Agony of entrapped people!

Dhaneshi YATAWARA

The day was getting wrapped up in darkness and the coolness of the environment was a blessing after the sizzling hot day at Pulmoddai. The dark coloured beach of the Pulmoddai sea was getting busy with lots of human activities. The entire crowd, comprising with Navy personnel and International Red Cross employees, was getting ready to receive the sick and wounded people rescued from the ‘No Fire Zone’.

Mediated by the International Red Cross the helpless civilians are brought to safety by the ‘Green Ocean’, chartered vessel. On that day, the 27th batch of patients were scheduled to reach the shore with 521 patients.

According to Captain Samantha Wimalatunga, the Senior Officer In charge of the Naval unit deployed in the IDP rescue centre, utmost precaution is taken by the Sri Lanka Navy to assure the safety of the rescued people. The threats of LTTE suicide attacks loom large at the IDP registration centre as well. Despite the threat to their lives, officers and sailors of the Navy take every precaution to safeguard the civilians’.

The `Green Ocean’ reached the Pullmodai shores by late evening. The Sinhala fishermen from Negombo deployed by the International Red Cross, were waiting on the beach until the vessel berthed in the seas off Pulmoddai. Using their small ‘dinghy’ boats these men, mostly Catholics, safely transported the Tamil civilians to the beach.

Under the prevailing weather conditions bringing the sick and wounded people from the ‘Green Ocean’ to the shores using small boats definitely needs much courage and grit.

Hope

For Kedeeswaran (30), bringing his wife and little son to safety was the only hope he had in life. His wife was suffering from a leg injury for over five months until he was able to bring her to Pulmoddai by the ‘Green Ocean’ vessel. She was wounded by a gun shot while they were trying to escape from the ‘No Fire Zone’.

Kedeeswaran was waiting outside the first aid tent at the Pullmodai Centre for receiving rescued people from the ‘No Fire Zone’, where his wife was examined by the doctors and medical staff of the Sri Lanka Navy. His four year old son Tharushigan, started crying being scared of the hours long sea tour in the ‘Green Ocean’ vessel. “En pillai aluhiradu? (Why is the child crying?),” one of the Sri Lanka Navymen asked Kedeeswaran.

“He was scared of the sea waves,” Kedeeswaran replied and gave his son a packet of chocolate biscuits. “We are from Mullaiwaikkal. We lived a tough life there,” the grieving father said trying to comfort his son. He only dreams to live safely and happily with his family and obviously, with the quick recovery of his wife. He also did not entertain the slightest idea of having a separate land! He and all those people who were rescued and brought to Pulmoddai that day were only hoping to live peacefully with their loved ones.

Safety

Each and every person is searched before being registered. Their belongings are checked separately by Navy personnel in a cubicle separated by a six feet high wall made out of two layers of sand-filled green coloured sack bags. After checking, the bags are returned to the owners.

The patients are next rushed to the nearby tent where Navy medical officers would examine them, with priority being given to seriously sick people. Bystanders are checked separately. They wait outside with their belongings until the patients are brought out. With first aid given, patients requiring further medical treatment are directed to the medical facility established by the Government of India.

If any of the critically sick or injured person dies while being evacuated a postmortem is conducted by Judicial Medical Officer from Kebithigollewa.

Sixty year old Sinnaponnaiah was waiting until the doctors examined his elder son with a gun shot wound. He was well fluent in Sinhala. Till I was about 30, I was doing business at Wellawatte. In fact I spent a luxurious life those days,” with such pride he said. Originally from Kodikamam in Jaffna, Sinnaponnaiah had not seen either his wife or younger son for three years. “My elder son is a skilled carpenter. He travels to different places where he gets work.In 2006 he was doing business at a small town near Mullaitivu,” he said being very cautious not to reveal his true identity. Though he sent out to visit his son, he found himself that the A9 road from Muhamalai was closed and as such he could not return home. Since then the son and the father were stranded in the Vanni area. “As soon as my son gets better I want to go back to my family,” he said.

Painful

Wilbert (45), a fisherman by profession from Negombo, joined the ICRC solely to find his missing brother. “We used to do fishing in the Mullaitivu seas when it is off season in Negombo, even during very disturbed times,” Wilbert said. Ten years ago, the LTTE kidnapped several members of their team. Since then Wilbert’s family has not heard a single word about his brother. “I inquire from the people coming from the No Fire Zone and the ICRC officials too about my brother,” he said. “He was my brother, my closest companion.We went fishing together always. Even after many years I still miss him so much,” said a distressed Wilbert.

Whatever the race or creed we belong to, almost each and every family in the country is suffering from the painful memories of LTTE atrocities. It is we, Sri Lankans who have mostly suffered.

With the greatest efforts of the Sri Lanka Navy the Pulmoddai rescue and medical facility continues to provide relief to the wounded hearts and minds of Tamil civilians!