Families living in Ingiriya driven by poverty turn to illicit liquor as a means of surviving

The quality of life for the 40,000 people in and around the estates of Perth, Anduru, Raigam and Anduragala in Ingiriya are nothing to brag about.

In some homes as many as five families including the married children live in the same house. These people have 10 or 12 children. They manage their daily expenses, on the money they earn by working on the estates and also by working as labourers.

Most of the parents and even the children in the area are addicted to illicit liquor – kassippu which has plagued the lives of those in these families. While children in these estates suffer from malnutrition, the majority of the men and women have been reduced to walking skeletons.

The children languish at home without any schooling and follow in the footsteps of their parents, and become accustomed to consuming alcohol and resort to stealing plantains or coconut from the nearby gardens and sell them to earn money.

Having not attended school and being unable to write R. Shivarani (33) says, “I am married for the second time. The previous man died after drinking illicit liquor. Most people here are not legally married. I pluck tea at the estate while my husband plucks coconuts, to earn money. My husband has two children from his previous marriage. We cannot send them to school because we have no birth certificates for them. I have a child too who has a birth certificate.”

Ravanan Pushpalatha (29) is Shivarani’s sister she too is uneducated as well and claims they are unable fall asleep at night, unless they consume kassippu.

“It was our mother who taught us to drink,” she says. “Now, we cannot do without it. My elder sister and I both go to work on the estate. If we do not drink a little in the morning, we cannot pluck the tea leaves. I have not married legally although I have a spouse and three children. The children live with his mother and he works as a labourer.

Although A. Madhuraveeran lives amongst these people he is someone who does not consume illicit liquor.

“My uncle, grandfather and grandmother died after consuming “kassippu“. When my uncle died he was 24 years old. My Grandmother was 42 and my Grandfather was 45 when he died, and because of this I do not drink,” says A. Madhuraveeran. “ I am legally married. I have not been to school either and can’t read. However, I do have a national identity card. My son is three and a half years and we are considering sending him to a Sinhalese school.”

Speaking on the plight of the people in Ingiriya, Secretary, M.G.G.F. Dharmasena said, “I accept the fact that there are many without national identity cards living around the estates. Once, the Police and the Grama Sewa Officer put into effect a special process to issue temporary identity cards, I will make arrangements to issue permanent identity cards.” He said, “the Police who have to take action regarding the increasing menace of alcohol in the area. We have totally suspended those who come to office to carry out their duties, after consuming alcohol. The Samurdhi Authorities have teamed up with the Social Welfare Division and are in the process creating awareness among these families.”

Chief Police Inspector, Chameera Thilakaratne, Ingiriya OIC said many raids were conducted in connection with this matter, in conjunction with the national drive to reduce alcohol consumption and taken into custody persons as well as articles and produced in Courts.

“To a great extent poverty and ignorance are the main causes for the consumption of illicit liquor. As the hawkers of “kassippu” get children to participate in their business activities, the children unknowingly get into the habit of consuming liquor. A plan is needed to deal with this situation. Birth certificates or related documents should be prepared for these children of school going age and they should be directed to a vocational training institution. If a methodical plan is not followed it is possible that this will become a massive social problem in the future,” he said.

Adding that the attention directed towards the protection of these children have been overlooked to a great extent by their parents. This has also become one of the reasons that the children are on the wrong path.

The district of Hambantota is home to many talented and enterprising women who use their skills and talents to engage in self employment, helping them to support their families or supplement earnings of their spouses.

For these women it’s a life of many obstacles to contend with. The Hambantota

‘Women’s Action Committee’ has 35 active members. Each member received Rs.1,500 to start up a productive enterprise of their choice. The main activities that have been embarked on are – home garden plots of vegetables, flower and ornamental plant nurseries, manufacturing sweet meats, sewing and the sale of clothes for children and adults.

Unfortunately they cannot obtain optimum returns for their hard work due to the readily available imported items such as cheap confectionary and others that constitute of competitive alternatives.

The chairperson of the committee Sumithra Dissanayake of Ikkalpallama – Gonagamuwa

said, “ we cultivate gotukola and other green leaves and long beans in our home plots in addition to flower plants. We go to the lakes in Tissamaharama to collect Bulrush and make mats and other types of boxes, coin purses and such items. But our people prefer the same items that are made in Korea and China, to our local products.”

