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A ravaged land and a ravaged people
By Lorna Wright
Over reaction to the subject of race and ethnicity can only intensify senseless spasms of emotion and promote savage action. Reaction follows. It brings about a bloody pogrom against each other. Sri Lanka, caught in the double bind of world economic problems and its own escalating inflation and cost of living, gets further handicapped with the upward spiral of mutual fear and corrosive hostility.

Life at a refugee camp

Maybe, maybe not yet in a saner mood let us look at the UNHCR/ Central Bank/SCF's count of 2,844,000 people in the North and East. 800,000 internally displaced, 500,000 refugees, 270,000 displaced children, bringing the total of displaced to 1,300,000, over one million people.

The total number of widows in 15 AGA divisions in Jaffna is 21,464. Driving through Chavakachcheri the hot sun bores down on overturned, broken, first and second floor concrete slabs. Once homes and shops of the privileged and middle-class. The wind, sun shadows and over-grown foliage give a sinister quality to the shops with no frontage, homes with collapsed walls, no doors or roof. Is it society's cruel injustice or is it a dumb love for an impossible unattainable dream? Chavakachheri has 3254 widows, Kopay has 2653, Nallur 2106, Karaveddy 2583, Uduvil 1745, Point Pedro 1702, and Jaffna 1700.

In their tired haunted eyes, there is no celebration of being a woman.

With unsentimental optimism, they grapple with a complex web of emotional and social considerations - to say nothing of financial issues.

The Sivarajah N. Nutrition Survey - Jaffna District Welfare Centres states that 'The prevalence of anaemia in adolescent girls is 56.25%, in pregnant mothers 61%, in lactating mothers 59.9% (Uthayam Newspaper April 18, 2002). Hundred and forty children in Thenmarachchi alone have lost both parents, 440 have died and 236 remain handicapped for life. There are 3367 widows with 1419 under 50 years, and 1947 over 50 years. Does anyone willingly want to increase these numbers?

Six nuns at Mother Teresa' Pompaiden Home, Vavuniya with maximum of patience and minimum of sleep, struggle with increasing numbers. Their van limps along. The emphasis is on the driver's efficiency and competence, and their prayers. The offer of a Bajaj elicits a simple reply "It will not carry the coffins dear."

The Nelukulam Camp has 177 families, 718 people, 50 toilets - 25 blocked and overflowing. A hell-hole. Approximately 16,353 persons, 4172 Tamil families live in 14 welfare camps. At the Sidampuram Camp, another hell-hole in Vavuniya, when Rev. Swarnarajah of the Wanni Methodist Mission and I criticized the appalling conditions, a security guard suggested we visited the 'prostitute section' which was worse. It certainly was, littered with rusting tins, broken plastic, uncollected garbage, rags lying around. The seediness and bone-weary poverty of the scene was evident. The older women gathered around but were hesitant to say much. They spoke little, but you could feel the emptiness, and the humility of that emptiness, of their otherwise normal, culturally active daily life, the weak smiles, the hand reaching up to the face, the few words that were confined to a small space of shame inside. "I do it for the sake of the family". Happiness was too difficult to hope for or grasp - they left it for the future.

Standing with them were teenagers and it was not difficult to see an older woman's eyes in these young children's faces. Faces that pushed a shy, apologetic smile up to the eyes that seemed now incapable of shedding tears. Only 14-15-16 years and pregnant. Tamil girls, who go with the soldiers for money to help feed the family. WFP food aid had stopped, diverted to another war and refugee zone.

Children count the hours at meetings, seminars, workshops - The cost -lurching academic monologues. Human Rights and every child must have schooling till 14 years. Displaced in the war-affected North and East are 270,000 children. 80% have suffered extreme poverty, deprivation - like homelessness, hunger, thirst etc. 89% have been directly exposed to shooting, shelling and bombing. 53% are traumatized by seeing dead bodies. A printed list of 1200 schools closed are available from the Ministry of Education. Solid empty buildings are now hooch dens and brothels. In the North and East, where education gets a very high priority, 332 schools have been badly affected and 75 closed. In Trincomalee 30%-40% children do not attend school while earning for the family.

In Jaffna 27,000 students do not attend school. Very irregular attendance is kept by 24,000 and with 20,000, literacy and numeracy, is very low. There are 13,000 orphans. Sri Lanka has 178 orphanages, with 9800 orphans.

Many years ago, Raine, my husband, AGA Jaffna had his government Tamil exam ahead of him. Impatient with his tutor, he said, "I am sure I will be able to practise my Tamil, while shopping in town."

A few days later, "It is useless. Everyone gives me a pathetic look and replies in perfect English." Thanks to the influence of American missionaries -Tamils at all levels spoke perfect English.

Esme Rankine, a journalist researching the Thesavalami law was locating the ancestral homes in Jaffna locked and almost abandoned by the elite living in Colombo, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. She wanted to visit the Thellipalai Ashram.

"Perfect," said Raine. 'I'll practise my Tamil with the priests." We drove down. Walking out to greet us was the Swami swathed in leopard skin and wearing spiked wooden clogs on his feet. "Welcome Sir. We have been looking forward to both you and Mrs. Wright visiting us.

"A vegetarian meal has been prepared"-perfect English. It transpired he was the Times Correspondent of the area and knew Esme.

"Circuit to Mullaitivu and Sunday service with Fr. Chepka. Chairs for our family - other sat on mats. Fair, brown hair, Portuguese Burghers spoke Sinhalese and Tamil - and no English - masons, carpenters - construction workers. Comfortable in sarongs and shirts and saris.

Once a year the AGA and officials pegged the vaadis north of Mullaitivu for the Sinhala Mudalalis. They came from the south west coast of Sri Lanka on their seasonal migration to the area. Everybody spoke both languages and lived in perfect amity.

The A.G.A's house we lived in inside the Dutch Fort was on the ramparts. It was completely demolished. So was the old Church, the ramp and gallows. We were warned not to enter because of land mines.

New green shiny sand bags, bunkers with freshly sawn logs - The Bishop had his coconut plantation trees cut with an electric saw. The talipot palm is Jaffna's wealth. They are being cut for bunkers.

The soldiers' attitude and words are often arrogant. Perversity or is it just downright ignorance?

I am Dutch Burgher. I don't know a word of Dutch, or have I the faintest idea from where in Holland I come? My immediate relations are distinguished lawyers, committed doctors, academics, religious leaders, artists, bankers, T.V stars, cricketers - happy and prosperous children doing exceedingly well.

"It was a sad day when the Burghers left Sri Lanka says the eminent international civil servant Dr. Gamini Corea.

Live and let live: Must it always remain only a tiny idea, a yearning that enters single file into the cultures buried deep in this country where four great religions are deeply rooted?

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