Actions speak louder than words

There was a time in the modern history of post war Sri Lanka, that huge demanding for IDPs in welfare villages be resettled immediately before the onset of monsoon rains. Obviously, there is no gainsaying that the displaced civilians must be helped to return home and rebuild their lives as soon as possible. But, before that, there was so much of groundwork to be done.

The Government, amidst tremendous pressure from both Opposition politicians and LTTE sympathisers abroad, stood firm and resisted confidently that the IDPs can only be resettled when the area is being made safe for them to live.

Obstacle

The biggest obstacle was the heavy presence of deadly mines which fleeing Tamil Tigers ‘sowed’ haphazardly.

It made mine clearing a time consuming and dangerous operation to be conducted cautiously and thoroughly. Also the situation in the Vanni was far more complex in terms of the damage to infrastructure and hidden arms caches.

Above all, there were thousands of battle-hardened LTTE killers among the IDPs to be resettled.

However, two and half years on, the speedy and more secure resettlement of over 275,000 IDPs is commendable.

The government and its security forces, as the way they rescued them from Tamil Tigers now have resettled almost every family in their original homes and villages except those who had lived in Mulliwaikkal East , West, Ambalawanpokkanei where identified as heavily dense mine fields. But, the government has given them an option too; that is to relocate them in a 600 acre village at Kombavil, the concept is to accommodate them until their villages are being cleared and freed from mines.

Resettled

In the first phase of the project, 229 members of 72 families resettled recently.

Each family was given a 40 perch land with a new house built on it, and so far, construction of 200 housing units has been completed. The government initially planned to resettle all remaining IDPs in Manik Farm in the Kombavil relocation village.

However, it was later decided to resettle a portion of the remaining lot in safe areas closer to the Kombavil relocation village allowing resettled civilians to start their living with no hassle.

While the Tamil Tigers and their supporters saw a resort to bullets and bombs as the only means of gaining their ends, the government making all possible efforts has ensured their security and given back what the terrorists had taken away from them except, the lives of their beloved ones.

“We have been waiting for years to live freely and safely in our villages, now our dreams have come true. For me it’s truly a dream.

"I still remember how the Tamil Tigers took away my only son, he was just 16, the armed terrorists dragged him to their vehicle despite pleas from me and his mother.

Horror

"He’s gone forever...” Kumar, one of the newly resided at Kombavil cried, recalling the horror that the Tamil Tigers had unleashed on them.

The other remarkable achievement is that the rehabilitation of 11,700 former combatants who had surrendered to the government security forces during and immediately after the final phase of the war.

So far, the government has released 10,375 ex-combatants after their successful rehabilitation program, empowering them with vocational skills to face the future with more confidence. Also, the government has spent millions of taxpayers’ money to make them useful citizen to the society.

Applaud

What one must applaud is the government’s deep concern over the IDP’s issue; how it handled these unexpected and huge numbers of IDPs, and providing them with basic needs and other facilities including sanitary and healthcare soon after they had been rescued from the terrorists.

Here, what made it more remarkable was the genuine assistance of the rest of the citizens who gathered and volunteered to help those in need, no matter of their caste or religion, they have joined the course, even with a small piece of cloth for their brethren in the North.

The government having dealt with all sorts of challenges so far has succeeded in the resettlement process. Now the harmony prevails across the country giving a boost to much needed reconciliation after three decade of war. Many who try to dismantle the process making unsubstantiated allegations seem oblivious to what is really going on in the country, and what those who must realise is “Actions speak louder than words” as the old proverb said.

– Defence.lk