Nena Guna Weduma: Sisu Diriya takes wing:

Strong bond between students of North and South

By Manjula Fernando

Inoka from Padaviya

Nirosa from Pudumurippu

Saibudeen from Vavunia

Isuru from Padaviya

At a lecture on leadership skills

At the airport

Performing at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre

Nadaraja Disanthiny, with tears rolling down her round cheeks, clasped Shanika's hands tight. It was time to bid farewell to her friend. ...she did not have the heart to do so, it was not till the last moment that their hands departed and the lips whispered a sad goodbye.

The two promised each other to call and keep in touch and meet again at the first opportunity, even if that meant after many years.

From totally different ethnicities and cultures, perceived as enemies at one time, it was amazing how the two girls grew so close to each other within the span of a mere seven days. But the tears that made patterns on their cheeks were honest proof of the bond they shared, the innocent orb they grew into during this short span, shedding all fear and hatred.

Two hundred and fifty Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim students aged 16-18, from schools in the North, East and North Central were invited to Colombo under a special program, in keeping with the Government's reconciliation process to give an opportunity for them to meet up, share feelings, interact, perform and visit places of their interest, together.

The program Nena Guna Weduma: Sisu Diriya took wing following the Kebethigollewa massacre in June 2006 with the first group of 60-70 cross ethnic students from neighbouring villages being invited to attend a seminar where self interaction was central. The aim was to develop psycho-social skills of youth affected by the conflict.

The program allowed these adolescents to find their own way of bonding with peers of different communities.

"We all, mostly girls, cried when it was time to depart but it was the Tamil girls who cried the most," Inoka Seneviratne, a Grade 11 student from Mahasen Maha Vidyalaya, Padaviya said. Her comment is testimony to the fact that the program was a huge success.

The Sunday Observer contacted Disanthiny, a 17 year old student of Parathi Vidyalaya, Kilinochchi, on the phone to find out how she felt about her trip to Colombo. The conversation took place two days after her return home. Her abilities in spoken Sinhalese were so poor, that her mother offered to be the interpreter.

Speaking in broken Sinhalese with a 'think in Tamil' accent, the mother explained how she married Disnathiny's father, a postal department worker in Kilinochchi. I am from Ginigathhena (Central Province), and met him during a trip to Jaffna and it was a love marriage.

Disanthiny is the only girl child in the family. She has four elder brothers and two younger brothers.

It was her first trip alone, out of her hometown. Asked, if she had doubts in sending Disanthiny on a long distance trip to the south, for the first time, her mother said," There's nothing to fear now. Why should I feel afraid? There is no violence."

"My daughter spoke so much about her trip to Colombo; what they did there and the way they enjoyed the trip to 'Leisure World'. She has written down the telephone number of the friend Shanika she met there, but Shanika can't speak Tamil. I have to communicate between the two," the mother added.

The students spent their nights at the Teacher Training College, Meepe and National Institute of Education, Maharagama. A room was shared by three students representing the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim community.

"Disanthiny had no issues with the LTTE. She was too small. But I had to protect my elder sons. It was a difficult time," the mother said revisiting the conflict era where the LTTE conscripted schoolchildren into their fold as fighting cadres.

Dishanthiny's father (57) was injured due to shell fire during the final stages of the conflict, but continues to work in the postal department. They were among the people trapped by the LTTE and used as a human shield during the final stages of the conflict.

Thanusia a 17 year old Advanced Level student, speaking through her father who could speak broken Sinhalese said she was glad to have been able to take part in the program. "We had so much fun and I met Ishara and Nilanthi from Anuradhapura." She has spoken several times to these Sinhalese friends she met while attending the workshop, since her return home on Monday.

The two Sinhalese girls were from 'border villages' where the LTTE had carved a fearful image of Tamils with their brutal attacks on innocent civilians, a few years ago during the height of the conflict. A mere sight of a Tamil sent chills up their spine one time.

Thanusia's father said he is happy that the war is finally over and their children can reap the benefits of the new freedom.

Inoka from Padaviya shared her room at the NIE with two Tamil girls. "At the outset we could not communicate with each other due to the language gap but as time passed we learned our own way of communication. "

"First, we used sign language to talk and then I learnt to say many things, including, 'hungry' in Tamil," she said, bursting out in laughter.

"Padaviya was a badly affected border village during the height of the conflict. There was this unexplained fear of Tamils. It was a feeling that got embedded within us after what we heard and saw following the brutal LTTE attacks," she explained.

"We distrusted the Tamils a lot and did not want even to talk to them. The mere sight of a Tamil person sent chills up the spine, we would wonder if he is a Tiger trying to detonate a bomb on us. We are grateful to everyone who organised this program. All such negative thoughts about the Tamils evaporated after meeting them in such an informal set up."

"During our trip to Leisure World, we wore black pottu on the forehead, our Tamil friends insisted that we do so to look pretty, and the people thought we were all Tamil girls. It was such fun."

Subodha, a student of Buddangala Vidyalaya, Padaviya held more serious thoughts about the program. She said she was glad to be a part of the program which taught her the values of unity and reconciliation among students of different ethnicities.

"Mr. Nanadana Wijesinghe and his staff facilitated our program and I am most grateful to them. The program included lectures that showed us the method how to face the future and how important it is to have targets in life, overcome challenges and fulfil our targets," Subodha said.

"We had much experience on how to build on trust and unity across the different ethnic groups," she said.

The program focused on empowering and assisting the GCE Ordinary Level and Advanced Level students to succeed in their education while grooming leadership potential by reducing post-traumatic stress and enhancing inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony.

Subodha endorsed the three hour visit to Leisure World last Sunday as the best part of her trip.

The children from the North included rehabilitated child soldiers who have now been integrated into society. Although the teachers who accompanied the children from respective schools were aware of them, the children had no idea who they were. They mixed well with the ordinary kids.

The Nena Guna Weduma: Sisu Diriya national program was launched after President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Kebethigollewa in 2006, following a claymore attack on a CTB bus transporting civilians in 'border villages'. The attack killed over 50 people including many children and members of an extended family attending a funeral .

The President's initiative spurred into action, to ensure that children affected by terrorism are motivated and empowered to continue their studies. This marked the inception of the Sisu Diriya Program that has been continuously implemented since 2006.

The program covers all educational zones in the Northern, Eastern and North Central Provinces. Under the programs workshops are conducted alternatively in different districts in the three provinces and a national program is held in Colombo every year. The Office of Director- Social Development Affairs to the President is the overseeing body. Among the places the students visited in Colombo included, the Bandaranaike International Airport, Presidential Secretariat, the Foreign Employment Bureau and Temple Trees.

A grand closing ceremony with colourful cultural and song performances by the students was held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa theatre on November 18. A total of 500 students including children representing the Colombo schools attended. The event also coincided with the President's third anniversary of the second term in office.