A group of youth conducted a protest march in Mannar recently against the proposed ilmenite mineral sand mining by multinational company in the district.
Mannar based sources said that the protest was held in the Mannar Bazaar area.
Protesters marched through the heart of Mannar town, carrying placards and chanting slogans as they moved from the town circle past the local police station, district hospital road, and public grounds, before returning to their starting point. The procession marked the latest escalation in a rising grassroots campaign determined to halt the destruction of ancestral Tamil lands.
Although mining operations had previously stalled due to delayed permits, it has now emerged that the Sri Lankan government is preparing to greenlight the project. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted by the Australian firm received a favourable response from the Central Environmental Authority, paving the way for permit approvals.
In response, Mannar’s youth have launched a wider awareness campaign to educate the public and resist what they describe as an existential threat to their future. A petition campaign was launched at the protest, with signatures being collected to be delivered to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, demanding an immediate halt to the project.
