Farmers of the Uva province having been the targete of recent LTTE attacks, and driven from their land and livelihood have now resorted to arming themselves in the possibility of future attacks. 

The Uva province once considered as the major supplier of rice and vegetables for the whole island is now compelled to allow its produce to be used as fodder by wild elephants. The farmers who toil amidst protests and strikes are now at the mercy of terrorists.

Recently a bus plying along the Buttala Niyadella route was the target of a terrorist bomb which claimed 30 innocent lives.

This was followed by the shooting of six chena farmers in Welisara. Since the shooting, the Chena farmers in Okkampitiya gave up their livliehood for fear of their lives. Three thousand acres of chena cultivation crops such as peanut, maize and Kurukan where abandoned. The farmers claim that some crops were harvested by the LTTE.

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 “We have struggled to cultivate our lands having struggled with the tigers and the elephants. Despite not having an education and cultivated these lands and when it was time to reap the harvest these miserable farmers were killed and we are unable to go to our lands. The government has said they will provide protection. But they have provided guns to only a few farmers at Okkampitiya. It is difficult to look on while the land we cultivated for our food is  destroyed in this manner,” laments H.M. Leslie, a young farmer of the area who cultivated about ten acres. 

Recalling the incident B.M. Kusumawathie (40) said, “after bus bombing in Buttala the Tigers came to our Chena. They killed my elder brother and all those who died are my relations.   The police did not come to even bring the corpses and my younger brother only did this. We live by these cultivations and this time we were blessed with a good harvest. The Tigers are still roaming near the mountains and pluck the maize which we’ve cultivated.”

Principal of the Wijayaba Maha Vidyalaya at Okkampitiya, V.M Nandasena pointed of the 2186 children only 55 were present at the reopening of school. There are no buses and some teachers are afraid to come. The villagers are still living elsewhere. The people of this area simple lives they know nothing about the war or security.”

While few policeman patrol the streets of Okkampitiya villagers still live in a state of fear.

Villagers with old fashioned shot guns which operate using gun powder guard the area along with the Police. Villagers who don’t possess guns have now armed themselves with cleavers and jungle knives.

By Siriniseya – Kataragama

Twenty five year old Prasadi Purnima Jayamanne is the youngest in a family of four.As she displayed early signs of academic brilliance her parents were keen to give her every opportunity to further her studies. After attending the village primary school at Pambala Chilaw she moved on to Sugathananda Secondary school in  Karukkuwa  where she passed her GCE O/L examination with four credits and a Distinction for English.She then moved on to Senanayake National School in Madampe for her Advanced Level examination which she passed but failed to gain admission to university.

She passed the entrance examination to enter the college of education in 2004 and passed out with a merit pass at the finals specializing as an English teacher. At present she is registered as an external student at Sri Jayawardenepura University and hopes to sit for her GAQ examination this year.

When she passed out of the teachers training college the Ministry of Education held interviews for Merit Pass holders to be appointed to national schools. All other English diploma holders who passed out with her were fortunate to receive appointments to schools within the Puttlam district. Prasadi Purnima was appointed to a Piyawara School-Anura Vidyalaya in the Kebithigollawa Educational zone. While all her batch mates found schools they could travel to from their homes Prasadi Purnima is 200 kilometers away from her home. What she does not comprehendis that when those who did not even obtain merit passes were given schools near their homes she was appointed to a school in the NCP. “I thought that on my performance at the finals and the general assumption that those who obtained merit passes would be given national schools I will get an appointment within the district so that Icould be near my aging parents and also be able to look after the child of My brother whose wife passed away about two years ago. As I had faith in the system and also because I hardly knew any persons of influence I never attempted to canvass for a school within the district.”

This bright young lass now has to spend Rs.3000 per month for her board and lodging in Padawiya and also has to travel to Colombo every week end for her classes for her external degree course. At present there are 169 vacancies for English teachers in the Puttalam district. Prasadi Purnima is bitterly disappointed about her plight. Yet she says “ I would like to be in a school closer to my home so that I can devote more time for my studies and also manage with my salary of Rs.14000 per month. The best solution will be if I could be relocated  while also providing a substitute English teacher for this school as there are English teachers who could be appointed to this school if the accepted procedure is followed. I have come to love these children who are eager to learn English and they should not be left in the lurch”. Influence peddling is a malaise that has engulfed the administration of the ministry of education specifically in the appointments and transfers of teachers said a high official of the Ministry when asked by GV to comment on the case of Prasadi Purnima.  

