CMP/MN/MW/PM/02
My parents were born and grew up in Vidathaltheevu. Due to lack of space we were settled in Periyamadu in the year 1951. Our houses were made of tin sheets at that time. The houses were far apart, two acer of land would have only one house.
We had a school in our village. It offered lessons for up to Grade 5. It had only one teacher; there was no school for students above Grade 5. Initially only three students were there in the school. When people started settling in the village the school started to offer lessons for up to O/L. We went to Vidathaltheevu for A/L lessons. I sat for A/L exam there. Those who studied there are now working as doctors and teachers.
When things were such we got affected by storm and all the houses got damaged. At that time a baby who was sleeping inside a cradle in a tin sheet hut got blown away and hanged on a tree with the cradle. We took the baby and came. Nothing was there. They gave us food from a helicopter. By staying inside the mosque people got diseases. So many people got affected and returned to Vidaththaltheevu.
Later they gave us a house, gave trees. We raised poultry and cattle, did farming. Likewise gradually the country got developed in education and other things. Transport is difficult, other than that there are no other issues.
When things were such the Movements evolved. We helped for all the Movements. Whether they ask for a goat or a hen, we gave anything they wanted and looked after them well.
We never thought that they would ask us to leave our houses. They told us to lock the houses, and come taking the key and meals enough only for three times. We took only that. Didn’t take anything else. We left everything as it is thinking that we would return. They chased us out, threatening that if we don’t leave soon we would be cut with a knife. We asked them to take us to our destination and they agreed to take us till Poonthoattam. They asked us to pay Rs500 for each, which would have cost us Rs4500 for 9 people. We couldn’t get that money immediately so we gave our jewelries.
I gave a pot to my son and asked him to fetch some water. He was chased away saying no water can be given to him. We all started to cry and went to the mosque and prayed through tears. One Tamil lady cried hard and died due to the sorrow. We went there and got labled as ‘refugees’. Whether we received pittu or soap, they were named as refugee pittu, refugee soap. Everything is about refugee.
We lived there for 24 years. Till the children complete their studies and got married. We came back here in 2010. The house is no more. Everything looked like forest. We stayed in the mosque and cleared the lands and identified the house. Government gave us tin sheets. We built a temporary house with that and stayed there, only now we built the house. Those who didn’t have paths got them; those who didn’t have drinking water also got them. Small huts became large concrete houses. Everything got progressed well.
Now we have troubles from elephants. Cannot do any plantation. They would destroy the plants during the nights. We are living in fear of these elephants.
We got displaced and went to Poonthoattam from Pandivirichan. There small children couldn’t get drinking water. When we seek for hot water to make milk for them, we couldn’t get because people were told not to give water to the Muslims. Two died in this situation. It was raining hard; we would take small breaks resting in cattle sheds and reached Vavuniya. We didn’t have money in hands so we used the jewelries. People there gave us food, and then we went to Puthalam. Puthalam people also didn’t accept us in the beginning, later they allowed us to stay in the school for three days and provided food. Then we stayed in a place for rent. Children couldn’t study. They go to study in the evening, still, it’s the students from Mannar who got good results. Puthalam people got jealous about this. We stayed in Puthalam for 24 years.
I got seven children. Except for one son all the others got married. The other son got ill due to Malaria; he is 35 years old and stays at home. We all lived in harmony without any discrimination based on ethnicity. Tamil people here didn’t like us coming here from Puthalam. But we came here to live together in harmony.
In future people should live together without any discrimination as Tamils and Muslims. Though there are different religions, people can be divided only in two groups as men and women. We all are same; it is us who divide as Tamils and Muslims. We shouldn’t be doing that, but live together in harmony.