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Burdened
by life, but happy to be alive High rates of unemployment, spiralling cost of living, reduction in fertiliser subsidies, poor infrastructure facilities have affected the people of the two districts of Ratnapura and Kegalle that make up this province, but the benefits of the peace process appear to outweigh many of these difficulties in the people's minds. The presence of large number of young men and women from these areas who are serving in the military have added a sense of relief that has come about with the cessation of hostilities in the north and east war. (See box story)."It's true we have many problems but who doesn't like peace?" asked W.R.Somapala, a resident of Yatiyantota in the Kegalle district. He and his friends had gathered at the village boutique to discuss the current political situation and were glad they no longer had to attend regular funerals of fallen soldiers as they did prior to the ceasefire. His sentiments are shared by many in other villagers. This time the elections are being fought on a much lower key with weary voters sceptical whether another election would make much of a difference to their lives. While many predict a surge in support for the JVP among the younger population, some of the traditional supporters of the SLFP have reservations on how an alliance with an old adversary would bearfruit. For the UNF, the peace process has been the scoring point in the area and people are willing to be a little more tolerant of the government's failure to address their basic problems for the time being. "The cost of living is too high for us. No one has got jobs in the past two years, but peace is more important. These elections are going to add to our burden. Without holding elections, all parties must get together to solve the country's problems," said A.S.Herath, a shopkeeper from Yainna, Kahawatte in the Ratnapura district. In Nivithigala, the electorate of former UNP Deputy Leader Gamini Atukorale, his absence is being felt by many of the electors, but the presence of his sister Talata as a leading candidate has added impetus to the UNF campaign in the area. Ms.Atukorala is fighting hard to win the support of an electorate that her brother represented uninterrupted since 1977 until his demise shortly after the UNP's 2001 parliamentary victory."I am trying to fill the vacuum my brother's death has created. People wanted me to give some sort of leadership and I have come forward to fulfil their wish," Ms.Atukorale told The Sunday Times. "The people want the UNF to continue in power and I am confident we will win and take the peace process forward," she added whilst admitting that the basic problems faced by the people are still to be addressed. Another female candidate in the Ratnapura district whose campaign is in full swing is UPFA's Pavithra Wanniarachchi whose volunteers flood her house to write out and post letters thanking her supporters for attending her election meetings. "We ask all those who attend the meetings to sign a register and then we send out thank you letters. If they want to come and meet her once she's elected, they could bring the letter along with them and they'll be assured of getting the assistance they seek," said Pavithra's father, Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi, a former parliamentarian himself. Mr.Wanniaracahchi who has decided not to seek office this year due to a lack of funds is a strong advocate of the SLFP /JVP alliance. He said the presence of JVP members was a source of strength and would help to secure more seats for the UPFA. "The Alliance will win seven of the ten seats in Ratnapura district this time. The UNF has piled too many burdens on the people within these two years. The people have had enough," Mr.Wanniarachchi said. While candidates in the two districts are conducting pocket meetings so that they could have a more personalised dialogue with the people, the rest of the campaign is being carried out by supporters who go around in vehicles with loudspeakers promoting each candidate and their party. The poster campaign appears to be rather low key with police firmly enforcing election laws that prohibit the public display of posters, banners and cut-outs. Despite the devastating floods that hit Ratnapura in 2002, the affected areas have slowly limped back to normality and their welfare is not a major political issue. All parties have put aside their differences and helped out the flood victims and hence many have been able to rebuild their lives. A large percentage of people in the Ratnapura district who make their living from gem mining complain that they receive little assistance from the government to uplift the mining industry while labourers say they are paid poorly by their masters. "We lack assistance from the government to obtain loans and permits for gem mining," W. Ranawaka, a miner in Ratnapura complained. He said people are now hurriedly mining before the election because there is a possibility of outsiders with political clout rushing in and taking over their mines by force. One group of marginalized people that continue to live in abject poverty in the Sabaragamuwa province are the estate workers. Governments have come and governments have gone but the promises of a better life for them have not seen the light of day. "We are living in the most unhygienic and poor conditions. We have no water, electricity or toilet facilities. We have a vote and we use it but we get nothing in return," laments M.Mariyanayagam who works on a tea estate at Koskele, Kahawatta in the Ratnapura district. More than 35 families are confined to 24 line homes with several generations of the same family living within the small confines."We have been here since the 1940s' but our lives have not improved. We have had no assistance from any government, even to put up a house for ourselves," Mariyanayagam said. Their children attend the Houpewatte Tamil Vidyalaya, but this too is sorely lacking in basic facilities, with only four teachers for 360 students. So as Sri Lankans ready themselves to vote in their third parliamentary elections in less than four years, voters in Sabaragamuwa are looking forward to a free and fair poll without violence. |
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