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Resettled families plagued by missing documents lost in war years
View(s):By Mirudhula Thambiah
Thousands displaced by the conflict and now back in their homes in the North and East are having a hard time resuming normal life, especially with such setbacks as missing personal files and documents. When required to produce essential documents for official purposes, these people have nothing to show. During the war, hundreds of families left their homes to seek safety in areas controlled by the security forces.
Now back in their former homes, they find their personal files missing or damaged. School teachers and principals in places like Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu say that without these documents they cannot apply for salary increments, arrears payments, loans or transfers, while retired persons say they cannot apply for pensions, and students are stuck without proof of their exam results.
In May it will be four years since the war ended, but life continues to be an endless struggle for occupants of former war zones. S. Jenarshan is a 38-year-old teacher from Mullaitivu. He is trying to obtain salary arrears for year 2006, but the zonal authorities have either lost or misplaced all documents relating to salary arrears sent by the Education Department in Colombo. Although he has obtained certified copies of these letters, the zonal authorities are either not accepting these or not moving on the matter.
“I am a family man with three children,” Mr. Jenarshan told the Sunday Times. “We risked our lives to escape the fighting. We have gone through enough. Life is difficult as it is without having problems getting my salary dues. I hope the authorities will do something.”U. Vinothan, 27 years, comes from Puthukuddyiruppu, scene of bitter fighting in the last days of the war. Both his GCE O/L and A/L result sheets were lost in the conflict.
“I work at a grocery store,” he said. “I cannot apply for other jobs with better salaries, and I cannot follow higher studies because I don’t have my results sheet. I don’t remember my index number to apply for a copy of my results.”R. Kaneswary is a retired teacher in Mullaitivu. She lost her land deeds and other job-related documents during the war. She cannot apply for a pension without these documents.
It is believed that 70 per cent of the official files kept in the North and the East were destroyed or lost during the war, but 40 per cent of the lost files have been replaced. There is an official mobile service that helps to replace missing documents. Unions for school teachers and principals have appealed to the Northern Province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri and the Education Secretary S. Sathiyaseelan to help them recover their lost personal files as early as possible.
Ceylon Teachers Union president Joseph Stalin told the newspaper, “We have had repeat meetings with the Northern Province Governor and the Provincial Secretary of Education about replacing missing personal files and documents.”
The Ministry of Public Administration has taken steps to replace lost files, but problems prevail, said S. Saravanabavananthan, Secretary (General Affairs), Educationist Organisation of Tamils (EOT).
Mullaitivu District Secretary N. Vethanayagam told the newspaper that there were similar problems in the early days of resettlement but these have been largely sorted out. Kilinochchi District Secretary Rupavathy Ketheeswaranathan said most of the lost files have been restored, and that steps are taken to pay teachers and principals their salaries.
Northern Province Secretary of Education S. Sathiyaseelan said zonal committees have been set up to collect documents and certificates and open new files as and when necessary.
Repeat attempts to reach the Ministry of Public Administration Secretary U. B. Abeyakoon to discuss measures taken to replace citizens’ personal documents lost in the war were unsuccessful.
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