Research, documentation and mass movement necessary in the struggle against land grabbing by the Tamil people: Anuradha Mittal

Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute said research and documentation could play a key role in the Tamil people’s struggle against the land grab in the North and East.

Anuradha was speaking at a discussion at the Jaffna Press Club yesterday on the Endless War: The Destroyed Land, Life, and Identity of the Tamils in Sri Lanka report released by the Oakland Institute.

Andy Currier, Oakland Institute Researcher, Justice CV Wigneswaran, Parliamentarian and Former Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council , Thavaththiru Velan Swamigal, P2P People Uprising Movement, Nilanthan, Political Analyst also participated in this discussion.

“It is very important to collect evidence in connection with land grabbing. Evidence can greatly assist internationally in the fight against land grabbing. The lack of documentation of land grabbing in the North and East is seen as a shortcoming. Therefore, the Tamil people should focus on documentation ”, Anuradha emphasised.

She pointed out the need to build a mass movement against land grabbing and that the media could play an important role by investigating the violation of land rights.