Nattamis, a vital cog in Pettah

By Ananda KANNANGARA

The difficult service rendered by `Nattamis’ in the Pettah market to transport goods from one place to another on shoulders or by carts is appreciated by only a few in society. Many people, especially the younger generation have neither heard about `Nattamis’ nor seen them carrying heavy loads of goods at the Pettah vegetable market.

They carry mostly vegetable, rice , dried fish, dry foods etc. from the market to lorries, bus stands or one market to another.

Nattamis generally lead very miserable lives. They have less work or no work at all during rainy days. They enjoy with their families only on Sundays, Poya and other public holidays, but many `Nattamis’ prefer to work even on holidays to earn an extra income.

Sunday Observer last week met some `Nattamis’ in the Pettah market to ask about their daily activities, about their living conditions and also about their family commitments. They narrated various stories.

According to a businessman who owns four wholesale shops, over 2500 `Nattamis’ are engaged in the goods transportation at a few markets in the city. At least 90 percent `Nattamis’ are employed in the Pettah market, while others are employed at the newly constructed St. John’s fish market at Peliyagoda , the Dematagoda and Borella markets and at the Narahenpita economic centre as well as the weekly fair.

Some of them carry goods only on their shoulders since high charges demanded by hand carts owners.

A resident of Vavuniya, 38 -year old L. D. Balachandra said he has been working as a Nattami in the Pettah market for the past 14 years. He had come to Colombo ten years ago from Vavuniya during the war period to search for employment.

Balachandra said he was employed in a hotel at Maradana, owned by a Sinhala businessman, but due to security reasons the hotel owner requested him to find another employment because of his contacts with his wife and children over personal matters.

He said he did not go back to Vavuniya and found a job as a nattami in the market. He had received information that many Tamil people worked in the market as Nattamis.

He thanked the Government for bringing a lasting peace to the country since it helped him bring back his family members to Colombo .

He said he earns a monthly income of about Rs 20,000 and it was sufficient to live with his wife who works in a hotel as a cashier.

He appealed to the authorities to give them at least small houses , close to Colombo, since it will be a great relief for them.

Thirty-two year old P. Selvam, a resident of Badulla said a natttami earns over Rs 600 a day . But many of them earn nothing during rainy days. He said he has been engaged in the goods carrying business for the past several years , but still leading a very miserable life.

Selvam said he had a child and his wife did not work anywhere.

He said he earns around Rs. 16,000 a month and have to send his child to school and also pay a monthly rental for his boarding at Dematagoda.

Selvam requested the Colombo Municipal Council to look into their problems and provide them with housing facilities elsewhere in Colombo.

He said no Government authority visit them and discuss about their grievances.

He also said that during rainy days they did not have work to do in the market and their daily earnings came down to Rs. 300 or less.

A 45-year-old Sumith Hettiaratchchi from Grandpass said he earns about Rs. 17,000 a month from transporting goods from the market to the Bus stand or to the Fort Railway station. He said almost all nattamis , who are employed in the Pettah market are very poor and they earn a law monthly income.

He therefore requested authorities to introduce a small pension scheme for them to lead a happy life during their last stages. He proposed the authorities to grant at least Rs. 10,000 as monthly income to all retired nattamis who are presently living in shanties and leading a very sad life.

Twenty-nine-year old M. Shanmugaraj said he started his life career as a Nattami in the Pettah fish market ten years ago and presently earning a monthly income of Rs. 17,000.

He said generally they too fall sick like others. They have no proper monthly income, so that they can’t think of a better future.

Shanmugaraj said he earned around Rs. 28,000 a month earlier, but the shifting of the Pettah fish market to Peliyagoda badly affected their daily income.

He said he has voting rights in Colombo and blamed politicians for making false promises during election time.

He requested at least elected politicians to visit them and inquire about their needs, if not ask them to refrain from canvassing during the election period .

He said at least two to three candidates visit them these days and make various promises since the forthcoming Local Government Election is scheduled to be held on October 8. Thirty-one-year-old M. Firoos was not happy with his monthly income.

He said the Colombo MC must look after them at least by providing them with hand carts free of charge, so that they could do better jobs without paying a toll everyday to cart owners.

Forty-one-year-old R.N. Sarath from Kobegana, Kurunegala said he studied up to the GCE (AL) examination . He passed with two B’s and two C’s and wanted to become a guard in the Railway Department. Although he passed the examination, he was not selected due to a political reason.

Thereafter he tried to join the CTB as a conductor, but it was also not successful. He said he also sat for the Gramaseva Examination and passed with high marks, but without any reason his name was deleted from the list and ultimately he had to come to Colombo in search of employment.

He said finally he had to work as a Nattami in the Pettah market and it completely changed his lifestyle. He said he was the only child and wanted to remain a bachelor for the sake of his ailing parents who live in Kurunegala.