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