During this period, I was handling, interalia, Relief and Rehabilitatin. I was closely monitoring the facilities provided to 1.4 lakh Sri Lankan Tamil refugees sheltered in various camps across the state of Tamil Nadu. A brief look at India’s experience in Refugee Administration and the reason why the Tamils fled Sri Lanka and sought refuge in Tamil Nadu would enable us to appreciate the issues in a better perspective.
India, even before attaining freedom from the clutches of Britishers, had to grapple with refugee situations. 9.5 million non-Muslim refugees filed East and West Pakistan fearing persecution and sought refuge in India just before and after her independence. 8.5 million fled former East Pakistan (now Bangaldesh) and took shelter in India. 66,120 Tibetan refugees came to India since 1959. About 78,000 Chagma refugees from Bangaldesh are in our Camps in Tripura. Thus, we find that more than 18.3 million refugees (including the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees) had been provided with shelter in India since independence. Our experience in handling them is unique and unprecedented.
It was for the first time in 1983, that Tamil Nadu had to handle 0.13 million refugees of Tamil origin from Sri Lanka. Again in 1989, she had to offer asylum to 0.12 million Sri Lankan in handling refugees single handedly is remarkable and praise worthy. She can now boast of a well-oiled and well- experienced machinery in refugee administration.
INFLUX OF REFUGEES – PHASE I
The frightened and persecuted Tamils in thousands started fleeing the country and landing on the shores of Tamil Nadu in July, 1983. Thus, began the first influx of Sri Lankan refugees and continued till August, 1987.
PHOTOS
During the above period, 134,053 took refuge in Tamil Nadu. 40,000 of them were destitutes and hence they were accommodated in 172 camps spread over the State of Tamil Nadu. The remaining number of refugees opted to stay with their relatives and friends or on their own in rented houses. Since the influx was sudden and very heavy, a reception centre was opened at Rameshwaram. On arrival, the refugees were given food and medical attention.
PHOTOS
After completing Customs and Immigration formalities, they were shifted to the Transit Camp at Mandapam which can provide shelter for 10,000 refugees. The District Collectors were instructed to set up temporary camps to accommodate refugees who were piling on.
Public and Private buildings, Regulated Market buildings, cyclone shelters, school buildings, Housing board and Slum Clearance Board building etc. were taken over and converted into temporary camps. The refugees were transported from the transit caps at Mandapam and Kottapattu to various other camps in the state by engaging Govt. Transport Corporation buses. They were all inoculated against epidemic diseases and issued with Family Identity Cards with photos of the family affixed on them.
Out of my compassion for the deprived and the destitutes, I used to visit the major camps to get first hand information on the facilities provided and what more to be done. These visits, borne out of compassion proded me to work on a documentary for which I started collecting photos of exodus of refugees since 1983, paper clippings and also film footages from the archives of Tamil Nadu and Govt. of India Films Divisions. I also collected these materials with an intention of writing a book and doing a P.hd in Refugee Administration. Of course, my first aim of producing a documentary, with my experience in mass media before getting into the Indian Administrative Service, materialized with the production of a documentary entitled “ Back To The Nest”. But the second one is yet to materialize for want of time and resources.
During the year 1992-‘94, I organized the process of repatriation of 39,063 Tamil refugees, who had expressed their willingness to return to Sri Lanka. With Govt. of India’s support and Govt. of Sri Lanka’s willingness, we undertook the mammoth task of ascertaining the willingness of refugees to return by circulating an application form in Tamil. We had clearly instructed the officials down the line not to coerce anybody into offer willingness for repatriation. Once we got the willingness of little over 16000 people, we informed Govt. of India in the Rehabilitation Dept. Ministry of Home Affairs. They, in turn, got in touch with the Sri Lankan Govt. to initiate necessary steps to receive the returnees and arrange for their rehabilitation back home.
Once the Sri Lankan Govt. committed in writing the way they would receive the returnees and rehabilitate them in their original settings, Govt. of India arranged for ships M.V.Akbar, M.V. Nicobar, M.V. Ramanujam and Aircrafts of the Indian Airline.
Initially of course, the process of repatriation was net very smooth as international agencies like World Watch, BBC and others raised doubts about the voluntariness of repatriation. We had to not issue clarificatory statements/ interviews. I was particularly interviewed by World Watch and BBC on this issue. As we were sure of our intention and methodology, we requested the chief of UNHCR of Mission in India (representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to send his team of officials to interview the willing refugees at the transit camps at Chennai and Rameshwaram.
PHOTOS
This enabled the UNHCR to appreciate our efforts and methodology adopted and Mr. Fazlul Karim, Chief of Mission in India of New Delhi in a press statement dated 15.08.1992 captioned “Kudos for repatriation work”. Of course, UNHCR officials cross checked by interviewing returnees before they were put on bound the ship before every voyage.
