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Frances
Bulathsinghala reports on the plight of refugees returning to Mannar
from Tamil Nadu camps The influx of Tamil refugees from Tamil Nadu to the country illegally has reached unprecedented levels and there appears to be little or no government mechanism to tackle the large number of returnees or moves to make their return legal. "Their return here is deemed illegal. The problems faced by these people who want to return home have not yet been tackled seriously," Mannar's government agent S. Vishwalingham said. According to him, about a thousand refugee families who had fled the country during the height of the war have returned within this year alone, whereas from 1999 to 2003 the total number of returning families was about 2000. The number is increasing day by day. Since their arrival here is illegal they have to be first produced in courts," Mr. Vishwalingam said adding that most of the refugees return to find nothing because their homes had been destroyed during the fighting. He said the eagerness of the refugees to return home has been exploited by boat owners who ferry them across the waters illegally, charging exorbitant fees. "They come here without a cent. Sometimes they are abandoned on the high seas. Whatever money they had collected they had used to pay for the boat and ferry fare to arrive in Sri Lankan shores. Most of them do not have any identification. Out of the total number of people who returned this year almost over 80% were without any means to begin a decent life," he said adding that their resettling depends on the UN-assisted resettlement programmes carried out at present in the North-East. According to the Mannar GA, the families are mostly from the fishing communities in the areas of Thalaimannar and Pesalai. "They are fisherfolk. But they have no option but to do any kind of work that they can get their hands on. They have begun farming but now because of the prevailing drought they are left high and dry. The drought here is so bad that bowsers are brought into provide water," Mr. Vishwalingham said highlighting the plight of these refugees. He charged that although there are about 30 foreign-funded NGOs in Mannar very little is being done to alleviate the sufferings of these people. "Most of the people here are displaced. Those who have been displaced within the North East are as helpless as those who are arriving from India," he said. Gowri, a 53-year-old refugee who arrived from India a month ago struggles to survive by drying fish in the sun for local fish vendors. Talking about the hardship faced by over 100,000 refugees in Tamil Nadu Gowri said, "No one knows the problems we have in India. Nobody from here speaks for us. The refugee camps are full of people who want to arrive here, but when we risk our lives and return we are arrested," she said. Seated on the shores of Thalaimannar cutting fish for Rs. two a kilo, her survival depends on how many fish she cuts. Her husband who had returned to the country along with her, on account of old age has given up his usual occupation of fishing and has opted to try his luck at farming. However he has now given up after several futile attempts with the parched land. |
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