The Hindu : Minister's visit provides healing touch to refugees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 02, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Minister's visit provides healing touch to refugees

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI July 1. The visit here by the Sri Lankan Rehabilitation and Resettlement Minister, Jayalath Jayawardena, may have provided some enthusiasm among Tamil refugees, who have been staying in special camps in the State for a decade or even two. But not many are in a hurry to return home. ``We do not want to be refugees at home'', seems to be their logic.

Some of the refugees have been here from 1983, when pogrom was first reported in the island's capital. Since then, there has been a regular influx of refugees. A couple of attempts were made to send them back, not with much success. After the Indian Peacekeeping Force pulled out of Sri Lanka in 1991 and again when a peace process began in 1994, many families opted to go back to northern and eastern Sri Lanka. While some stayed on there, others thought it prudent to return to the camps in Tamil Nadu.

Pragmatic view

Mr. Jayawardena was perhaps the first Sri Lankan Minister to visit some of the camps, see the conditions the refugees live in and also talk to them. He took a pragmatic view of the present situation on the island and had a frank talks with the refugees.

The refugees too conveyed their fears and reservations in no uncertain terms— they did not want to be refugees on their own land; they were not sure about the return of peace; they needed schools for their children and employment for themselves; and above all, they sought a total rehabilitation package which would enable them to resettle once and for all.

Sri Lankan authorities, in the past, did not recognise the pass certificates given and the education the children had in Tamil Nadu. The Minister has promised to redress this grievance.

Employment and resettlement would have to wait till the actual dawn of peace. With direct talks between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam getting delayed, there is no certainty about normality returning to the north and the east. As such, the refugees are in no great hurry to get back to their `homeland'.

During his stay here, Mr. Jayawardena streamlined the procedures for those who wanted to return to Sri Lanka. At a series of meetings with the Chief Minister, the Education Minister and senior officials, dealing with the refugees, he ironed out a few issues and made specific requests to the State Government. The issue of `exit permit' for returnees was at the top of the list, as many refugees represented the problems in securing it.

Govt. stand a pleasant surprise

What has come as a pleasant surprise to the Sri Lankan authorities is the way the State Government responded to the problem of refugees. ``The Minister has expressed his gratitude to Governments of Tamil Nadu and India, but what has surprised us is that there is no unseemly hurry on the part of the Government to send back the refugees'', said the visiting officials.

Especially when it has taken an anti-LTTE line, the State Government does not want to be seen as sending back the refugees in a hurry, until after the conditions favour their return.

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