The Political Cradle 2
Emotional reactions from concerned parties on Wilpaththu National Park issue is threatening to lead the country into a state of commotion.
I visited this park in 2004 as soon as it was first opened
to public since 1985 by the then UNP government.
At the first hand the deposed
President Mahindha Rajapaksha is the person who authorized the resettlement in
the concerned area, through his autocratic style. Any area of 2 to 3 KM stretch surrounding the border of any Park is a sanctuary.
But the same person MR had raised this issue for the cause he wanted to achieve politically ........and the vociferous wildlife lovers are reacting too emotionally after being kept silent by and during MR’s autocratic silencing! One exception was BBSThe wildlife lovers cannot except to change the things overnight, that has been a resettlement area for six years after the war ignoring and risking human habitation. Deposed leader had made a blunder in this and His Excellency Maithripala Srisena on course for correcting the damages and destruction caused to this oldest,largest and historically important national park of this tiny island. That is why most of the wildlife lovers are emotional and reactive, though some of them politically motivated.
But the President quite rightly
had effected a full stop to all degradation of park and adjoining sanctuary and
had called for a report of the officials. Whatever the outcome of the report
sanity and humanity should prevail for living human and biodiversity.
If it is found without any doubt
that there is a human habitat within the sanctuary bordering the park, suitable land should be allocated far outside the
area to all those family by family before
ordering the eviction and effecting it.
Based on the experience I had as National Consultant Wildlife Veterinarian, to
the Dept. of Wildlife and Conservation, any eviction order without alternative
land for those who have been badly directed by the state itself would delay the
eviction proper and practically it would be more threat to the wildlife
diversity than in the prevailing situation.
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