(Surf is up)
TheA?’Sri Lankan Pro’-surfing contestA?commenced in the Purchase avalide 300 Arugambay coastal belt today.A?A?This is the largest Beach Pageant held in the Indian Ocean Region.
Arugam Bay. Is popular with Lady Surfers
More than 100 foreigners areA?set to takeA?part in the contest.
Surfers from several countries will participateA? in the ‘Sri Lankan Pro’ contest which will be held until next Sunday.
A large number of locals too have gathered for the function with several other attractions in the area.
Among them are the Magul Maha Viharaya, Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Kudumbigala Forest Sanctuary, Bird Sanctuary and Crocodile Rock.
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/10421-surfs-up.html
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Hi Sunethra
That is terrible heartbreaking news for your mother,sisters, etc. Words cant describe how your family must feel.Those bulldozers have not only knocked down your mothers restaurant they have taken away your families past,your good memories, your bad ones, your hard times , funny times, your childhood memories, your FAMILY HOME your mother and father shared with surfers from all over the world. To say I feel sick from sadness of this news is a total understatement.
If this is the future of Arugam Bay I for one will have no part in it. I will always remember Arugam Bay as a unique place once but will never visit again. GREED and “PROGRESS” IS IN TOWN.
Ramani and family you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Pete
The Latest is that my Mum’s Restaurant is no more!!! The bulldozer sweep through yesterday taking everything in it’s path! My Mum was trying on one hand to pull down the restaurant while on the other hand crying & begging them to please not to, but bulldozers show no mercy & now there is one big mess now in wake of the Mr bulldozer’s work!!!
The latest is that my mum,at Siripala Place has been told to pull her restaurant done within the next couple of weeks by those big hearted tough, brave Navy people otherwise it will be bulldozed down for her as they have their order from above!! They are so kind & considerate!!!!!!!!
Hi all
Whats the latest update on the demolish orders in Arugam.
Cheers
Pete
Thank you Fred, Peter Thomas & David, for your kind words of support, Reality, & true-isms on the plight of the Arugam Bay people as the story stands. I’m not trying to be political or ‘over the top’, I’m just trying to lend what support I can to my Mum who on her own can not possibly halt the stampeding elephant called the Government. Although i now have a life in another country it will be a very sad day indeed to see my childhood extinguished along with my mother’s ability to earn an income, so i wish the enlightened ones all the very best & hope that their lives are not to pushed around by the ‘stampeding elephant’–Good Luck!!!!!!!
David.
Sunethra.
Pete.
etc.
Please do not expect our local expats to take up this issue & to fight the authorities!
Our founder and other correspondents suffered more than enough and earned local problems already. In Sri Lanka, their work, for all those years is not appreciated anyhow. As Thomas pointed out.
Fred, specially, had enough and is retiring.
May we invite YOU to draft a suitable article in support of this serious matter?
Best illustrated the article with some photos or scanned documents. Just send it in to us.
arugam.info@gmail.com
I will personally see to it and publish it as a front page story, if you wish.
arugam.info
webmistress
Good points!
When I designed this web site, and associated Facebook pages my dream was to assist the local Community.
I still think, our efforts have been successful in promoting the Bay Internationally.
But due to all sorts of local controversy we decided to stay OUT of all LOCAL issues and matters.
Because this Community never, ever supported our work.
On the contrary, we earned nothing but problems, trouble and even death threads from some weird, militant loco residents.
Therefore, it is not up to us to publish any article relating to this recent local issue.
Let them sort it out!
Our little place, the Siam View, is also affected by a demolition order.
But we do our own thing, and ever since we have learned our lesson not to support jealous morons:
We seem to do much, much better than during all those hard 30+ last years.
(This comment does NOT related to Sripala’s, whom we regard of our local friends, to a degree)
“If you so called residents of Arugam Bay cant help”
“Stand up before its to late or Arugam Bay will be lost forever.”
Good quotes, Pete!
But the reality is that they never work together in AbaY.
Everyone is on its own, there is plenty of jealousy around, and they even grass each other up and send petitions under false names to drop their own neighbours & ‘rivals’ into the shit with the authorities. Be it the liquor hunters, the cops or any other Government department.
The removing of unauthorized structures does not only affect Sripala.
The Coast Conservation Dept (CCD) – which now, as most Ministries comes under the banner “Defense” has pinned demolition notices on everyone in the Coastal belt at Arugam Bay. To pull down any building within the 10 Meter zone.
Mr. Ranga, of famous Beach Hut already complied and voluntarily demolished his bungalow, before the Army does it for him.
The deadline, which was extended due to the Competition is the 15th September. 2011.
Take it or leave it:
Sri Lanka is ruled by an iron fist now.
And the residents have little choice but to comply.
Specially, as they are too fragmented, and never seem to work with each other.
I agree with Sunethra and David. I stayed at Siripalas in July 2011 and had the pleasure of meeting Ramani and Jagath.Taking their land and livelihood is a disgrace.
People of Arugam Bay wake up and smell the rotting odour of what they call progress. If you so called residents of Arugam Bay cant help Ramani of Siripalas by voicing your objections she will be the first of many.
Stand up before its to late or Arugam Bay will be lost forever. Believe it Ive seen happen all over Asia.
Its time for action!!!
Its their home for gods sake
Yes, I could not agree more! I am about to see my Mum Ramini of Siripala Restaurant kicked off her land that she has owned for the last 40yrs or so. This is the only reward for prevailing through 30yrs of civil conflict without any Government assistance & now that the Arugam Bay area is coming into better times the Government departments concerned are creating progress by removing local people from their permit land, so that the contestants & officials can drive to the point without getting their feet dirty or covered with sand! So Arugam Bay people, the enlightening part of this situation is that most of the Arugam Bay people are on permit land & guess what! They’ll be next! So wake up Arugam Bay people before the Multi- National companies come & take what was a pleasant local village, owned by the local people!
Hi All,
Hope they get some good surf for the contest. I also hope they learn of the plight of a few local families who are about to lose the land they have lived on for more than 30 years.Now that the war is over and the tsunami repairs are comnplete some sectors want to take the land from these families for their own gain.
What a disgrace.