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In 2004 she left for India to escape the war here, but last week, she fled India to escape covid
In 2004 the then 17-year-old newly married Munsai Ranmugam together with her husband took a flight to India to escape the woes of Sri Lanka’s separatist war, but last week she together with her children took a risky boat ride to return to her home country to escape the raging COVID-19 pandemic in India
When she left Sri Lanka, the teenage bride from Puttalam had no plans to return, but, with the covid situation worsening in India, she decided to do so with her two sons – aged 14 and 4 — leaving behind her husband who refused to join the journey. Warnings of being arrested by the Navy did not deter her from undertaking the risky boat ride.
About 30 residents who came into contact with Munsai have been placed under quarantine
The family was residing in Chennai’s Kuppam area where they were surviving from the income from a small leather factory they had set up. But with the COVID situation worsening and the income dwindling, her husband started a business of repairing vehicles and selling them.
As the coronavirus was fast spreading in the area, Munsai decided to take no chances and embarked on the journey back to Sri Lanka on April 30 from Tuticorin.
“I managed to find a fisherman who demanded Indian Rs 20,000 to take me on the journey. There was another woman from Kochchikade, Negombo in the same boat,” she told the Sunday Times.
“When we reached Talaimannar, the boatmen left us at a lonely spot on the beach and left. We walked for about five kilo metres and managed to board a bus to Mannar,” she said.
From Mannar, Munsai and the two boys boarded a bus to Vavuniya and from there in two separate bus journeys they reached Munsai’s parental house in Puttalam via Anuradhapura.
When the news spread, two Public Health Inspectors had come looking for them, but by then they had left home and arrived in Colombo.
Munsai’s sister had called her to tell them that the PHIs and the Police were looking for them and urged her to get back to Puttalam. She complied and returned to Puttalam. Police took Munsai and the children for a PCR test and arrested them. After being produced in courts, they were granted bail. Munsai is now under home quarantine.
“We returned to the country to save our lives,” she said.
Munsai Ranmugam with her two children
About 30 residents who have come into contact with her have been placed under quarantine.
Puttalam Administrative Public Health Inspector N. Suresh said he received a tip-off that a woman and two children had come from India. He then directed PHIs Dhananjaya Manoj and Hasindu Nimantha to carry out further investigations. A separate investigation is also being carried out by Puttalam Police Inspector P. Kumaradasa.