Will the Surveyor General go home or contribute to Conflict
Prevention in Sri Lanka?
The Department of Survey of Sri
Lanka (DSS) was established by the British on 2nd August 1800. It is
the only government department to own an air craft other than the Air Force. Conflicts
due to land disputes are largely prevented through the services of DSS. Why did
the British establish DSS in Sri Lanka?
Simply to recover the military
investment made to conquer Sri Lanka. Granting lands to the British for
commercial crops such as Tea, Coconut & Coffee etc. was the strategy.
This created settlement
conflicts among Sinhalese & South Indian Tamil workers added to the social
conflict. British suppressed these conflicts with Military rule & managed us
as a profitable business. They weren’t looking at human rights & focused on
profit.
The Daily Mirror in January 2017
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/US-firm-to-take-over-Survey-Dept-work-Union-122388.html)
& Sunday Times (http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170806/business-times/us-firms-land-title-registry-plan-rings-alarm-bells-of-privatisation-253243.html)
reported about a plan to hand over the operations of the DSS to USA based
Trimble Company (www.trimble.com)
for a period of 15 years.
Is the DSS incapable of
implementing modernization using Sri Lankans?
OR is this part of the big picture
with Rajapaksa Port & Trincomalee Tanks etc?
Is someone interested in making Sri
Lanka a profitable business venture again? How much or what will it cost Sri
Lankans? Will it create other social conflicts?
There is lot of talk about Sri Lanka’s geographic location
in the emerging world economic trends.
If Sri Lanka looks profitable,
many would want to invest & earn returns. Land data would be important for
those. If the returns are high some may even want to create a separate state
within SL or support that cause. If we oppose, will there be a conflict then?
Will we need a Military Rule to
control such conflicts & protect Sri Lankan interests in a challenging
world like in the British days & usher economic development?
© Dr.
Samitha Hettige, August 2017
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