A Letter From Vanni: Thanks to the benevolence of the Gods we had prayed to in the past..!!!

A Letter From Vanni


2009-08-16


(Dear) kind and affectionate father, mother, elder sister, brother-in-law and children. (I wish to inform you that) currently we are well. How are you keeping?
I constantly pray to God that you forever enjoy a good life.
Further, having escaped the ravages of a cruel war, and overcoming unimaginable suffering and sorrow, and having seen horrific scenes which no human being should witness, thanks to the benevolence of the Gods we had prayed to in the past, we have managed to reach this place.

When we left Vanni we only had the clothes on our backs. We lost every bit of our possessions we had collected piece-meal over the years. Everyone here is in the same plight. Presently, Vavuniya (Location) Camp.

The houses we reside are made of tin (sheets), with cement floors. The houses are airy and every family has been allocated one room.

In our room, apart from the two of us, there are my father-in-law, mother-in-law and our daughter Lavanya, a total of five occupants. More than three-fourth of the 250,000 or more persons who came from Vanni, at the moment are being made to reside in tarpaulin tents; compared to these our ‘huts’ are not too bad. The prevailing hot weather causes great hardship to those living in the tents.

The only relief these people gained was to escape the incessant mortar-shell barrages and artillery firing. There is great disappointment amongst them that they have not achieved a peaceful free life they had much hoped for after their flight.

Flies and mosquitoes are breeding fast in the site.

Since coming here we are prone to repeated bouts of diarrhoea and fever.
We have a dispensary; there is also a hospital run by the Indians.
A school has been opened here, and recently a post-office has begun to function
Yesterday telecommunication services were established; one is allowed only a three-minute telephone call at a time.

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Cooperative stores, fish-mongers, stores selling fresh fruit and vegetables, and booths stocked with ‘cold drinks’ have now opened in this area.

After starving for three months in Vanni, we have come here and eaten to our heart’s content!
Whilst in Vanni our daily fare was rice and dhal – day in and day out.
That too, dhal cooked without coconut-milk or chillies or onions!
We had no vegetables either.

Although towards the last few weeks (in Vanni) we had moved into the Maaththalan coastal area there was a dearth of fish.

The reasons were twofold.

Over 250,000 persons were crowded into a small strip of coast (and the demand for fish was large), and a large number of the local fishermen (and families) had used their boats to escape by sea, to ‘army controlled’ areas.

It is only now that our lives have taken on some semblance of normalcy.

Lack of availability of water is a major problem. There are ‘tube-wells’ to provide drinking water. However one has to join a long queue, and wait several hours before one can access the water. You need to go around midnight to fetch water as the crowd wanting water during day hours is often very large. Usually it is (my) father-in-law who fetches water.

Troughs have been built to contain water for bathing. Although there may be enough troughs to service the number of persons here, the quantity of water available is not enough for one’s bathing needs. So one tends to spend a long time bathing.

A river called Malwatte Oya supplies water for bathing. Although the water appears clear often a malodour emanates from it. Due to this some have developed skin rashes. I too after coming here have developed a similar skin disease. I have been to the hospital and was given medication (B.B.CREAM) but this does not seem to have much benefit.

Moreover, whatever our needs are we have to wait in long queues to fulfil them.
This applies to official business in administrative offices to personal ablutions in toilets. More needs to be done to improve facilities for the residents.

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Further, Shanthi is three months into her pregnancy. Since coming here she has been scanned twice. She has been given a date for a further scanning on (Date). Transport from Camp (Location) to the hospital is by bus. Only Shanthi is taken to hospital; I am not allowed to accompany her. An ‘expected date of delivery’ has been given; again none of us would be allowed to accompany her.

I think the delivery will be in Chettikulam Hospital. The reason I say this is that the last time Shanthi was taken to Chettikulam Hospital she had noticed that the Minister of Health, Mr Nimal Siripala De Silva had come there to open the newly constructed Maternity Unit. Apparently the Minister had spoken to them.

It is only after coming here that Shanthi is getting a healthy diet. Whilst living in Vanni from the tenth month of last year to the fourth month of this year (six months) Shanthi had no regular, nutritious food. There it was dhal and rice.
Here for pregnant mothers a religious order provides packets of milk,’Samapoja’, packets of ‘soya meat’, glucose, biscuits etc.

Also as fruits are available I buy them. Although fruits are rather expensive I realise that Shanthi had no access to healthy, adequate meals when she most needed them and she was denied tranquillity, peace and happiness when she most required them but was on the other hand subjected to shell-shock caused by artillery fire causing her great fear leading in turn to anxiety and spells of crying.

Due to forced displacement she had to walk great distances carrying her share of house-hold goods.

All this makes me fearful whether the unborn child has come to some harm.

