Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has
resulted in Tamil refugees landing in Tamil Nadu, India over the
last one month. The majority of the refugees are from Mannar-Trincomalee
belt in Sri Lanka. In the last 30 days more than 3000 refugees (around
1150 families) have landed in India and the numbers are increasing
as the days goes by. A record number of 234 refugees, all from
eastern Trincomalee district of the island, landed on a single day
(6th June 2006).
For the refugees, it is a one-way ticket.
It is the poorer sections of ordinary society that are most affected
by war. With the grim prospect of war looming large on the
horizon these hapless people are becoming increasingly insecure. These
people have suffered in the past and know what it is going to be like in
the future if and when the conflict escalates to full scale war .In
such a situation the vulnerable are simply taking flight. They seek
safe havens of security and not greener pastures of prosperity.
They sell their meager possessions at rock bottom prices to scrape up money for the passage. Apart from ferrying and transport costs there are also other 'hidden' costs, amounting to LKR 15,000 to 20, 000 per head. The people reach Mannar by road and stay in houses or makeshift camps. After some days the passage is arranged and they set off clandestinely at night. The fleeing refugees are taken by boatmen across to the Tamil Nadu coast and put ashore at points like Dhanushkodi, Arichalmunai, Muhuntharayar, Sathiram, Serankottai, Olaikkudaa, Paamban, Paambankunthukaal etc. Some just drop them off on the shifting sandbanks or 'thittys' of Ramar Anai near the Indian coast.
The one-hour journey is fraught with danger. On 19n May 2006, 33 people were stranded for 33 hours on a sand bank till the Indian navy rescued them. Another group was not so lucky on the same date. A boat with 30 people capsized near the Indian shore killing 11 people of whom three were sisters. Ten refugees drowned on May 20, 2006 when a boat carrying 19 of them capsized off the Indian coast. One woman who landed a week ago was nine months pregnant. Asked why she took the risk of travelling in this condition, she answered: 'I want my child to live'.
Those who land are housed in the main Mandapam camp, after the routine interrogation, screening and mandatory quarantine period.
The Mandapam camp was originally set up during British rule to facilitate transportation of Indian plantation workers to and from Sri Lanka. It became a major refugee camp for Sri Lankan Tamils in the ' 80s. Before the current refugee flow began there were 775 families staying in Mandapam. The current influx has swelled the occupancy to nearly 2000 families. Hundreds of families in Trincomalee, Mannar and Batticaloa in Sri Lankaare still waiting to be ferried across to Indian shores.
The district administration claims that it is prepared for the influx. The refugees get cooked food for the first couple of days and later rice and other rations, besides a fortnightly allowance of Rs200 per family. However,arecent inspection by legislators revealed that many of the cottages are in dilapidated condition, there was no electricity to many and the sanitary conditions are woefully inadequate. The monetary dole and provisions given are low and inadequate. Healthcare facilities are inadequate. Tamilnadu minister Thangavelan has said that the state government had allocated Rs.33 lakh for repairing shelters and providing basic amenities in the camp.A more detailed report is awaited from the ADEPT fact finding team.
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