{"id":97771,"date":"2020-01-14T17:34:03","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T00:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=97771"},"modified":"2020-01-14T17:34:03","modified_gmt":"2020-01-15T00:34:03","slug":"erasing-the-eelam-victory-part-11-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/01\/14\/erasing-the-eelam-victory-part-11-c\/","title":{"rendered":"ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY Part 11 C"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The media\nsaid in 2011 that the security forces had hundreds of acres under cultivation\nin Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Jaffna districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014 it\nwas reported that the Civil Defence Force \u2018is engaged in agriculture at\nKebetigollewa\u2019  .They have cultivated\nover 812 acres, of paddy, maize, kurakkan, gingelly, urad dhal, cowpea, green\ngram, fruits and vegetables. They use compost fertilizer only, produced through\ntheir compost fertilizer manufacturing plants in each sub zone.  There is a new paddy warehouse at\nKebetigollewa. The rice is offered to the military camps at Medawachchiya,\nKebetigollewa, Colombo and Padaviya. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army also\nhad farms at Vellankulam, Udayarkattukulam and Nachcchikuda in Mullativu, and two farms of 360 acres and 11,130 acres\nat Kantale and Kandakuda. Kandakuda farm was earlier abandoned after its\nworkers were killed by the LTTE. \nKandakuda was now exporting Cavendish plantains. Its dairy farm had 120\ncows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The continued\npresence of the military and its expanded role in non military sphere of daily\nlife had created a serious concern internally and internationally said Gamini\nKeerawella.  UN Human Rights Council\nresolution 30\/1 of October 2015, also spoke of ending the role of the military\nin commercial enterprises in the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue of the\nmilitary running civilian businesses, such as hotels and farms, is an issue\nthat is often brought up by human rights and political activists. But to the\nlocal population and the Diaspora community who may be less politically\nmotivated, the army is providing a quality service at a reasonable price and\nfrom which they wish to benefit, said Jehan Perera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 TNA did not care about that. We don\u2019t want the\nmilitary to run farms on our lands we want them out of these commercial\nactivities which hinder the livelihoods of our people, TNA said.They wanted the\nfarms handed over. Defence secretary agreed to release farm lands to the\nProvincial Council if they could pay salaries for the 11,000 people who work in\nthe farms. The farms were running under the Civil Defence Force and salaries\nwere paid by the Defence ministry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army ran\nthree farms in Mullaitivu,  Vellankulam,\nUdayarkattukulam and Nachcchikuda, providing\nemployment to around 117 Tamil workers, both rehabilitated ex-LTTE members and\ncivilians. These farms were handed\nover  but Army had retained 100 acres at\nthe Vellankulam farm, handing over the balance 500 acres. Vellankulam farm generated around Rs. 20\nmillion in profit. Army also ran a farm close to the Palali runway in Jaffna,\nwhere around 150 rehabilitated ex-cadres were given employment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily News visited Vellankulam farm in January 2019. The\nworkers were not elated regarding the releasing of lands held by the military.\nOn the contrary, almost all of the Tamil workers employed at these farms were\nworried and unhappy about these farms being released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

26-year-old S. Damayanthi, a resident of\nGanesapuram, Vellankulam,  has been\nworking on the farm for the past four-and-a-half years. She  joined the farm with the first 25 recruits\nand has been working there since.When we joined, there were only a few\nfemales, but today there are 10 females and 21 males. We have to tend to the\nvegetables, and during the cashew season, we have to pick the cashew. We pick\nover 300 kg of cashew per day during the season. Each of us is given different\nduties. We grow pumpkin, beans and other vegetables here too. The farm spans\naround 600 acres. For me, I live nearly two kilometres away from the farm and\nit is easy for me to travel here.\u201d .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niluka, who\nis an injured ex-LTTE member, had lost a leg during the war and now, an\nartificial leg supports her as she gets about her work. Most of us employed\nhere are recruited by the Army to work in these farms and are paid by the Army.\nAfter the war, I was rehabilitated and thereafter I started my life. Now, both\nmy husband and I are employed at this farm and we take home a good salary.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of these\nfarm workers have obtained loans for constructing their houses and purchasing\nnecessities. According to some of these workers, they have to pay as much as\nRs. 25,000 as repayment for their loans. With the salaries they receive by\nworking in these farms, they are able to manage their loans. Many of these farm\nworkers live in the vicinity of the farms making it easier for them to work in\nthe farms and keep an eye on their children as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily News\nalso spoke to Rajive Ghandi, Jeromeson, Manivanan, Sri Kala, Padmajayanthini\nand Maniwanan who work at the Udayarkattukulam farm, which was also scheduled\nto be handed over by the Army. They too have the same fear and uncertainty as\nthose in the Vellankulam farm and fear the loss of their source of income. All\nthese farm workers were recruited to work on these farms on the promise that\nthey would have their jobs throughout their service period. However, now they\nface an uncertain future, as they do not know what would happen once they lose\nthese farms. There is no clear decision as to what the land would be used for\nthereafter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nUdayarkattukulam farm is around 120 acres in extent, and there are around 50\nTamil farm workers employed here, who claim that they have worked happily at\nthe farm all these years, but now their entire future is again shrouded in\nuncertainty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There has\nbeen much controversy about the Sri Lanka Army engaging in farming activities\nin the North, especially in Jaffna. However, despite the outcry of the Tamil\npoliticians about the army engaging in farming activities, the Tamil youth,\nespecially those rehabilitated ex-rebel cadres who are given employment at\nthese farms feel that it has given them an opportunity to earn a decent living\nand live with dignity in society. The benefits they enjoy does not merely mean\ntheir salaries, they are also entitled to all the medical and welfare\nfacilities enjoyed by the rest of the army and even their families are provided\nwith free medical assistance, which according to them, is a great blessing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nex-combatants who are employed on the Palaly farm  were appreciative of the fact that the Army\nhad given them back their dignity by providing them with the opportunity to be\nproductive citizens of the country and a steady source of income for their\nfamilies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to\nthe Daily News, Rasiah Lochana, who had been employed by the Army for the past\nfive years said she was a teacher previously and had served in the LTTE during\nthe war and after the conflict ended, she had not received the acceptance of\nher people. In a family of four, she is now married and is the mother of two\nchildren. Lochana noted that initially, she and her family had reservations\nabout joining the army and her parents were scared. However, after I joined, I\nrealised that the army personnel are not bad at all and they, in fact, accepted\nus and treat us better than our own people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sudhakaran\nNavaneethamalai, another employee engaged in farming activities on the Army\nfarm in Palali said, I have also been in the army for the past five years.