Lankan-Tamils Refugee Camps in Tamil Nadu

A review by Ananda Vikatan, dated May 18^th 2011 regarding the situation Sri Lankan Tamils Refugee Camps in Tamil Nadu.

We are just living, this is what they say in the camp, “.. just live”, got a different meaning than living well. So what is this just living means to them?  A family of four living in 10x10 house, with the head of the family gets Rs. 400/month from out govt., his wife gets Rs. 200/month, rest gets Rs 144/month. So a family of four will get Rs. 888. Daily Average is Rs. 29, the magazine AV says a TN Police Sniffer dog maintenance costs Rs. 60. How a family of four spends for a movie in a multiplex in the city, close to Rs. 1000. Now we can ask they can work and earn, right read more of what the magazine writes.

They are pushed to do a normal coolie work, these coolie work (painter, house maids for women, farm work, quarry.. ) is easy to get for those who live in the camps near to the city, but those is rural areas its hard. Weekly three checks, roll call is done, so those who work outside has to wait for hours, as the authorities are not on time. If one fails to come for the check then they have to produce a certificate from the employer, a farm owner will rather say, don’t come to work.

Women have to undergo hardships more as most of the camps are running with one common toilet.

They can’t interact with the outside people as normally we do, if it happens those people will be subjected to interrogation by the police. For some people there it’s a virtual prison, whenever a big shot of the govt. comes to the state their movement is restricted only inside the camp, no contacts outside. In normal circumstances when one has to move from one camp to another then they have to get permission from the authorities, which becomes hard in emergency situations.

The positive here is education; they are given free education till higher secondary level, +2.

With the Sri Lankan Govt. starting the cleansing there, people here are in a dilemma about moving back, they are caught between devil and the dead sea.