 The grievance of Pushpa Sriyani of Ikkalperuma has a pointed message to those who champion micro credit as a means of poverty alleviation. “I go to Colombo to bring material of quality to sew children’s garments which are more durable than those available in the market. My problem is that I don’t have a proper sales outlet. I can develop my business if I have more capital to invest. Private banks do not lend us money,” she said.

This situation she says has discourages these enterprising women from even opening a bank account, “besides they all want guarantors,” she adds.

G.Somi nona who is 47-years old produces a range of products out of bulrush including mats, and other items. She has even produced items using discarded materiel. “There is no real market for my products as people prefer imported plastic substitutes to mine,” she says. Her other problem is that she too has no access to an established sales outlet.

Kulapathi Wijesinghe grows a variety of flower plants and uses her skill to do various arrangements. But sadly people opt for plastic flowers and plants to the natural variety she laments. Chandra Galappathy, the secretary of the ‘Women’s Society’ living in Yodakandiya started a project to grow local grains and sew clothes. She also makes oil cakes, kokis  and various sweet meats preferred by Sri Lankans.

What she lacks is the facility to pack them in attractive wrapping. Chandra Gapapathy feels the government should consider helping them in a manner that allows them to mass produce these items and market them.

The District Secretary of Tissamaharama said there were many women with such entrepreneurial skills of this nature in Tissamaharama, but admitted the facilities offered to them were in adequate.

Note by Editor: Chandra Galapathy of Yodakandiya in that remote corner of the Ruhunu Rata has a point. Colombo supermarkets sell Kokis in packs of ten priced at Rs. 150/= Oil cakes are also available in some places in Colombo at Rs.30/= per piece. During the Sinhala and Hindu new year all leading Super Market chains had special counters with dressed up sales girls in Jacket and Cloth offering every kind of traditional sweet meats. I bought five of each item except for Kalu Dodol which was in the shape of a fairly large Sausage and the total cost exceeded Rs.1000.             

Text and Photographs – Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

“We donated our lands to the Thermal Power Station. But the Government cheated us,”
 lamented the crowd who were gathered near the main entrance of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant that was being constructed, in the scorching sun holding their children.

In March last year, the Government, relocated residents from the Naarakkaliya and Paniadiya areas in order to construct the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. They acquired close to 300 houses and as a result they had to evict 68 families living in this area.

These people who were thus evicted, had to be resettled in a housing scheme constructed in the Maampuriya, Nirmalapura areas, through the intervention of the Minister of Power and Energy, John Seneviratne..

The Electricity Board said the cost of each house was Rs.1.2 million. These houses consist of a living room, two bed rooms, kitchen and a toilet each. In addition, a well was also constructed on the land which was 20 perches in extent.

Likewise, every house was supplied with electricity. And each house was promised a television set and electrical home appliances. These people who were deprived of their lands, were given a two acre land per family in an area in close proximity to Nirmalapura. However, the walls of the houses have begun to crack and the doors and windows are in a dilapidated condition.

At the same time, the officers in charge of this housing scheme had to replace the timber used for the roof of the houses with new timber as they were infected with termites.

Even the furniture provided has been built using a low quality timber and has been attacked by termites as well.

Last weekend when residents arrived to clear their lands, men who arrived in vans assaulted them and warned them not to return claiming ownership of such lands.

Subsequently, they began their protests at the front of the Norochcholai coal power plant. As the approach road in front of the entrance to the Coal Power
Station was blocked for about 3 hours, vehicles entering and leaving the Power Station premises were unable to move.

Finally, the Officer-in-Charge of the Kalpitiya Police Station, Inspector Lakshman Ranwala Arachchi arrived at this location and following a discussion arrived at an agreement.

GroundView also caught up with some of the areas residents who came out to protest.

Secretary of the Community Development Society of Daluwa, Maampuriya, Nirmalapura, Lourdhu Maatha –  Lionel Warnakulasuriya

“We moved out, losing all our houses and land allowing the Power Station to be constructed believing that the Government will provide us with all facilities. However the houses that were constructed for us are in a very bad state.