\nThey have treated me well and I am happy. My family is also accepting of my\njob. I have four children and the oldest son is 14. My husband does not provide\nfor us and I run my family with what I earn from this job. When I am at work my\nsister looks after my children and since I get to go home every evening, it is\neasier for me to take care of them. I am originally from Kilinochchi and as an\nactive member of the LTTE, I know how much we suffered as we were the ones who\nhad to go to war. Both my parents were killed during the war and all I want is\nto ensure that my children never have to undergo the same hardships as I did.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirindika\nJeganathan who had joined the army just three months ago said she was still\nadjusting to the work. At 21 years, she was initially employed elsewhere but\nhad later decided to join the army as she could earn better and the army\nprovides better facilities. Her family was initially afraid to send her to the\narmy. However, having seen the progress of those already in the army and\nhearing their stories, she too had eventually decided to join. Now, she says\nshe feels safer with the army than with civilian organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, we\nwere scared to death of the army after the stories we had heard. However, now\nthat I am with them, I realize that all that we were told are not true. I feel\nvery safe here and even the Sinhala soldiers and superiors are very kind to us\nand we don\u2019t face any discrimination or harassment. We work together on the\nsame farm as brothers and sisters, share our meals and work happily. Now I see\nthat they are no different to any of us, but we were initially scared because\nof all the wrong impressions that we had about them,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nidharshan a\n24-year-old youth had joined the army just two months ago. I worked in a lathe\nworkshop earlier. My friends who were in the army told me of the many benefits\nthey receive and I too decided to join. When I first came, I was sceptical, but\nnow that I am here with the army, I have a totally different opinion of them. I\nhave lost all that suspicion and I am comfortable working with the Sinhalese\nsoldiers and I see no difference among us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Now when we go out, I always tell the people\nthat army treats us well. Hence I personally would encourage anyone among my\npeople to join the army without any fear of all the negative things we have\nheard about them are all fabricated lies. There is no issue working with the\narmy and it is a safe and secure place to work in. We never ever want a war\nagain and all I want is to educate my sisters and see a free and safe society\nonce again in the North,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rahul said,\nthere are some who try to ridicule us that we are with the Sinhala forces. It\nis the army that has given us the opportunity and I am grateful for it.\u201d Karan said all these people who criticise us\nfor joining the army did not come forward to help us. Now that they see that we\nare living well, they are coming behind us asking us to help them get\nemployment within the army too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are\nabout 120 Tamils working within the army farm. These females  need to serve for a period of just 15 years\nin order to be entitled to a pension. This, they say, is a great blessing for\nthem. Despite what is being said by the Tamil politicians, for these Tamil\ncivilians recruited by the army, life for them has changed dramatically and so\nhas their perception of the army and the Sinhalese people, concluded Daily News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is alleged\nthat the army-run farms are posing a threat to the local farmers and that they\nhave to compete with the military-run farms. However, the Jaffna Security Force\nHeadquarters Commander Maj. Gen. Dharshana Hettiarachchi, vehemently denied\nthese allegations and added that the produce from these farms are not sent to\nthe open market, but instead they are solely for the consumption of the\nmilitary establishments and the military personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The army says\nthat their intention is to help these people manage their daily lives and these\nfarms and gradually, they would step back from these civilian activities and\nhand them over to the people of the North to carry on these activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The army\nalso  runs  coconut plantations in collaboration with the\nCoconut Development Board, Palmyra plantations in collaboration with the\nPalmyra Development Board, and does reforestation, in collaboration with the\nForest Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifty\nunemployed  Jaffna youths, including\nrehabilitated former LTTE combatants, were recruited by the Sri Lanka Army  for the coconut cultivation project in the\nArmy farm in the Palaly Army Cantonment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\nrecruits are entitled to a monthly salary of Rs. 40,000 in addition to many\nother privileges. They are provided with meals, transport, medicine and pension\nrights in the Army on retirement. Their family members including parents have\naccess to Army medical facilities depending on their marital status. They were required to work a regular\n8.5-hour work shift and  were able to\ntravel from their homes daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\nex-combatants, who were actively engaged during the war, have found it very\nhard to be accepted into society once the war ended. As much as they were\nhailed and feared during the rule of the LTTE, once the war ended these very combatants\nwere shunned by the general public. As a result of it, they were not given\nemployment by society as they were perceived to be violent. This situation left\nmany of these ex-combatants unemployed. \n( Continued) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS The media said in 2011 that the security forces had hundreds of acres under cultivation in Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Jaffna districts. In 2014 it was reported that the Civil Defence Force \u2018is engaged in agriculture at Kebetigollewa\u2019  .They have cultivated over 812 acres, of paddy, maize, kurakkan, gingelly, urad dhal, cowpea, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97771\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}