The Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, stated that, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Customs Department, steps are being taken to facilitate the direct export of local products from Jaffna to countries with a significant Tamil diaspora, in order to address the marketing challenges faced by small and medium-scale entrepreneurs.
The Governor made these remarks while addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest at the official inauguration of Ariyathai Traditional Vegetarian Restaurant and Made in Mullaitivu, a retail outlet featuring products from Mullaitivu, held at the sacred site of Thirumurikandi in the Mullaitivu District today morning – on Saturday 14 March 2026.
Continuing his speech, the Governor said, “When I assumed duties as the District Secretary of Mullaitivu District, which had been completely affected by the war, the district had to be rebuilt from the ground up. At that time, I did everything within my capacity as District Secretary to support its recovery. Mullaitivu is my favorite district in the Northern Province and is blessed with abundant resources. However, it is also one of the most poverty-stricken districts. Initiatives such as this will certainly help bring about positive change. As a large number of female-headed households live in this district, we have a responsibility to uplift their livelihoods. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Canadian Tamil Association for its significant contribution to this effort.”
Further recalling the land allotment, the Governor said, “I am very pleased that this land has been entrusted to the most suitable people. During my tenure as the District Secretary, I allocated this land near the Thirumurikandi Temple to the Sivabhoomi Trust. Later, at their request, it was handed over to the All Sri Lanka Hindu Mahasabha. During that period, we faced significant challenges and pressures in protecting these lands and ensuring that they were given to the appropriate stakeholders. I would also like to emphasize that we safeguarded these lands despite those immense pressures.”
The Mullaitivu District Secretary, who presided over the event, stated that just as Japan recovered from the devastation of World War II and made the brand name “Made in Japan” globally renowned, the “Made in Mullaitivu” brand of the Mullaitivu District, which is recovering from the effects of war, should also gain recognition worldwide.
Following this, the Consul General of the Indian Consulate in Jaffna, Sri Sai Murali, noted that the Government of India is ready to provide the necessary training and support to local manufacturers.
This project has been successfully implemented with the full cooperation of the Mullaitivu District Secretariat and the All Sri Lanka Hindu Council, with the financial support of the Canadian Tamil Association, and in coordination with the Northern and Eastern Economic Development Centre.
Among those present at the event were Pratheepan, Director of the North and East Economic Development Centre; Mrs. Abirami Kailasapillai, President of the All Sri Lanka Hindu Mahasabha; Dr. Aru Thirumurugan, Vice President; Danton Thurairajah, Executive Director of the Canadian Tamil Association; and Dushyanthan, Coordinator of Humanitarian Projects of the Canadian Tamil Association.
