Lord Lord why have you forsaken us ?

Lord, Lord why have you forsaken us ?

This time on the 30th May, I traveled to Vavuniya. That day was an important day for 24 young girls. These girls after two months of hard training in screen printing exhibited their talents in front of NGO’s & VIP’s. The girls were awarded a certificate. We have planned to provide loan to some of these young girls to start self employment under livelihood program.

After lunch we visited Achipuram, the new resettlement village and met the Tailoring centre girls and discussed with them about their life and the challenges they were facing in the new environment. We have also dug a common well for the residence of Achipuram spending more than Rs. 200,000/-

As planned we had our staff meeting in the evening. We evaluated our programs and also discussed about the current situation in Vavuniya. We all felt that all our staff and teachers need some training in “ How to respond in an emergency situation ?”

Next day morning I left for Mannar. On the way, on a way side chapel I celebrated Mass for around 50 people. There are three new check points introduced in the 80 km road. In the check points, people have to carry their bags, get down from the bus and walk. Only after their identity card (IC) verification they are allowed to get into the bus. Now it is very difficult for the people to travel. In Mannar, there are many people living without IC. They are living in constant fear of being caught by the police and army. Since I was in cassock and our vehicle had a flag, we passed through the check points without difficulty.

The first day in Mannar I spent my time in Chavarkattu. This place is almost in Mannar town but it is a slum where the low caste community live. They have never seen in their life any development and also not visited by any NGO’s or other VIP’s. JRS entered that area in August 2005 and started different projects for the people. Within a year there is a total transformation of the place and people. First I met the beneficiaries of the housing scheme and discussed with them about their life and the project. The next meeting was with the young girls from the tailoring centre. Then I met the self help group beneficiaries and finally the evening study centre children. During the meeting one young girl remarked, “we are like out caste, nobody visits us or talk to us. Now there are so many visitors. We have already got a good house, road and we are going to get water supply.” But what touched me was, “Because of your presence here with us, we are some body. People started respecting us and we feel dignified. We were afraid to bring out our talents because of our low self esteem, now we have come to know our talents and it really give us joy and fulfillment.”

The next day my first visit was to the special need children’s centre in Mannar town. From there I went to Chemmantheevu for the leadership program. The next meeting was in Pontheevukandal. There I met the ESC children and parents and discussed with them about the educational program of JRS. Then went to Kalimottai IDP camp and met the ESC children. Finally we went to Parikarikandal and met the young girls of our Tailoring centre. Even though the programs are running well, there are lot of absentees due to the uncertain situation prevailing in the country
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On the 2nd June all our staff from Mannar, Madu and Vidatheltheevu came for the staff meeting. The main focus of our discussion was the current situation in Mannar and our response in case of emergency displacement. Our staff from Madu brought to our notice that the people from the border villages Parapankandal and Chinnakulam have already moved to the interior villages of the un cleared area. We asked our staff to collect the data’s. It was also brought to our notice by our staff that LTTE has forced people from the un cleared area to join the LTTE. Our staffs did not experience major problem in continuing our work in Mannar districts. After lunch I visited evening study center and self help group in Pallimunai.

The next day, I met the pre school and evening study center teachers and discussed with them about the current situation. I explained to them that in case of forceful displacement of people they have to work as emergency volunteers. Without any hesitation our teachers accepted the proposal. Some training was given to cope with emergency situation. After lunch I met the JRS counselors and issued the JRS identity card.. They explained to me the difficulties of traveling and I have asked them to develop an emergency counseling package. The next meeting was with the production center girls. The unit functions without any serious problem.

I could see a kind of gloom have already set in in the minds of the staff, teachers and counselors. They were all disheartened and disillusioned by the present situation. I felt my main agenda during this visit was to give hope to people and I did precisely that in all my meetings and talks. After the meeting I went to the Bishop house and to the new JRS office site and returned to JRS office via stadium road around 7 pm. Hardly 10 minutes passed I heard loud noise followed by spraying of bullet sounds. It was so close to us that we have no other choice except to run to the church. It was a claymore attack on the army near the stadium and three soldiers were seriously wounded and followed by soldiers firing all around the place and one Muslim man was shot dead. Around 9 pm women and children started coming to the parish priest with tears saying that their husband/ fathers were remanded by the army near the check points. The Bishop and the parish priest have directly intervened to release the people. That night the proposed Pentecost vigil services arranged in all the churches were canceled.
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The final day in Mannar I went to Pesalai and met the beneficiaries of our housing project. Fisheries Development Unit was inaugurated for these people under Livelihood project and decided to give loan to buy prawns fishing nets. I also discussed with the Self help group in Pesalai about their expectations and their life.

Later I met the displaced people from Trincomalee. At present there are nearly 90 families in Talaimannar and 77 families in Mannar waiting to go to India. After the out break of violence 1571 persons have arrived in India. On 19th May 10 persons drowned following the capsizing of a boat and another 20 passengers on a boat was rescued on 21st May. The families awaiting onward transportation from Mannar are not dissuaded by recent deaths. Having paid around Rs. 8000/- for their passage, many have sold their possessions to fund the trip. Now the government is not allowing these people to go but the people are determined to go. Their only argument is that their life is not safe in Trincomalee. They would rather stay in Mannar than go to Trincomalee.

The next day morning I left for the un cleared areas of Adampan, Arcatveli and Vidatheltheevu via the Uylankulam check point. I passed through the Army and LTTE check point without any difficulty. Normally I meet the members of the village development unit on the road. But this time I did not come across any of them. Later I have heard that these persons have been forced to take training in the LTTE. It is compulsory for one member from each family to join the LTTE.

I met our teachers in Adampan and discussed with them about the education program and the emergency response and the present condition in the un cleared areas. The words of the teachers clearly expressed their negative atmosphere, “The people on the whole don’t want a war but the war is imminent. This may be the final war and we have no other choice except to sacrifice our lives and our loved ones.” After this I participated in the cultural program of the scholarship children and the orphanage students. In the evening around 4 pm a meeting was arranged for the leaders of the village development unit. Out of the 86 leaders from 28 villages only 23 participated and most of them were above 50 years old. The others have either gone for the training or afraid to come out of the house.

The next day I went to Vidatheltheevu. This was the first time I have come across ordinary people participating in the training. The training program was organized very close to our Life skill center. I could see persons of all ages taking arms training. In spite of the preparation for war all our programs are going on well. The no of students attending our pre schools and evening study centers are much less than the total strength. I met the life skill center girls, the teachers and the students and enkindled in them the spirit of hope and courage.

The next day morning I heard the news of bomb blast in Uylankulam army check point and consequently they have closed the points. All transport and movements of people were stopped. The no of causalities no one knows except the army. After Lunch time they have reopened the check points and I passed through and came to Mannar. Two of our staff members met with the bike accident.

The next day morning on my way to Vavuniya, I went to Vankalai to see Miss. Kisanthi who met with the accident. She is ok but needs to take few days rest. I had my break fast in her house and left Vankalai around 7. 30 am. Around 8 am I got the news that the police and the army closed all the roads leading towards and out of Vankalai because of the murder of 4 members of the same family. This particular family is well known to me and just a year back they returned from India. The man was stabbed and hanged and his son and daughter 13 and 8 years old were stabbed and hanged and the wife was stabbed in many places and thrown out. Most of the families from the particular area recently started sleeping in the church because of its proximity to the army camp. But that particular night this family did not go to the church to sleep. Who is responsible for this dreadful crime ? So many innocent victims are killed every day, commissions are appointed but what about the truth ? The people can only cry “ Lord, Lord why have you forsaken us ?