Although we informed the authorities of the shortcomings of the houses, we have not yet received any positive response,” he says.

Anthony Murdhas

“The Power Station acquired, more than 02 acres of my land with more than 200 coconut trees I had. But we received a land with only mountains of sand. It will cost more than two hundred thousand rupees to bulldoze the land. I decided to start clearing the land last week when a group of persons who arrived in a van, pulled me away and assaulted me. We face uncertain situation now,” he said.

Ms. Kaleyivani

“We have not received any of the facilities that we were told would be given to us. In addition, the beds, tables and chairs that were given are infested with weevils. Its because the authorities are cheating us that we decided to protest at the Power Plant,” she said.

Ms. P. Lalitha

 “Although we lived at Naarakkaliya in cadjan thatched houses, we were happy. Today, when it rains, our houses get wet, as if we have been caught in a flood. The tiles that have been fixed to the roof are poor and the rain seeps in. In addition, the walls of the houses are cracked,” she says.

Ms. R. Nageshwari

“There is no place to even follow our religious beliefs, in this housing scheme. So, we take part in religious activities in a small place constructed out of cadjan,” she, says.

Kalpitiya District Secretary, M.H.M. Riyaldeen expressing his views on the situation said, “The lands that were given to these Nirmalapura residents belong to two District Secretariat divisions. That is, Kalpitiya, Mundalama. We have paid compensation for the land belonging to Kalpitiya and finalised the acquisition. However, we have not yet finalized the payment of compensation for the land at Mundalama. I feel that the previous owners of these lands, would have threatened the Nirmalapura residents. We sort out this matter regarding the land,” he said.

Electricity Board Engineer in charge of the housing schemes construction, Mr. Bamunawala, accepted the fact that there were many shortcomings in the housing project and said higher officials should be contacted for a comment.

With the much celebrated liberation of the East, the residents of the Eastern province no doubt had the most cause for celebration, as the impact of this liberation would surely be the most beneficial for those who live under the threat of a terrorist organisation for over two decades. 

The reality of the situation was however to be a stranger to their hopes, as no sooner had the Tigers been cut off armed gangs belonging to several unofficial groups now roam  the East, making life once again difficult for  the beleaguered residents of the East.   

Murugiah Ashok Kumar, husband of Ashok Kumar Chandra Gowrie of 69/10 Uppuveli in Trincomalee is a vegetable vendor who was abducted on October 1 last year while tending his stall.  His wife states that to date there is no information about him.

‘My husband was in conversation with two of his friends at his stall.  A white van approached. A little while later, the van came up to our stall, grabbed my husband, pushed him in to the van and drove off.  I looked for my husband all over, but everybody denies responsibility,” Gowrie said while holding her one month old daughter close to her chest. 

Thirty two year old Kanagasingham Logeswaran of No. 30, Linga Nagar was abducted at the Linga Nagar Bus Stand on February 8.  His wife Logeswaran Gunaseeli says there is no news about him up to date. “While my husband and I were waiting at the bus halt, a white van came and stopped near us.  We thought that the van belonged to someone known to us.  Three people alighted from the van and forced my husband into it.  The van proceeded towards Trincomalee town without even stopping at the check point.  It is only vehicles belonging to the Army or the Police that do not stop at checkpoints and this allayed my fears.  Later, I went and made a complaint at the Police, but I was told that neither the Police nor the Army had taken him.  So what more can I do?,” says Logeswaran Gunaseeli, while her one year old watches the tears roll down his mother’s cheeks, perhaps unaware of the impact this event could have on his life. 

“My husband died when my son was very young and I brought him up with great difficulty.  It is my son who later looked after me.  Last February around 7.30 in the night my son was abducted in a Canter Van.  There were about fifteen people in the van.  I pleaded with them to release my son.  But they pushed me aside and took my son away,”sobbed Shivananda Sulochana of Kanniya Bharati Puram as she recounted that awful day.  Though she has complained to the Uppuveli Police and the Human Rights Organisation, there has been no trace of her son.

Abductions have been reported not only from the Trincomalee town area, but from distant places like Kantalai as well.  On December 10, 20-year-old Alagan Shivakumar of No. 529, Unit 2 was abducted in a three wheeler.

