land belongs to us, we do not want windmills".
More than 500 people took part, including religious leaders such as Velan Swamigal, members of the local council and members of the public.
The objections raised in Poonakary echo those heard across the North-East.
Tamil shave repeatedly accused the Sri Lankan government and private companies of seizing coastal, agricultural and fishing land under the banner of renewable energy and development, stripping local people of their livelihoods while the profits and the resources flow elsewhere. Beneath the soil of the region lie mineral deposits including ilmenite and thorium, sought after for industrial and military applications, and protesters have warned that large-scale extraction would leave their land degraded and, in places, uninhabitable.
For the people of Veravil, Valaipadu, Ponnaveli and Kiranchi, the projects represent the latest instance of decisions taken in Colombo and imposed on Tamil land without meaningful consultation of those who live on it.
