The struggle to go home in post war Sri Lanka: The story of Mullikulam
In 2011, a young Advanced Level student from Mullikulam in the district of Mannar, living as an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) in a camp in Thalvupadu, Mannar, shared with me an assignment she had done about her village and effects of displacement. She proudly described the richness of her hometown in terms of natural resources, culture and traditions. But soon, her mood turned to one of despair as she asked me and a priest who was accompanying me, when they could go home.
Ruki-1 Aug, 2012
Photo courtesy National Fisheries Solidarity Movement
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In 2011, a young Advanced Level student from Mullikulam in the district of Mannar, living as an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) in a camp in Thalvupadu, Mannar, shared with me an assignment she had done about her village and effects of displacement. She proudly described the richness of her hometown in terms of natural resources, culture and traditions. But soon, her mood turned to one of despair as she asked me and a priest who was accompanying me, when they could go home.
Neither of us had an answer for her. We were both aware that Mullikulam had been under military occupation since September 2007. We have been visiting the people of Mullikulam on a regular basis since the time they were forcibly evicted from their village by the military, having being given very little hope of returning.
But inspired by the loving manner in which the villagers spoke about their village, and the teenager’s efforts to document the rich history of the village, the priest and I thought we could perhaps assist these villagers to write the story of their village. Both, the villagers and the Bishop of Mannar welcomed the idea, and pledged their continued support. I was working with Law & Society Trust (LST) at that time, and so approached two trusted and committed friends to join my team at LST, in carrying out hands-on research and writing. They assisted with documenting the story of the village, working closely with the villagers and Church leaders. In the process, we became friends and became involved in their struggle to return home.
Photo courtesy National Fisheries Solidarity Movement