“At around 12 in the afternoon, some persons who came in a three wheeler and a motor bicycle asked him whether he was Shivakumar.  My brother said that it was our younger brother, then they left.  My brother had then left to the boutique.  Some bystanders had seen my brother being taken away in a three wheeler.  We looked everywhere, but to date we have not been able to find him, nor is there any news about him,” his sister, Alagan Mallika told Groundview.

Twenty year old Theodore Christopher of School Street, Ambuwellipuram was abducted on the morning of Independence day last year.  The next time his wife saw him was in March of that year and that was as a corpse with a bullet wound in his head. 

She says, “Two others were also taken along with my husband.  We made complaints everywhere and at each place we were told that there is no such person in custody, and finally we found his corpse.  He was wearing the same set of clothes that he was in at the time of his abduction.  I am expecting – who will my child call father?,” she asked sadly. 

In October last year, an armed group broke into No. 60/16 St. Anthony’s Street at Palayuthu in Trincomalee and abducted S. Varaksham who was fast asleep along with his wife and children. 

“My  husband was a welder.  He came home tired after work and we were all sleeping.  This gang who abducted him came around 8.30 p.m. or so and they took him away,”his wife said.

Thiyagu Umavani of Alleswatta in Trincomalee says she received information that her husband was taken away in a white van while he was at work.  Munandi Thiyagu, her husband was twenty eight years old at this time and was resident with her at Alleswatta.  ‘We went to several places including the Human Rights Organisation and the Red Cross.  So far, we have no information whatsoever, whether he is dead of alive. If he has committed some crime don’t kill him – send him to prison for life,” says Umavani while kissing his photograph. 

Gerard Jatli Martin, a twenty six year old father of one and the son of Gerard Leslie Martin of 114, 3^rd Mile Post, 2^nd Lane was kidnapped in a white van on January 28, while he was working in a rock quarry at the third Mile Post.  “That is what some people who were working there told me,” says Gerard Martin.  “I went to the Police, the Army Camp and even Karuna’s office, but there is no information about my son,” he said.

Velupillai Sinnathurai of the EPRLF states that most of these abductees were strong supporters of the Tigers and are in some way or the other responsible for the incidents that take place in and around Trincomalee.

It was revealed to Groundview by a TMVP operative in their Trincomalee office that they have laid down arms and returned to the democratic path.  “We have weapons only to protect ourselves from the Tigers.  We are quite aware that the Tigers and other political forces are blaming us for these abductions as part of their political strategy.  If the general population believed that we were responsible for these abductions, could we have won at the recently concluded Local Government Elections.  We categorically state that this is all false propaganda,” he said.

Groundview made inquiries about the abductions and murders from the Senior Superintendent of Police, Trincomalee, Kithsiri Dayananda.  He said that most of these incidents take place where there is no police and army presence.

‘Many of these abductions have been reported from remote villages.  We try as much as possible to contain these incidents.  We have set up posts in many of the remote highways and I have advised the officials working under me to try and stop these incidents,” he said. 

The District Representative of the Human Rights Organisation said the abductions and killings in the Trincomalee District have reached alarming proportions.  In January alone they received reports of eight abductions, five missing persons, and one death.   In February the figures were 12 abduction 12 missing and four killings.  At the end of last year 95 complaints of abduction, 90 missing persons and 56 killings were reported.

The representative went on to stay that while inquiries were made regarding these incidents from the Army and the Police, no such inquiries could be made from the several armed groups operating in the area.

‘Whenever there is an abduction. or someone goes missing, we make inquiries from the Government security forces.  From our inquiries it appears that the security forces are not involved in these incidents.  We are not in a position to make inquiries from the armed groups.  If the security forces pick up someone they inform the Police.  The Police in turn inform us.  We can’t expect that from the armed groups operating in this area.  There are also occasions when those who had gone missing turned up at a later date.  The latest incident was where a woman complained that her husband had gone missing.  We made inquiries from the Police. What we learned was that he was residing in a different area along with his mistress. There are also occasions when those who were reported as missing have in fact gone abroad,” she said.

While it is not unusual that human rights are violated in a country with a long history of civil strife, such actions cannot be condoned during times of peace. There appears to be no escape from the Human rights violations perpetuated by armed gangs.

