Support people to stand on their own feet

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

A STF officer assuring safety.

To sell wood as fuel used for domestic purposes.

Batticaloa is the city of the lagoon of singing fish along the beautiful Eastern coastal belt. People say that fishermen have heard fish making a sound like humming a song while they were in the sea. With or without singing fish Batticaloa is a city blessed with nature's beauty.

In the aftermath of the total liberation from terrorism early last July by the Sri Lanka Army Batticaloa is out of fear. People were getting back their lives. The whole town gets busy in the morning just like any other town we live in. Children were heading to schools and adults were either going to work or to the town for their necessities. We being total outsiders felt no difference in the busy town of Batticaloa.

Fishermen were getting busy with selling their harvest to the people, which they caught very early in the morning. In Batticaloa, fishing in the lagoon and fresh water fishing are famous.

After Thoppigala, the last Tiger stronghold was broken down with the untiring efforts of soldiers of the Army the control of the area was transferred to the Special Task Force of the Police. Since then the STF has been protecting the innocent people of the area from the Tiger terrorists.

The Police elite force plays a major role in bringing back normalcy to the area giving their fullest cooperation to the civil administration. The Police are taking over the law and order situation of the area.

Peaceful transition of power to people

In this backdrop Batticaloa is heading towards establishing democracy in their environment amidst great difficulties and obstacles. Eight Divisions and the Municipal Council will hold elections on 10th of March. Manmunaipattu (Ariyanpattu), Koralepattu (Walachchena), Koralepattu North (Vakare), Munmunai west (Vavunathivu), Munmunai South West (Pattapalai), Munmunai South (Kalawanchikudi), Porativupattu (Wellaweli) and Eravurpattu (Chenkaladi) are the eight divisions where elections going to be held. Out of the Total twelve divisions in the Batticaloa district the election was held earlier in 2004 in three divisions amidst great hindrances due to LTTE presence.

"We can assure a safe environment to hold an election to establish a democratic political system in this area," Deputy Inspector General (Eastern Range) V. S. A. P. Nanayakkara said. According to DIG Nanayakkara, Batticaloa needs protection to a level where any other city of the country requires.

Electricity power supply on progress.

A villager returning home.

Demining along the A5 road.

Certain political parties, organisations based in Colombo keep on reiterating the fact that Batticaloa is not safe to hold an election. So the question arises when do citizens of Batticaloa get a chance to elect their representatives and establish a democratic political system in the district.

Batticaloa and its people are secured by security personnel of an Institute with strict discipline, law and order governing its officers and not by a ruthless gang of terrorists. No one else can take the law in to their hands and commit violence. The Police and its Elite Force guarantee the fact.

During our brief tour in Batticaloa we were able to meet the TMVP members at short notice. Speaking to the 'Sunday Observer' Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal Spokesman Azath Maulana said "Our members do not roam in the city or among the public carrying weapons. We only keep them within our offices for our own security." Yet they added "If the Government can assure us to provide adequate safety against the LTTE threats we are ready to give up weapons. We prefer the democratic path. That is why we are participating in the elections."

They TMVP highlights it important for them to be a part of the All Party Representative Committee proposals since they are also a registered political party of Sri Lanka under the, law. "Hence, we also need to represent our group of people. Our Leader had discussions with the ruling party on this and we are stressing it," Maulana added.

On 23rd January the All Party Representative Committee handed over their final proposal to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Emphasis of this package is on meeting the aspirations of the Tamil speaking people, especially in the North and East.

The APRC document states, "The APRC is of the view that conditions in the Eastern Province are conducive to hold elections and should be held immediately."

Children going to school early in the morning.

The APRC highlights the necessity of recruiting of Tamil speaking Police officers in sufficient numbers, recruitment of staff and procurement of equipment to enable Tamil speaking people to deal with all public bodies in their own language.

APRC states in their proposal that the Sinhala Minorities in the North and East suffer from the same disadvantage similar to those affecting Tamil speaking people and suitable steps should be taken to address it along the same lines.

Resettling process

K. Ariyadasa now 73, settled down in Batticaloa as his father settled down here over 50 years ago. Married to a Tamil woman Ariyadasa lives among his sons and in laws and grandchildren. Ariyadasa coming from Dodandoowa has been working as a carpenter. His sons work as farmers. Now resettled in their original homes, returning from a relief camp in Batticaloa he and his family now starting to bring back their lives they enjoyed before they fled for safety due to LTTE attacks.

He said, recalling his history since childhood, how Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim, Burgher and other communities lived happily before LTTE terrorists invaded their lands. Many Sinhala people have being comfortably doing their businesses among Tamil and Muslim brethren. Many left when the LTTE started their terrorist activities and grabbed all their wealth.

There are only two Divisions to be resettled, Eravurpattu (Chenkaladi) and Koralepattu South (Kiran), where 4,609 people are waiting, as at 16th January 2008. With the direction of the District Secretariat the STF assist the resettling process.

The Senior Superintendent of Police Ajith Wickramasekara who functions as the Civil Coordination Officer of the STF said that the safety of the area is first assured before resettling people. According to SSP Wickramasekara the de-mining process is going on with the assistance of several de-mining organisations - specially along the A5 road.

The 'Sunday Observer' crew faced a difficulty in photographing the on going de-mining process even with relevant permission granted by the defence authorities. The particular NGO that was working at that time was reluctant to let us take the photographs under no logical reason even though we assured we will not get in to the fields. We do not know why it happened that way but we witnessed that the de-mining process was going on.

At Rugama situated along the A5 road, the president of the Fishing Society Karupaiah Balasundaram spoke to us. They are satisfied they were able to settle down with in the few months after returning. The whole village's income generation is through fresh water fishing. Everyday fishermen go to lay the nets and the next morning they collect their harvest. The STF camp situated within the village receives a high level of cooperation from the villagers.

The STF camps situated in the newly resettled villages assist the people to get along with their day to day life and get back to the lives they enjoyed as soon as possible.

The villagers are very happy with the security they are receiving. Not even 'Mudalalis' coming to buy fish can misuse the situation and pay low prices to the fishermen.

Now people in Batticaloa are not frightened of armed gangs collecting 'tax' from them, their harvest is totally theirs', children can go to schools, they can freely do their jobs to earn their meagre income. Lives of the villagers in the resettled areas were rapidly getting back to normal.

Development is reaching them step by step yet speedily.

The dark period, which all the communities went through, is now only history. Those dark memories should disappear in the sea of time while peace, the harmony and brotherhood should return to society. The future where - tourism would thrive, many industries emerge, agriculture and fisheries flourish - is not far. The political parties and politicians who will come in to power with the election have a major part to play to bring Batticaloa and its people to its glory. People of Batticaloa are hardworking and energetic. Give them the support they need and the people will stand on their own two feet.

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Pix by: Chaminda Hittatiyage