Whenever there was a spell of heavy bombardment of shells Shanthi would shake with fright and cry and pray to Amman (Goddess).

This used to distress me and I would cry within myself not knowing how to comfort her.

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I too think of Amman, praise her and say prayers. To be truthful, it is only the Gods we prayed to all this while who have saved our lives. We could not imagine we would come out of the battle alive. So ferocious was the war. It was bad enough with the heavy shelling; on top of this were the ricocheting bullets from rifle fire. These used to go over and through the huts we were sheltering in.

Shrapnel from rocket-propelled grenades would also shower down on us.

Once we were displaced to a village named Thevipuram. One day a shell landed about ten metres from the hut we were occupying. Unfortunately a piece of shrapnel injured my father-in-law in his back; thankfully it was a small fragment. We were not able to take him to a hospital due to the prevailing hostilities. It was only on the third day, when the area around Maaththalan was brought under the control of the army, that we were able to seek medical help. Two weeks following this the piece of shrapnel spontaneously worked itself out of the wound. The wound is now completely healed.

Further, you would have heard of the ‘hero’s death’ of my father-in-law’s son Mathan. It was only in the fourth month (of this year) that we were informed that during the battle near Thevipuram on 16.02.2009 that Mathan attained martyrdom. We had no opportunity to view his body. We hear his body has been laid to rest in the Iranaipalai area of Puthukudiiruppu.

Currently my elder brother Sivanthan’s family is living in (Location) Camp. Their jewellery that had been stolen has not been recovered. The police are continuing with their investigations. I only heard of Yogarajah Periappah’s (Uncle Yogarajah – Dad’s older brother) death after coming here. I gather his son Athavan is in (Location) Camp; I am yet to meet him.

Jegan came and met me last Sunday. He brought the money you had given him - Rs.15,000 for me and Rs.15,000 for my elder brother. Apart from rice and flour we have to buy all other groceries etc. We cook our meals ourselves. Vegetables are provided once every fifteen days.

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However the vegetables are all used up by the third day.

I am still without a job. Government servants have been given employment and in their previous posts. A technical college has begun to function and job skills are being taught. There is also an accountancy course. I have registered to join this course; it is better than doing nothing at home. It would be useful in the future and I may even get a job. I would obtain a certificate on completion. That is why I joined.

Further, when we last spoke on the telephone you mentioned Canada. How does this work?
If we stay here any longer Father, we will have no salvation. Our lives will not progress forward - it will all be retrograde. Only God can show us a way. Although the government claims it has got rid of terrorism this is not entirely true and the terrorists have not been eliminated altogether. In this state, the government is talking about resettling the people. If this happens the Tigers will infiltrate the civilians and begin attacking (the government) again. This would be akin to putting our feet back in the mud. We have had enough of trusting them again and again and being disappointed. It was Pirabhakaran who enabled the Tamil to walk with his head held high, and it was also Pirabhakaran who made him bow his head. The truth is we all feel humiliated. When we travelled here from the Vanni the soldiers would look at us and smile in derision. They have reduced us to such a state.

We did need this struggle: it is true we need Thamzil Eelam. But those who conducted this war made mistakes in its planning which led to this destruction.

Because of their trust in them our people have lost all their worldly possessions, and sacrificed more than 20,000 lives.

Although President Mahinda Rajapakse keeps proclaiming to the world that he is only using means commensurate with maintaining human rights in liberating the (Tamil) people, the tears and blood shed by them will in the end surely bring retribution to him.

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Further I feel immense sorrow that the material things I acquired over the years are now all lost. On the other hand I placate myself and rejoice that we have escaped with something worth much, much more - our lives.

In the war recently concluded there has been participation of the Indians; again they have betrayed the Tamils. They (Indians) too will suffer for their acts. If Pirabhakaran was alive he would have definitely taught them a lesson.
Although the talk among the people reflects a degree of hatred and distrust of the liberation Tigers, there is no denying that in every Tamil’s heart there is a special place for Pirabhakaran.

So, what else?
(Elder) sister, are you going to sell your property in Jaffna? Jegan mentioned this.

We can pay the soldiers and leave camp. However the army will not guarantee our safety once we are out. Sometimes a soldier will take our money and point us out to the authorities. A lot of them are engaged in this racket. One must be sure who you talk to. You cannot talk to all and sundry. One must persevere.

How are you, brother-in-law?
How is work?
What are the children doing?
Brother-in-law…..try and some how or the other enable us to get to Canada.
Once we reach Canada we can do whatever job is available and settle our debts.
If we continue to stay here we will never see any progress.
It will only be a downward spiral…..
Only God can show a way out of here…
There in no other salvation.
Please reply.

Yours
Fond son, younger brother, brother-in-law
S. Paran

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