Priority Issues for the new Northern Provincial Council
Priority Issues for the new Northern Provincial Council
By Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran
Added on :02 Nov 2013
Added on :02 Nov 2013
Priority Issues for the new Northern Provincial Council
Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran
(Executive Director-Women’s Education & Research Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka)
The need of the hour for the newly minted Northern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka is to prioritize issues that need urgent and pro-active attention. Poverty in the Northern Province is an urgent matter that needs to be tackled and placed on the top of it’s Agenda. Poverty should be comprehended as affecting the most vulnerable groups such as the unemployed/under employed war widows and orphaned children.
Economic upliftment though comes under the rubric of general development. The gender specific issues have to be spelt out in broad terms. The issue of war widows has many ramifications such as unemployment, destabilization, women who are traumatized and women who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. While incorporating these factors at policy levels, employment prospects have to be developed by training/re-training on income generating activities thus providing prospects for employment so that while undertaking economic activities they live with dignity and respect instead of depending on charity. Income generating activities should move away from poultry farming, home gardening, sewing projects and other small home based industries. Studies have shown that these self employment projects have not been sustainable and have failed as schemes of development. Hence, innovative non-traditional skills such as carpentry, masonry, driving, minor electrical, engineering jobs can be tried out. Other country experiences can be replicated. However a market study has to be done prior to undertaking income generating skills for sustainability and profit. Besides, other institutional infra –structures have to be placed in the planning stage. Women with small children should be provided with crèches or daycare centers where the women can leave their children under proper care with the peace of mind that they are in safe hands when they are out of home on training or while at the job.
Taking into consideration the large number of women affected by war, setting up a gender unit in the structures of governance will help solve some of the problems. The number of Women and Development Officers will have to be increased in view of the issues and problems faced by women in the Northern Province. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs should take action on this. Moreover, the bureaucrats will have to be gender sensitized by the introduction of CEDAW (Covenant on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325) which specifically deals with post-war situation for women.
Children who have lost their parents are another major issue that needs careful consideration and planning. The terms “orphanages” and “orphans” can be removed from the vocabulary to give them a psychological appeasement. Affluent parents here and abroad can sponsor a child providing funds for school, clothing and food and give them a chance to live in families during week-ends or vacations. It will be a fruitful exercise for the Diaspora not to spend money on temple buildings but to sponsor children in institutions and monitor their progress periodically writing to them and sending small gifts to them, thereby keeping a personal touch.
Another issue that is plaguing the Northern society at the moment is the debt trap the poor men and women have got into (the small capitalists enterprises). These institutions give loans to vulnerable groups at interest and this practice has left them poorer. There should be some intervention at the Provincial Government Level to regularize this malpractice and save the people from the claws of the small capitalists.
And finally emotional rhetoric should be avoided to face reality on the ground. Facing up with issues at the ground level should become the motto for the administrators, planners and others.
Secular outlook in terms of not mixing religious rituals in the administrative procedures and functions may be an added plus point. One has to be aware that the Northern Province is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. Ritualisation of state functions may not be the ideal situation under the circumstances. Otherwise, it may become Hindu religious majoritarianism. We cannot forget so soon that majoritarianism (ethnic/religious) is one of the perils of democracy. In governance the concept of pluralism should be adhered to at all times and at all levels.
Another matter of importance for the Council is the question of the re-settlement of the Muslims in the Northern province. One is aware that the Muslims have been residing in the districts of Mannar and Jaffna continuously for several years calling these areas their homes and engaged mainly in commercial activity and furthering the economic development of the Northern province. The NPC should as a matter of urgency look into the many problems faced by the Muslim community who were forcibly sent out. Resettlement of the Muslims who were forcibly dispelled should be encouraged in order for them to return to their original places, making it easy for them to begin their activities. Their resettlement procedure has to be made easy with due consideration for the practical problems faced by them, respecting their needs.
Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran
(Executive Director-Women’s Education & Research Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka)
The need of the hour for the newly minted Northern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka is to prioritize issues that need urgent and pro-active attention. Poverty in the Northern Province is an urgent matter that needs to be tackled and placed on the top of it’s Agenda. Poverty should be comprehended as affecting the most vulnerable groups such as the unemployed/under employed war widows and orphaned children.
Economic upliftment though comes under the rubric of general development. The gender specific issues have to be spelt out in broad terms. The issue of war widows has many ramifications such as unemployment, destabilization, women who are traumatized and women who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. While incorporating these factors at policy levels, employment prospects have to be developed by training/re-training on income generating activities thus providing prospects for employment so that while undertaking economic activities they live with dignity and respect instead of depending on charity. Income generating activities should move away from poultry farming, home gardening, sewing projects and other small home based industries. Studies have shown that these self employment projects have not been sustainable and have failed as schemes of development. Hence, innovative non-traditional skills such as carpentry, masonry, driving, minor electrical, engineering jobs can be tried out. Other country experiences can be replicated. However a market study has to be done prior to undertaking income generating skills for sustainability and profit. Besides, other institutional infra –structures have to be placed in the planning stage. Women with small children should be provided with crèches or daycare centers where the women can leave their children under proper care with the peace of mind that they are in safe hands when they are out of home on training or while at the job.
Taking into consideration the large number of women affected by war, setting up a gender unit in the structures of governance will help solve some of the problems. The number of Women and Development Officers will have to be increased in view of the issues and problems faced by women in the Northern Province. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs should take action on this. Moreover, the bureaucrats will have to be gender sensitized by the introduction of CEDAW (Covenant on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325) which specifically deals with post-war situation for women.
Children who have lost their parents are another major issue that needs careful consideration and planning. The terms “orphanages” and “orphans” can be removed from the vocabulary to give them a psychological appeasement. Affluent parents here and abroad can sponsor a child providing funds for school, clothing and food and give them a chance to live in families during week-ends or vacations. It will be a fruitful exercise for the Diaspora not to spend money on temple buildings but to sponsor children in institutions and monitor their progress periodically writing to them and sending small gifts to them, thereby keeping a personal touch.
Another issue that is plaguing the Northern society at the moment is the debt trap the poor men and women have got into (the small capitalists enterprises). These institutions give loans to vulnerable groups at interest and this practice has left them poorer. There should be some intervention at the Provincial Government Level to regularize this malpractice and save the people from the claws of the small capitalists.
And finally emotional rhetoric should be avoided to face reality on the ground. Facing up with issues at the ground level should become the motto for the administrators, planners and others.
Secular outlook in terms of not mixing religious rituals in the administrative procedures and functions may be an added plus point. One has to be aware that the Northern Province is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. Ritualisation of state functions may not be the ideal situation under the circumstances. Otherwise, it may become Hindu religious majoritarianism. We cannot forget so soon that majoritarianism (ethnic/religious) is one of the perils of democracy. In governance the concept of pluralism should be adhered to at all times and at all levels.
Another matter of importance for the Council is the question of the re-settlement of the Muslims in the Northern province. One is aware that the Muslims have been residing in the districts of Mannar and Jaffna continuously for several years calling these areas their homes and engaged mainly in commercial activity and furthering the economic development of the Northern province. The NPC should as a matter of urgency look into the many problems faced by the Muslim community who were forcibly sent out. Resettlement of the Muslims who were forcibly dispelled should be encouraged in order for them to return to their original places, making it easy for them to begin their activities. Their resettlement procedure has to be made easy with due consideration for the practical problems faced by them, respecting their needs.
