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| Sunday, 16 January 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A tragedy afar, yet so near by Sugeeswara Senadhira Amita is inconsolable. She lost several of her relatives back home including the infant daughter of her sister. Her husband Nimal, with a dazed look, is holding onto their two children as if to protect them from an unseen tidal wave, though they are safe in far away Oslo. Nimal and his brother Sarath lost their antique and curio shop in Hikkaduwa, where all their hard earned money was invested in. "Losing everything is OK we can rebuild. But how about the lost lives of our dear ones?" Nimal asks. A question nobody can answer. Solace "Everything is impermanent," says Hasse, who was once ordained as a Buddhist monk and lived in a Southern hermitage. But his tear filled eyes show that even he could not find solace in those philosophical interpretations. His wife Sunethra cries the moment a victim is shown on CNN. Mahinda, who lost several of his relatives is not ready to drop tears. He is raging and ready to take an unseen enemy to pieces. "Why can't so and so do this or that? Why can't they counter adverse publicity? Norwegians should know that all communities have been affected and not only Tamils live in Sri Lanka," he shouts at everybody. "Let's do our bit," pragmatic Nirmala rallies everyone around for a cause. We contact the Norwegian government, Red Cross, Red Barna and all other NGOs. Dulari, a Sinhalese doctor was the first to volunteer. Norwegian Red Cross agrees to take her in their special plane which carries a mobile hospital and medicine. "But you have to work in Jaffna." Dulari is ready to work anywhere. For her everybody who lives in Sri Lanka is a fellow Sri Lankan. Her problem? "Who will look after the child? Husband Kapila takes leave from his job to baby sit. Nirmala, Ajith, Tilak, Sampath, Chandani, Dilani, Nihal and Hasse go from hospital to hospital. Good news pours in. "I got two boxes of medicine." "I am collecting surgical items." "I will get some drugs and saline." "They promised baby milk food." Medicine How do I send this? airfreight is so expensive? "Bring them to Gardoman airport. I'll see what I can do," says Sunil. Sunil and Neville call their fellow SAS employees. When I reach the airport with many boxes of medicine, Sunil beams waving some papers in my face. "All my friends surrendered their staff quotas. We can send everything and pay only 10 per cent." So I fill the forms and hand over the lot. Where do I pay? "No we have taken care of that too." Load of medicine on its way to Director, Medical Supplies. Now, how to send the boxes and boxes of cloth, donated by Sri Lankans and Norwegian friends? Ifthikhar, a Pakistani and Anees, a Sri Lankan offer help. Hectic Their Mosque Committee comes to our assistance with an offer to send a 60-foot container. So a container load of cloth and other relief material is on its way to the Social Services Department. After a hectic week, we can relax a bit. No, not so soon. "There is some more medicine." Hasse calls from Tonsberg. "I can get some drugs from St Halvard's Hospital," says Ajith. OK here we go. Another hat collection. We will send everything collected by them. Ranjith calls me with the news that Normeca AS, a Norwegian company that specialises in mobile hospitals has sent a 30-bed hospital to Indonesia. I call Jan Karisan of Normeca AS. "Yes we have sent a hospital, but the payment was made by Japanese Red Cross," says Karlsen. "We do have another 50-bed mobile hospital, if there is somebody to fund." Shall we ask Colombo to take it up with Jaica? "No I'll ask our representative in Tokyo to make a request," Karlsen volunteers. Following day some more good news. Funds "There is a strong possibility of obtaining funds from Finland for the mobile hospital." We will keep our fingers crossed. OK. That is for the present, the immediate needs. Harsha, Tilak, Nirmala, Indika and others now discuss long-term assistance. How can we help children, their educational needs and housing? Rauf seeks a meeting with several political party leaders. Mahinda meets Oslo Municipality members. Nirmala discusses the issue with officials in the education departments. They all explain that it lookes as if Sri Lanka had, within minutes, suffered more damage than during 20 years of war. Norway has only a handful of Sinhalese and Muslims. But they are determined to raise funds to help rebuild Sri Lanka. I came to Oslo on a temporary assignment and when my term is about to expire I was all excited to go back home. I never thought I would shed a tear when I leave Oslo. But now I will be going back with a heavy heart as I have come across so many friends - true patriots and dear friends of Sri Lanka - in just seven days since that ill-fated day in December. Hadabra my friends! Keep the flag flying! (Former Sunday Observer staffer, Sugeeswara Senadhira is Counsellor at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Norway). |
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