PHOTO
Sh. C.N.Ramdas. Commissioner, for Revenue Administration and State Coordinator of Relief and Rehabilitation and the late Sh. Bhujanga Rao, Commissioner for Refugees, not only provided leadership but also visited the transit camps, interacted with the returnees and even accompanied them on a trip to Trincomalee.
The first trip from Chennai harbour to Trincomalee(on 11-13 August,1992) was little tense both for us, who accompanied the returnees on board M.V. Akbar, but also for the refugees themselves. The 36 hour long trip back home was the happiest moment for the returnees till late in the night of the second day. The captain of the vessel when we were hardly 12 nautical miles from Trincomalee harbour picked up repeated signals “Vikrama Calling” over his communication system. Having failed to figure out whether it was a signal from LTTE or the Sri Lankan Naval Veasel, he communicated his concern to Sh. C.N.Ramdas. Immediately, he convened a meeting with me, the captain and Sh. Mohan Kumar of the Ministry of External Affairs. After a detailed discussion, we presumed that the call was from an LTTE sea hawks, who had expressed reservation about the timing of repatriation prior to our departure for Trincomalee. We decided to contact New Delhi and asked the captain the way to go about. As suggested by him, we called up the Joint Secretary, Dept. of Rehabilitation Mr. Sandhu when got to him via telecommunication network through Doha. He advised us to inform the “War Room” of the Defence Ministry. When we informed the “War Room”, we are asked to stay calm and that appropriate steps would be taken. Keeping our fingers crossed we attempted to take a map during the hours of the second days of our sailing yet we could not get even a bit of sleep. As it dawned, we heaved a huge sigh of relief, when we sighted an Indian naval war ship escorting us and an Indian Air Force helicopter hovering over M.V.Akbar. The refugees, who had not slept that night out of fear on the one hand and excitement over the prospects of uniting with their dear and near ones. Once they spoted boats of Tamils gleefully waving their hands and welcoming them, they got excited. They quickly picked up their luggages and were waiting for the vessel to anchor at the Trincomalee Harbour. The Sri Lankan authorities including army officers came on boars the ship and met us in the conference hall.
PHOTOS
After exchanging pleasantries, Sh. C.N.Ramdas briefed the Sri Lankan Authorities of the number of returnees on board and the need for providing immediate relief to the returnees and quick rehabilitation.
PHOTOS
The list of returnees was handed over. He also added that few more thousand refugee families had opted for return and there was a need to plans for appropriate logistics.
The crew of the ship and the Tamil Nadu Policemen who accompanied us picked up the siblings of women returnees so that they could take down their bags and baggages. It was indeed “a helping hand till the end”. On disembarking, we were welcomed by the Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation and Mrs. Samantha, Minister for Social Welfare.
PHOTOS
Then, we were moving towards China Bay, the air base of Sri Lanka to board a helicopter to go to Colombo on our way to Chennai. To our horror, we found mutilated bodies of soldiers and the injured being air lifted. We learn that there was a suicide balm attack at the Bay few hours before M.V.Akbar anchored at Trincomalee harbour.
These were many more sorties from Chennai, Trincomalee, Rameshwaram and Talaimannar. The then Chief Secretary Sh. T.V.Venkataraman gave a “Letter of Appreciation” for the work done by me and the staff.
LETTER OF APPRECIATION
My research into the breaking out of the violence against Sri Lankan Tamils from June 83, the exodus of refugees into India in III phases, the way Govt. of India and Tamil Nadu Govt. provided them shelter and other essentials led into “Back To The Nest”- a documentary of 67 minutes duration.
PHOTO OF THE BROCHURE
“Back to the Nest” is a docudrama about the amazing concern of the human species for their fellow beings, who are in distress and difficulties irrespective of the man-made territorial barriers and offer them asylum. In this film an idealist painter- a Sri Lankan Tamil- visualizes the pathos of the Sri Lankan Tamils who took refuge in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu since 1983.
This documented reality is symbolized through birds that migrate from extreme and harsh climatic conditions. It focus on the 3 phases of exodus of Sri Lankan Tamils across the Palk Strait in 1983, ’87 and ’90 and also the voluntary return of 54,000 of them since 1992 duly certified by the Sensor Board. This video documentary was an entry into the 6th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary Short and Animation Films held in Mumbai on 3-9 February 2000.
PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATE
I profusely acknowledge with thanks the contribution of Film Editor B.Lenin, who guided me in shooting the missing links,writing the story board and edited the documentary. He also help get the theme music scored by Premji. The script for this documentary was written by me. It is reproduced along with my other writings at the fog end of this book.
The concept of this video documentary was adopted by Sirpi Jayaraman, presently Principal of Bharathiar Palkalai Koodam,Puducherry for drama called “Kootaithedi”. The script of this drama is reproduced along with my writings.
My interaction with the refugees particularly with single women made me realize that women in refugee situations are the most exploited lot. That led me to pen a poem entitled “Flies, Flies all around”. (unpublished). It is reproduced below:
Counseling and care,
