SLMC Leader and City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education Minister Rauff Hakeem said on Thursday that he has appointed a team to visit the riot-torn towns and villages, to evaluate the damages caused to Muslims, their properties and their mosques.

The Minister made this statement following his visit to the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts in the North Western Province, where Muslim settlements were vandalised by groups of thugs who invaded townships and hamlets.

“The Muslims who are living in the North Western Province of the island are living in a state of fear, expecting more attacks by these goons, and the victims in these three districts in the province are living in trauma,” the Minister said, lamenting that these victims will take a long time to recover from this tragedy.

Minister Hakeem also visited the house of the deceased carpenter, Fouzul Ameer, who was hacked to death by the thugs. The deceased was living in Thummodera, the worst-affected village in the riots, in Puttalam district, with his four children and his workshop had four non-Muslim workers.

When the Minister spoke to the families of the victims, the women whom he met told Hakeem that during the attack, the rioters also stole their valuable gold jewellery, worth millions of rupees. 

The Minister said the violence, orchestrated by a gang of goons on Muslim settlements in Kurunegala, Puttalam and Gampaha districts on Sunday, sequel to the serial suicide bomb blasts on the Easter Sunday, had political motives to topple the present government.

This was revealed at a meeting held at the Police Superintendent Office in Kuliyapitiya on Tuesday. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, was attended by Ministers Rauff Hakeem, Kabir Hashim, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Ravi Karunanayake, and State Ministers Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana, J.C. Alawathuwala, and Faizal Cassim. 

The meeting preceded the Premier’s visit to the Kottampitiya mosque, which was heavily damaged by the hooligans.

Arising out of the discussions at the meeting, on suggestions made by Minister Hakeem, the Premier said he would step up the security arrangements in the districts, in view of the sense of insecurity and fears in the minds of the people.

It was felt at the meeting that lack of security efforts and delayed action by the security forces had worsened the situation when the mob targeted Muslims, mosques, and their properties. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said it was unfortunate that violence was continued, even after curfew was imposed in those areas. 

Minister Hakeem said the volume of damages caused to the properties could have been avoided, if security was tighter during the curfew hours.

When the Premier said suitable compensation will be paid to those whose properties were damaged, Minister Hakeem insisted the volume of compensation should be on the same lines of the Digana communal incident compensations scheme.

Minister Hakeem strongly condemned the dastardly acts of the hooligans against the Muslims, and equally blamed the authorities for their failure to take preventive action in time to avoid such colossal losses. The Minister also said that the authorities should create a conducive climate for the people to carry on with their normal work without fear and at ease.

It was found that the modus operandi of these unfortunate incidents had a political motive to topple the government, by exploiting the case of serial bomb blasts on 21 April. The Prime Minister instructed his officials to collect all evidence, including CCTV footage, to complete the investigations, and take proper legal actions against all concerned people.

Following the meeting, Minister Hakeem visited the affected areas, such as Hettipola, Kottampitiya, Bandarakoswatte, Madige Anukkana, Ehettumulla, Thoratuduwa, Giniyama, Poowella, Asanakoduwa, and Galhiniyakaduwa.

The Minister listened to the grievances of the people, who had eerie tales to tell. 

Hettipola falls prey to anti-communal violence