Sailing the straits for safety
By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
Over 5,700 people have made a treacherous journey to Tamil Nadu to escape violence in the North-East of Sri Lanka. About 58,000 refugees continue to live in existing 103 camps across Tamil Nadu since the 1980s.
NGOs in Tamil Nadu say the conditions in camps for Sri Lankans are “appalling”. They fear that many parents in the camps simply cannot afford to send their children to school.
But many people particularly in Trincomalee continue to set their thoughts on sailing across the straits to Tamil Nadu.
Safety and security in Trincomalee seem to be their main concern for leaving and it surpasses any somber stars they may have to endure to continue their livelihood in Tamil Nadu.
The following Portrait of humanity at the Alles Garden Welfare Camp, Trincomalee was taken on July 2, 2006:
“I am pregnant. But I have decided to leave this welfare centre and go to India to settle down. My mother is living in abroad. She sent some money. I am going to make use of that money, and accompany my husband. He is a fisherman, but does not go to the sea. We do not have any income to run the family. I should be financially fit, once my child is born. I can stitch dresses and earn an income when I go to India” says Archchanthini Kumarakulasingham (18) of Alles Garden welfare camp in Trincomalee, East of Sri Lanka
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There are 109 families (360 persons) currently living in this welfare camp
The refugees of Alles Garden welfare camp complain that, they are refugees of war and peace
Most of the refugees decide to leave discreetly to Mannar and from there to India
“I have been living in this welfare camp for the past eleven years. I wish that, I would have continued my studies and working now.But due to poverty, I had to stop my studies.I am married now.My husband is a fisherman, but he does to go to the sea for fishing. I have also decided to leave this welfare camp and go to India by sea. It costs Rupees ten thousand per person to go from Mannar to India. There are more expenses involved such as transport charges from Trincomalee to Mannar, and food and accommodation. Since I do not have enough money for the expenses, I have decided to sell my jewelleries including my wedding ring and my husband’s. It’s sad to sell wedding rings, but I have no other choice. I want to take care of the lives of my husband and elder brother. Their lives are more important to me than my jewelleries. They have to live long” says Thevapriya Marsilian (18) of Alles Garden welfare camp in Trincomalee.
They parents are worried that the education of their children is disturbed, as they are on the move
“There is no privacy” the refugees complain
The refugees were displaced from Kuchchaveli, in 1985
Play time for the kids
Most of the males at the Alles Garden welfare camp work as fishermen
Source: humanityashore
Contact: Dushi.Pillai@gmail.com
