Looking ahead with anger

By Feizal Samath

Hemmed in between the LTTE and government soldiers, trauma is taking its toll on close to 500,000 residents in this war-torn region. "The war affects civilians more than combatants. The impact on civilians is both physical and psychological," says Prof. Daya Somasunderam, head of the department of psychiatry at Jaffna University.

"Even if the war ends today, it would take at least 30 years to heal a traumatized population," he said speaking to The Sunday Times recently.

In 1999, three out of the four best Advanced Level students came from Jaffna. This year there was a sharp fall with the figure dropping to just one student from Jaffna, noted Kokila Mahendran, a trained counsellor.

More than 60,000 people have died since 1983 when the LTTE stepped up its campaign for a separate homeland. Since the army took control of the town in 1995, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his cadres have shifted base to the Wanni jungles, adjoining this city.

Still it is Jaffna's residents who have suffered some of the worst nightmares of the 18-year old conflict. Jaffna, though under the control of government forces, is a city under siege.

The LTTE tried to break through the military cordon last year and almost succeeded only to be beaten back. Like in past fighting, thousands of residents fled their homes to safer ground and had to stay in refugee camps. This included the staff of the region's main Tamil-language newspaper, which was virtually published while on the run to safety.

"We saw most of the effects of recent trauma cases from last year's bombing and shelling at Thenmarachchi in the district," said Somasunderam, the region's main psychiatrist and one of Sri Lanka's most respected ones.

He said children are badly affected by displacement. "Having to leave their homes and belongings is too much to bear. Small things like leaving behind a pet, school a plant or a tree _ all affect them. They are forced into a new environment, new surroundings and new schools. Some have even seen their parents die."

He said traumatized children lose interest in studies, refuse to go to school, become listless, lose drive or interest and have problems with relationships. "There is a great difference between adults and children. Children don't speak out. A lot of our therapy is based on drawings and play. It is easier to get to a child's mind like this."

Signs of the war are evident everywhere. Buildings destroyed by bombing stand out while military checkpoints staffed by heavily armed soldiers dot the city. The armed forces are not the only one with guns. Cadres from militant groups, opposed to the Tamil Tigers, drive across the city or man sandbagged bunkers outside their offices, often harassing civilians. 

"Jaffna is like an open prison," laments Kandiah Kularatnam, president of the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce. 

The trauma crisis in the city has led to in the formation in Jaffna of the country's first-ever multidisciplinary team to handle trauma victims. The Canadian government has provided financial assistance to set up this team which now has trained child therapists, family therapists and relaxation-by-yoga therapists.

"There are funds to support 20 people. We find drugs are not effective to treat victims. On the other hand therapy is slowly working," said Somasunderam, a simple physician who rides a bicycle to work.

Somasunderam, who also helps run Jaffna's Association for Health and Counselling which has been in existence since 1987, said 20 university graduates were being trained in psychosocial work under a UNICEF-funded project.

The Sri Lankan psychiatrist, who worked for a few years in war-torn Cambodia in the late 1990s in a trauma-related project, says Cambodia began its recovery after hitting the bottom. "I see it happening here. We are heading for the bottom. Our main worry now is the issue of collective trauma which is a long-term problem to solve."

Somasunderam, who shuttles between three hospitals in the region treating patients in addition to his teaching job, says that it would take years to sort out a society where conflicts between brothers, sisters and families are common. 

He said the worst affected were children, widows, rape and landmine victims. Widows and rape victims are further punished by being ostracized by society. 

Counsellor Mahendran has a first-hand view of the problems faced by children. Being an assistant director of education at the Education Department takes her to many schools on inspection visits where she has found disturbing signs of aggressive behaviour.

On an average, every school in Jaffna has five to 10 neurotic children, she said.

During one school visit, Mahendran was told that two children wanted to commit suicide. One of the children was just nine years old and had attempted suicide on two previous occasions. "His father had tried to commit suicide on an earlier occasion and this boy was fond of the father," she said.

Another 14-year old boy cut himself 36 times to punish himself. He is a displaced child and had fallen into bad company with his friends dabbling in drugs, etc.

"We have identified a lot of children, particularly boys, with aggressive behavioural patterns. They are depressed, steal, tell lies and bully girls and older women on the roads," she said adding that a lot of this was displayed anger and emotions taken out on others.

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