With the introduction of the open economy in Sri Lanka in 1977, imports of many items, services, tools and agricultural produce took place. About 10 years later not only agricultural produce, but seeds and many such items were imported and these were done by both government and private companies.

As the possibility of reaping better harvests existed with imported vegetable and fruit seeds, Sri Lankan farmers became inclined to it. However, to obtain a better harvest using these imported varieties of seeds, more fertilizers and chemicals are necessary. But when the farmers use fertilizers they don’t always reap the expected harvest.

If they reap this harvest, the produce entering the market causes an excessive supply and the prices tend to decline, thereby reducing the profits of the farmers. The reason for all this is the ignorance of the farmers with regard to the existing situation.

The traditional form of agriculture in Sri Lanka is under threat due to the importing of seeds with altered genetic make-up and also due to the use of various chemical fertilizers. Although, it has been recorded that 567 varieties of paddy were cultivated in 1920, the dwindling of these cultivations began with the use of imported chemical fertilizers in place of compost and carbonic fertilizer which was used earlier.

Due to imported varieties of vegetables and fruit seeds, the traditional varieties of Sri Lankan fruits and vegetables are becoming extinct. The imported varieties of papaw seeds such as “Red Lady” “Sisra” and “Purple Voy” have led to the disappearance of the Sri Lankan varieties.

The vulnerability of contacting viruses and diseases is more in areas such as Suriyawewa, Tissamaharama, Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Anuradhapura and Bakamuna, where papaw is cultivated in plenty.

The deficiency of seeds where the genes have been altered is prominent here, and if the farmer is to counteract this, he should use expensive chemical manures, which increase his expenses.

At times, this occurs due to the internal connections of multi-national companies who import these seeds of changed genes, chemical fertilizers and weedicides. They themselves produce chemical fertilizers and weedicides necessary to counteract the viruses that could affect these plants borne from seeds of changed genes.

 Seeds of changed genes of pumpkin, cucumber, tomatoes and sweet melon have replaced traditional seeds.

Due to experiments conducted by the Agriculture Research Institute of Maha Iluppallama, the cultivation of Soya as a secondary crop began in the dry zone. However, due to news spreading through society that this produce was the outcome of changed genes, and that it could be detrimental to health, the Soya farmer was placed in dire straits; very especially because “Triposha” which is given to pregnant mothers was a Soya product.

However, Health Authorities state that health conditions could be affected only from Soya seeds that contain altered genes and not from the produce harvested off local seeds. Yet, due to there being no facilities available for either the farmer or the consumer to distinguish the difference of the seeds, people are hesitant to buy Soya products, and by this the local farmer is harmed.

By now, the demand for traditional local fruits is falling due to the import of apples, pears, and grapes etc., which are fruits that contain altered genes, due to the taste, food values, colours and outlook of the imported varieties being more.

In the eighties, the food crops which had altered genes spread fast throughout Sri Lanka and due to this, a prohibition order under Gazette Notification 1178/18 of April 6, 2001 prohibited these mixed varieties of food. Thereby 23 varieties of food items under 7 categories were prohibited. Soya beans, seeds, soya flour, soya milk, soya sauce, soya cubes, corn flour, corn, food mixtures, produce containing corn, fresh tomatoes, smashed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato spreads, food items affiliated to tomatoes, cheese, potatoes, beet sugar and baking and alcoholic yeast.

Further, it has been disclosed that there are 64 varieties of produce with changed genes in the market.

By law importers of genetic food items must seek an approval license from the Food Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health in keeping with the Food Ordinance No: 26 of 1980. People who do not submit to or defraud this condition could be subjected to six months imprisonment or a Rs. 10,000 fine would have to be paid or both together.

Agriculture seeds of changed genes are imported to the country in large quantities through private organizations and there is no existing method in this country to ascertain as to the quantity or whether they are really seeds of mixed genes. This is damaging to the traditional crops and produce of Sri Lanka as well as health.