Ex combatants fight a different war
By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan-2017-12-03
While most of the senior leaders of the banned organization perished in the war, it was the young combatants, who grew up in the war zones who surrendered to the government Forces when the war ended in 2009.
On a weeklong tour of the North and East, this writer met with 135 of rehabilitated ex LTTE combatants between the ages of 24 and 50.
There are an estimated 8,000 disabled ex-cadres and the ones whom we met were either disabled, living with bullets or plates fixed in their bodies. Some claimed that the doctors are unable to remove those bullets as it would damage their nervous system.
The writer also visited some of the homes of these men and women who are married, but are struggling to live as they are deeply in debt and living a hand to mouth. Some who had obtained government housing still live in incomplete houses. Some of them have no permanent jobs and are seeking the help of many organizations which are 'reluctant' to employ them in fear that they would tarnish the reputation of their businesses if at all they are taken into custody again by the TID or CID on suspicion.
It appears that the banks have similar concerns when approving the government's soft loans for these ex-fighters.
No guarantors
These men and women find it difficult to get government servants as guarantors to obtain the self-employment soft loans offered by the government through State banks. They told this writer that they wanted banks to at least accept a 'normal guarantor' meaning a trader or a shop owner who has an active bank account.
In the Mannar District there are 675 rehabilitated combatants and only 176 have applied for the self-employment loan mainly because they are unable to find guarantors. So far it is said only 139 received the loan, however many banks did not approve the total amount these men and women asked for. This, they say has been of no use because the rest of the money they will have to seek from elsewhere.
For ethical reasons Ceylon Today has decided to identify our interview subjects by a single name.
Forty-year-old Leonard from Mannar said he wanted money to buy a fishing net as soon as possible because it's the season for a certain variety of big fish. Since April this year he has been negotiating with the bank and despite getting two guarantors – one government servant and a private trader he is yet to receive the money.
Another person also from Mannar, Anthonipillai was asked to open a new bank account by depositing Rs 30,000. He asked where he can get this money when his life is in a miserable state.
Another female ex combatant who did not wish her name to be mentioned, said she asked for Rs 250,000 but was only given Rs 100,000 with which she has rented a shop but unable to buy sufficient goods for the shop. "The shop I rented is still closed as I have no money to purchase goods," she complained. What she wanted further was not a loan but a grant to purchase items because she would not be able to pay interest for the items she is hoping to buy.
Ferdinand (48) said his engine was stolen and his fishing came to a complete halt. He too had given all documents to the bank but the bank found that his wife had obtained a loan and had a balance of Rs 10,000 to be settled. "The bank is now not willing to give me the loan despite I have told them I would settle with the loan I am going to get but they refused."
Ex cadres in Batti
The number of ex cadres in the Batticaloa district is around 467 and they are hard hit financially.
Some said no government or bank officials give them priority despite the government boasting about that they are 'doing' so much for them. They also lamented that Tamil politicians and the government have been focusing only on the northern ex cadres and have ignored them.
While many have received houses, the District Secretariats have listed the ex-cadres in the points system and are in a queue along with the displaced persons,
female-headed families and disabled people in the community. The houses are also handed out according to the status of the families from the worst hit and upwards.
Thirty-seven-year-old Nila from Thambalagamam in Trincomalee has managed to get into the government housing plan – a grant in instalments. He has a half built house but still not got his Rs 18,000 electricity connection money from the DS. "It's almost three months and I live in the dark with my two little children and the DS is telling me to 'wait' as I am 'better off' than many others."
He also noted the balance Rs 125,000 of the Rs 800,000 housing plan is yet to be received by him. "I have taken private loans to complete the house and I have to settle these loans but the DS is dragging the matter. It's not only me but many like me are living in disappointment," he said.
The DS on the other hand said she works based on a marking system and going by the priority basis, sometime these ex combatants don't receive funds as they expect. She also suggested that the government should allocate funds separately for them and not to mix them up with the rest of the needy.
There was another female ex cadre who is married to a semi paralysed ex fighter. But she is an epileptic and unable to get the loan to generate an income. She wants to put up a shop and be with her husband. The thirty-two-year-old is in a miserable state without any help and proper medical attention. Chandra says when she feels that she is about to get the epileptic fits she lies down on her bed and after a while finds herself in the hall or kitchen when she recovers.
Background of the loan scheme
According to the government, the number of ex combatants (rehabilitated and socially reintegrated trainees) who were engaged in LTTE activities who have either surrendered or been arrested by the security forces stands at 12,185 as at 31 December 2016.
The government has introduced grant schemes and self-employment loan scheme for these trainees approved by a Cabinet memorandum.
The government allocated Rs 300 million in February 2012 to be disbursed to these people through the Bank of Ceylon, People's Bank and Sri Lanka Savings Bank.
The loan beneficiaries are eligible to obtain loans of a maximum of Rs 250,000 at the rate of 4% interest per annum and a loan repayment period of 10 years with one year grace period.
But it is a failure as since out of 7,585 persons who applied only 1,799 had been granted these loans under the Stage I of the programme.
The reasons given were shortcomings in the selection process, inadequate monitoring, inadequate manpower and lack of awareness among the beneficiaries about the purpose of the Loans scheme. The bottom line is that the loan did not reach these ex fighters but trapped them in private loans for survival. There were media reports of several suicide cases of ex-cadres due to debts.
The loan scheme was reintroduced in 2013 to disburse another Rs 525 million which was
implemented only in December 2016 with great efforts put in by the Ministry of Rehabilitation which is trying to make it a success this time around.
However, State banks having experienced poor recovery from the stage I loan scheme are making it impossible for the former combatants this time too.
Ministry of Finance and the Rehabilitation Authority is working with the Bank of Ceylon, People's Bank, and Regional Development Bank to assist these men and women, which unfortunately is failing again.
Bankers note:
The government should not tax them with the loan scheme, many of the bankers told Ceylon Today. Some said only a grant scheme would help them as of now.
They said they are also on a mission to do a service but 'forced' to recover the loan as it is 100% loan from the banks. "As the first stage of the loan scheme utterly failed and we are trapped unable to recover, we are reluctant," admitted the bankers in the North and East.
"If the Central Bank takes responsibly for the credit facility then we can back the loan system better," they suggested.
They also complained that several of the guarantors who have signed for these men and women are already in the CRIB.
Bankers also pointed out that in the North and East there is hardly anyone who had not obtained a loan from the banks and that is preventing the ex carders from finding a good guarantor.
