📈 Book Launch: Unravelling ‘Manal Aru/Weli Oya’

A new book by Urs Geiser and Benedikt Korf (2026), published by the Social Scientists Association, provides critical insights for national policy makers on the intersection of land development and ethnic politics in Sri Lanka. • Overall Scope: Grounded in ethnographic research by the late Prof. Hasbullah, the study examines the contentious history of frontier colonisation, river valley development, and high militarisation in the North East region (bordering Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya districts). • Key Findings & Context: • _Evolution of Development_: Post-independence river valley development initially focused on agrarian expansion, but gradually translated into narrative frameworks promoting a past hydraulic civilization. • _Militarisation & Land Claims_: Documents how "frontier struggles" continue to shape the landscape decades before and after the civil war, highlighting high security restrictions impacting research access up until recent post-war years. • _Data Gaps_: The authors note that primary data on pre-colonial and early post-colonial land use remains scarce and scattered, with many secondary sources heavily influenced by ethno-nationalist perspectives. • Methodology: Combines geographical mapping of administrative boundaries with archival data and field work conducted post-war to analyze shifting livelihoods and state majoritarian political discourse.