Era of hope for resettled families

Lakshmi DE SILVA

Kanthamkulam area was cleared of landmines by the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action and the water wells were also cleaned and cleared by the Manthai West Divisional Secretariat and labels were pasted on the walls.

The scars of war were still visible on the walls of damaged houses that have bullet riddled holes and on the ground, the craters created by mortars were still visible.

While having our breakfast under a palm tree closer to the newly-built Kanthamkulam Divisional Secretariat, we observed the destruction caused by the war as a new era begins with fresh enthusiasm from all sectors of the government. There were happy faces all over and we witnessed the eagerness of the IDPs to return to their places of origin and to start their lives again.

Vehicles of senior government officials parked on one side just behind the new co-operative store to be opened and two new CTB buses decorated with red and blue ribbons and coloured baloons were parked near the Kanthamkulam school.

Schoolchildren were rehearsing their dances though the sun was sending its mid day rays without any hindrance.

The red dust blew behind vehicles as these passed the venue of the function and the rows of chairs arranged for the journalists were covered with dust.

“I am happy to go back to my village again. With my husband we could cultivate our abandoned two-acre paddy land and start cultivating other crops like chillies, red onion and vegetables,” said Nageshwarie Rongale Pushpa, 34.

“My ambition is to educate my children.”

When asked whether they would take up arms if called to arms by another group or insurgents again, she firmly said that it would not happen again.

“Though we provide food and other facilities to IDPs it was necessary to heal their wounded hearts by talking to them,” said an army officer.

“These people were forcibly misled by an armed terror group and dragged to violence. These helpless people need some one to talk to.

“Even if you give gold to them it does not matter to them at this stage. We have to understand their plight. They have lost one or two members of their family due to this war.

“The wounds in their minds will remain till they die. I talk to most of these people and try to share their state of depression,” the army officer added.

“In this area we stand now, we lost a large number of our own colleagues and we just cannot forget them either. The freedom we got should be protected and we should not allow another calamity of that sort in our country again,” he said.

“The destruction to property could be calculated. But the lives lost by Mother Lanka and thousand others maimed during the last three decades was an immeasurable loss to everyone. The landmines laid by the LTTE in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country not only killed soldiers but civilians and animals too were victims of those deadly devices,” he said.

On top of a palmyrah tree at the Kanthamkulam grounds flutters the national flag reminding me of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s words, “remember the national flag carries the breath of all who sacrificed their lives to protect our country”.

War has only brought misery to our lives. Yet when I go back to my home which is not far away from here, I will start a new life with my family members and cultivate my paddy land and crops, Thirupaththipillai (41) said.

We never thought we could go back so soon. Hayacinth Kamini (38,) Rongali Pushpa (37), and Nageshwari (29), said. The joy of returning home was visible on the faces of most of the IDPs.

The skeletons that walked through the lagoons and war-ravaged areas about five months ago and seen on television screens were no more.

But we saw more. healthy children running around, happy mothers, with their children clung on them, treading a new path.

They were returning to their original villages or towns – going home with hopes lighting up their faces.