‘If our children have committed any offences, put them in prison, instead of killing them like stray dogs.  Karuna and his group were also guilty of criminal acts, but the Government has now forgiven them – then why can’t our children also be forgiven,” asked Gerard Madivadini, the mother of Gerard Leslie.

For the first time fishermen of multi day fishing vessels along the Trincomalee Codbay and other fishing harbours abandoned work and went on strike to protest of foreign fishing vessels that unloaded their catch at the harbour.

The local fishermen claimed that these fishing vessels belonging to foreign companies had connections with government ministers which enabled them to unload their catch at the harbour and send them to the local market. As a result local fishermen are unable to get a reasonable price for their catch.

“We go to sea in multi-day vessels which cost us around Rs 7 million. We also spend more than Rs. 5 lakhs on each trip. After spending so much, what is the point if we cannot get a proper price for our catch?. Fish that cost around Rs. 350 to 400 per kilo, when we set out to sea is worth only Rs. 200 when we come back to land. The reason is that ship companies which have ties with Ministers, unload their catches of tuna from several months at sea and then the prices of fish drop at once. There are plenty of vessels bearing fish harvests on the market,” said R.P. Anurasiri, a multi-day fishing vessel owner in Trincomalee .

Local multi-day fisher folk claim they have been deprived of the foreign market due to permission being granted to these foreign fishing firms exporting tuna fish via local harbours.

The fisherman point out that allowing foreign ships to fish in local waters as well as giving them the freedom to use our fishing harbours was a dire injustice to the fishing community of thecountry.

These multi-day fishing vessels which target mostly the foreign markets in Japan and Korea only catch tuna fish for export. The fish that is exported from Sri Lanka is highly valued. However, the fishermen point out, that the tuna fish that is unloaded from foreign fishing vessels are bought at reduced prices by the fish exporters and also mixed together with the fish harvest of local fishermen and exported to these countries. Hence the quality of the local fish which made a name for itself automatically drops.

“The fish we catch is given directly to fish exporting companies. Usually the rate that the companies specify for a kilo of tuna is between Rs. 400 – 450. Approximately six persons work on a tank boat. Each trip costs more than Rs. 500,000,”  said Priyantha Fernando of Thoduwawa.

“ However after they started unloading fish from foreign vessels, we do not even get as much as Rs 200 per kilo for our fish. Not only the government but even the Fisheries Minister does not comment about this. It is the duty of the Fisheries Minister to solve the problems we have,” he adds.

Tyronne Felix, a Fishermen in the Negombo area said, “if the Government specifies a fixed price for a kilo of fish we would not be bothered about how much is being unloaded. What happens is, as soon as the fish from the ships arrive, the market for our harvest reduces considerably. Then what we are compelled to selling our fish at a loss, to companies. At the same time, as fish can be bought at lower prices from these foreign ships, fish exporting companies do not buy from us.”

Many fishermen were of the opinion that the quality of the foreign fish being unloaded at the Mutwal Fisheries harbour was very poor. They said since the fish was stored in frozen conditions for months, it tends to spoil quickly once brought to land.

“Our fish is stored only for a maximum of fifteen or twenty days. But this fish is about two to two and half months old. This fish is not bought by other countries and we are not allowed to unload them there either,” points out Mr. Felix.

A Trincomalee fishermen of a multi day vessel, W.P.Damith Rangana commenting on the situation said, “allowing foreign vessels to use our coastal areas and our harbours, is depriving our country of foreign exchange as well as driving local fishermen to destitution.”

When protesting fisherman where approached they said, “we decided not to go to sea until the government gives us a fair solution. However now that there seems to be a better outlook we have temporarily suspended our decision. We have already informed the vessels that have gone out to the deep sea to be ready to return to land and to fight against this decision, as soon as they are informed.”

We have allowed the government time until the March 18 to take a decision. We challenge either the Fisheries Minister or the Deputy Minister to a public debate with us. We can come to any television channel and strip these ministers and expose the reality to the country. We ask the President whether, the Mahinda Chinthanaya means, getting rich with other people’s wealth…” said a multi-day vessel owner in Trincomalee,  Sumith Jayalal.