Baskaran, now a father of two girls, has not forgotten the day in April 2006 when he had to abandon his beloved village, Sampur, along with his family members and hundreds of others.
Located about 40 km from the Eastern Province’s capital of Trincomalee, the village was bombarded by Sri Lankan security forces, hours after an unsuccessful suicide bomb attack on the then Army Commander, Lt.-General (now Field Marshal) Sanath Fonseka in Colombo.
Since then, Baskaran and his family lived as inmates of the Mandapam camp in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu — till 2011 — and as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Trincomalee. Hence, he was naturally thrilled in August 2015, when he got an opportunity to return to his village. He now runs a micro-retail shop for a living.
“I see some meaning, some hope in life,” says Baskaran. One of his daughters is doing her under-graduation in environmental sciences at the University of Kelaniya, near Colombo. The other daughter is gearing herself to face the Advanced Level examinations.
Vanaja, another Sampur resident, sounds equally optimistic. She sends her son to an English-medium school, about 30 km away, hoping that he’ll be able to help his two siblings once he grows up.
The immediate concern of the Baskarans and Vanajas of this village is about the approaching rainy season. “Rains will start next month and will go on for a few more months. How do you expect us to live here?” they wonder, pointing to the condition of their houses whose roofs are made of tin sheets.
Two hundred and seventy-five families are to get homes under a project funded by the Indian government, while around 50 are covered under the Sri Lankan government’s project. Baskaran’s family is among the 800-odd families not covered under any project. A field official is hopeful of some assistance from the European Union.
Sampur residents have other requirements too. Assistance in regard to fishery, agriculture and traditional skills like pottery-making will make a difference to their lives. T. Jeyathasan, the chief of the local rural development society, asserts that the youth in the village are keen on taking to farming.
Grievances apart, Sampur has sported an improved look in the last one year. Roads are being laid, drinking water connections provided and toilets constructed. There are bus services in operation. Like Baskaran’s shop, many have come up.
While conceding that the situation in Sampur was not “perfect”, Austin Fernando, Eastern Province’s Governor, maintains that the living conditions have markedly improved. He is optimistic that it will get better in the coming weeks and months.
