The Northern Province is witnessing positive vibes. Restoration takes time, and with this process the minds of people must also change. On a recent assignment to Jaffna, I took time to speak to an assortment of Tamil speaking youth to understand their needs and aspirations. One of the first young women I met was 20 year old Ann Renuka, a Catholic living with her parents. Renuka comes from a family that is rising from the ashes, after being displaced during the war. Her father is a fisherman and mother is a humble housewife.
They have been bestowed with a new house, which was constructed using the free labour of soldiers. Renuka explains “I was quite a good student at school, and successfully passed the GCE Ordinary Level exam. Then we faced hardships. I have 2 younger sisters. In order for them to continue school, I was forced to quit studying further”. This is the harsh reality of many such youth who were unable to sit for exams and had to sacrifice the pursuit of wisdom.
I asked Renuka about her plans for the future “Right now I am unemployed. I don’t have the resources to go to the city for any vocational classes. As you can see our roads don’t have lights in the night - as you would have in Colombo. I can sew, but can’t afford to buy a sewing machine. But my family is thankful to the army who built this house for us. I understand the time and effort of these Sinhalese brothers. I am happy that we can all live in peace today”.
As we walk down this community of fishermen, originally from Gurunagar area I met another young girl, carrying her baby son. She is very shy and her aunty tells me her story “this young girl has lost her father. She was in a relationship with a young boy - he promised to marry her, made her pregnant and then disappeared. Today she has no income and we look after her. What is the future of her baby?” This is a common social issue I have witnessed in my previous travel to the North in areas like Wanni and Mullaithivu. Young women from low income families are seeking love and affection - and are vulnerable to Casanova style predators that simply use them for sexual pleasure and vanish.
In a culture that manifests rich virtues, including chastity it was a shock to encounter young single mothers. While there is good work done by civil and government agencies there is room for improvement in terms of empowering these young women and teaching them about family planning and safe sex. Many of these girls can’t speak English, and say it is a massive setback as they can’t learn basic computer operations. Given the locations of their remote villages they don’t have access to regular income. Projects can be done using local fruits and vegetables - which can be preserved and bottled and sent to Colombo.
But there are some who have made bold choices and secured decent jobs that guarantee a bright future. One such young girl is 23 year old V.Lakshmi a native of Killinochchi. She serves as a uniformed soldier serving at KKS. Vibrant Lakshmi explains “I was looking for a career, and decided to enlist in the army in 2014. I enjoyed my basic training. It was nice to meet and interact with my Sinhalese sisters. We work in this camp as one family. I am proud to wear this uniform, as in the army all communities are equal. I help with translation when required. My parents are happy for me.” There were a few others like her serving as clerks in the Women’s Corps. This young female soldier is a classic example of how one can navigate to success by selecting a good career.
On another evening we were returning via Urumpirai when we passed a Hindu kovil that was having a sacred pooja. A young man waved his hand and motioned us to stop. Realizing that we are from Colombo he asked us to come to the kovil where a crowd of around 60 people were partaking in a meal. I politely refused but an elder insisted that we eat with them. Soon some boys got busy serving us, and asking us about our visit. These innocent rural youth had many aspirations. They explained that the kovil is an important ‘meeting’ point for them where they obtain spiritual guidance. Another youth has cut open a large jack fruit and serves - the outpouring of hospitality is amazing. I could not take photos here as it was in the kovil premises and had to respect local customs. Yet we managed to ask the 2 young boys to stand with their family for one photo. As I was ready to leave they asked that we return for dinner tomorrow! This manifestation of exuberant hospitality shows that these village youth have no prejudice or envy. They want to have a simple life, as they have endured much in the years gone by.
There have been a few young folk who are disgruntled and anti-social, but the majority of young people we noticed were always smiling and waving. They earnestly wait for development to enter their villages. Vocational schools are a need of the hour. I noticed a few young men engaged in grape cultivation along the Vasavilan - Palaly road. Grape cultivation has been done here since 1960s and is now seeing resurgence. There is much potential for tourism in Jaffna and areas like Karainagar. There is a shortage of hotel schools and qualified instructors. This is an area that many young men were keen to join. The radiant rays of hope are shining in the Northern Province.