Hakeem’s help sought to block giving Sinhala name to Trinco village

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2003, 20:08 GMT]
The Trincomalee district branch of the Sri Lanka Muslim Teachers' Congress (SLMTC) Tuesday urged the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and Minister in the United National Front government, Mr.Rauff Hakeem, to take immediate steps to stop re- naming a traditional Muslim village in the Kinniya division, Vaanaru, with a Sinhalese name, Bandulupura, sources in Trincomalee said.

The following is the full text of the letter sent by the SLMTC to Minister Hakeem:

”Vaanaru is a key Muslim village, located 16 km southwest of Kinniya town in the Kinniya divisional secretariat division. Two Muslim schools and four mosques are in the village. As Sinhalese people reside close to this village it is being now called as Wan Ela.

“At the last meeting of the Trincomalee District Co-ordinating Committee (DCC) presided over by a SLMC parliamentarian at the Trincomalee district secretariat, it was decided to change the name from Vaanaru to Bandulupura, and the decision has been sent to the Home Ministry in Colombo for necessary action.

”Muslims of this village are already facing several difficulties in the hands of the majority community and we consider the change of name of the village as a planned act to obliterate the ancestry of Muslims in the village.

"It causes grave concern and disappointment to Muslims as the decision was taken at the DCC meeting, which was presided by a SLMC parliamentarian.

"Hence please take immediate action to stop the change of name of the village from Vaanaru to a Sinhalese name and safeguard the Muslim village."