How are the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in Tamil Nadu, India

How are the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in Tamil Nadu, India – Tamil Nadu News Report “Special Over view” – Translated from Tamil to English

“Vidai Kodu Enkal Naade… Panai mara kaade paravaikal koode marumurai orumurai paarpoomaa” this song from the movie Kannaththil Muththamiddaal expressed our Sri Lankan Tamil refugees soreness and the sadness in their life. Now again war has started in Sri Lanka. People are scared now. And we are having increasing number of Tamil refugees’ everyday. But these refugees who’s already in these refugee camps, they don’t even have their basic needs satisfied till now. Minister Karunanithi has asked Viduthalai Siruththai’s writer/reporter Ravikumar to go and see these refugees in person and give a report to him.

We went to Thiruchchi Vaala Vanthaan Koddai Refugee camp to see these refugees. There are about 320 families (about 1000 people) staying there. Tamil Naadu Government built this refugee camp 16 years ago.

Even the road which takes us to this refugee camp, tells us the story about hows this refugee camp is going to be, small bushes on the way which you only see thorns rather than leaves and then you see small tents/ cottages, men walking around with banian and women with nightie. Even though these people live in this condition, they try and hide their permanent struggles/sadness with their jokes and talks.

First we talked to Subramanian, president of the refugee camp. “We came to this refugee camp on 1990 from Pulal refugee camp, at the start we were struggling badly and the government was giving 200 Rupees per month and 6kg rice per person, however we had to pay 90 Rupees just for Electricity every month per person, because for this whole refugee camp we only have two electricity reading metre. We came here to survive, and the government did what they could and they built 320 houses for us. (House size 10ft*10ft) and they put Asbestos roof on these houses and during sunny season it is very hot. Even though we have so many other problems my heart and mouth not letting me talk about it, because we came here to survive.

I was a farmer and one day Sri Lankan army killed my wife while she was in the farm, I was hiding around for little while there and then came here. We shouldn’t be complaining about anything because this country provided us a place to stay when we arrived here, I registered to go back to Sri Lanka, but then again it looks like war is going to start very soon, so I’m just thinking about what to do. People who staying in this camp doing some sort of job, and they even go and break rocks and sell stones/ rocks and that’s how they sending their kids to school and all our kids are doing really well at school” he said.

Next Vickneswaran was giving us an interview. “We came here in 1990 from Mullaitivu, and we have been staying here since then. We really are struggling with our kids’ education. During Karunanithi’s period, to enter into Medicine and Engineering our Sri Lankan kid’s had their own quota, since last few years they have removed that from their educational system. Now he’s back again, we are expecting he will be bringing that system again.

Our kids’ don’t have enough money to continue their education and most of them work just for pittance and they get married when they were really young and struggling with their life and family. We longing to go back to our home land and work on our own farm; this is what I’m wishing for”.

Puvana Aknes came before us and she said “even though we boil the water that we get from the water pump, calcium and chalk stays on the container and we have complained about this to so many people but nobody took any action. For last sixteen years I’ve been breaking rocks and selling them and that’s how I’ve been earning money and sending my kid’s to school and last January 3rd my 23 years old son was dead, because of kidney failure.

We have lots of people getting sick regularly in this camp and when we go to doctor they say we have kidney problem. Lots of us have died here because of kidney failure. Lots of officers like you came and ask for our complaints and stories, but they didn’t do anything. In this sunny season they give us electricity from 6am to 6pm only, their excuse for that is we are using more electricity than what we should be using”

While we are talking, someone took Jegan in front of us and he had a kidney operation and he had a long big mark on his right hip. There are lots of people in this camp with this sort of mark on their hip.

Next we met Sakthivel “I’m almost 52 years old, I’ve had kidney problem from drinking this water. I went to doctor and took medication, but doctor was saying that I have to change my kidney, but to change my kidney I need lots of money so I’m just having country medication (Ayurvedik-medication) they told me not to do any work.

When Annaluxmi was giving us interview, she said “we don’t have toilet facilities here, we go to those Karuvela bushes, when we got here it was ok because there wasn’t any factories or anything, now there are lots of bakeries and factories so there are people always around. Especially for female, going to the toilet is the biggest problem. If anyone willing to build us some toilets around here that would be the kindest thing to do and that’s our biggest problem here. The houses the government built us, they all are breaking up and falling apart slowly and we have been renovating them every year”.

Refugee camp which was built closer to Thiruchchi Airport, it is much better compare to Vaala Vanthaan Koddai Refugee camp. This refugee camp was built very closer to Thiruchchi city and it was initially built for Burma refugees and now it’s used by Sri Lankan Tamil refuges.

There are about 1500 people (400 families) staying in that refugee camp. These people have unit houses however it’s been noted by police all the time. There are only few toilets for these 400 families, this is their biggest problem.


We went and reported all these to Thiruchchi district premier Ashis Vachani, he listened to us carefully and he said “they may be refugees but still they are human being… you come and see me tomorrow evening” with a suspense and then he took two police officers and visited those two refugee camps.

Next day morning we had a call from premier’s office. We went there and premier told us “It’s true that what you have told me about electricity and the payments, and also its true that they only have 2 electricity reading meters there, so I’ve talked to the electricity department and organised them to fix those problems and at the same time those people who lives there… they have to make sure they not wasting any electricity and they won’t damage or break them, also health related issues and basic needs will be solved.

We will be organising Kaviri River water for these people. I’ve allocated about Rs: 10.6 7 lacks just to bring them good water and that will be done very soon. In Thiruchchi Koddappaadu Refugee camp, I’ve allocated about Rs: 7.98 lacks just for their toilet facilities”. On behalf of Kumutham news reporters we said thanks to him and left.

With a hope “Our brethren won’t turn their face away or our brethren will give us their hand” Tamils are coming to this land, and they have learnt to live under any condition… they have learnt to handle any situation with patient. Even though they have learnt all these… Our only wish is ‘at least their tomorrow may be a good morning for them’. This is what we are longing for them.

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Excuse my English... and also I'm not a professional translator... hahhaha...