Benefits Of Development Slow

• In Trickling Down To People In Batticaloa District

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema in Passikudah and Punani
Photos by Thusitha Kumara

Three years after the liberation of the East from the LTTE, people in various parts of the Batticaloa District are still waiting to enjoy the benefits of development and be “re-awakened.” The ravages of the war could still be witnessed in most parts of the district.
Traveling into Batticaloa on the A11 (Maradankadawala to Tirikkondiadimadu) and A15 (Batticaloa to Trincomalee), one could still witness the bare lands, the shells of what were once houses, people living in temporary houses and bunkers that were set up during the war. Following the liberation of the East in 2007, the government launched a three year development plan for the three districts in the Eastern Province – Negenahira Navodaya (Eastern Re-awakening). The asphalted roads, new railway line, electricity and telephone lines, newly constructed bridges, government buildings and even a factory set up by a key player in the country’s apparel sector indicates signs of development that have entered the District.
Nevertheless there still remains a large number of people in Batticaloa who are clueless about the concept of development, but lamenting about the hardships they still face. To some, the asphalt highway that runs in front of their temporary houses is all the development they have seen since 2007. Their grievances start with the lack of proper land and a house to live in. During our visit to Batticaloa we visited several villages along the A11 and A15 to speak with the people about how their lives have changed since the end of the war. Velupillai Thangavelu from Kinniyadi is one among the many in the East who have felt the destructive forces of the war.
Owner of a residence by the side of the A15 highway at one point, Thangavelu today looks at a bare land where he used to live with his family. Thangavelu’s house was completely destroyed during the war along with those of his neighbours. The area is now deserted, but Thangavelu has been drawn back to his spot of land and has now set up a small kiosk in a temporary hut. “Its been two years since I started this business here. After all, it is where I used to live,” he said. Thangavelu now lives in a house that was built by an NGO (he is not aware of the name), in the interior parts of Kinniyadi. He points to the broken houses and empty lands surrounding him saying, “This used to be our village.” The Sunday Leader also visited the Punani area in the Batticaloa District. Abdul Rahman Ibrahim lives in Jayanthiyaya in Punani by the side of his little kiosk under a tree. Initially from Vaharai, Ibrahim had settled down in Jayanthiyaya in the year 2000. Hurriedly making some space for us to sit on a wooden bench under the tree, Ibrahim started to tell us his story.
“During the war, we fled Vaharai and found temporary shelter in Athugala in Welikanda. We stayed there from 1990 till 2000,” he said. After arriving in Jayanthiyaya, Ibrahim and his family members had built makeshift shelters. There are close to 650 families in Jayanthiyaya and of them 75 families were initially from Vaharai. “We all fled during the height of the war.” Ibrahim laments that none of the families in Jayanthiyaya have received any help from either the government or NGOs to build houses for them. “I try to earn a living by selling tea for people travelling on the A11, but that is not enough. We have not received help from even the Negenahira Navodaya,” he said.
Expressing similar sentiments were U.L. Ismail and U.M. Mustapaha also from Jayanthiyaya. “Once an NGO came and built a well and several toilets for us. That is all the assistance we have received,” Mustapha said. He explained that every family in the village was involved in farming in their original homelands. Mustapha and Ismail were originally from Ottamavadi.
“We all had land where we engaged in paddy farming. That used to be our livelihood and now we don’t have anything,” Ismail said.
When asked as to how they earned a living, they said their main source of income now was to work as labourers for a daily wage. “The only development we see is the road in front of us,” Mustapha said pointing at the A11.
The school in Jayanthiyaya has classes only upto Grade Five and the children have to then find space in a school in a nearby village. The village is yet to have a grama sevaka appointed. Further down the road, we visited the Rithithana village in Punani.
About 500 families live in Rathithana with most families hailing from Batticaloa, Kattankudy and Ottamavadi. Regardless of the hardships faced by these people, it was a warm smile and a call for a child to come running out with chairs for us to sit that greeted us. The people in the house we visited pulled out the only two chairs they had and placed them outside in the garden.
Mohamad Ismail Pitchakutti, the village elder, came forward to speak to us. “We have all come here after living in temporary shelters in the Polonnaruwa area. But we are now left to set up temporary shelters here as well,” he said. Like the people in Jayanthiyaya, villagers in Rithithana are yet to reap the benefits of development that is expected to have entered the Batticaloa District.
“Only roads and streams have been built and that is what we see as development,” said Pitchakutti. He added that the village is yet to receive electricity. “An electricity line has been put up in a part of the village, but the supply has not been given to the houses.”

Pasikudah Resort Being Revived
The Pasikudah beach, which at one time was a popular tourist destination amongst both foreigners and locals, is fast becoming an attraction among travellers to the East.
When The Sunday Leader visited the Pasikudah beach there were many locals who were enjoying the pristine beach and the clear blue waters.
Several souvenir shops have already come up on the beach. Several glass bottomed boats were also in operation and construction work in several resort hotels was underway.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is now planning to revive Pasikudah Resort that was in operation prior to 1983.
Bordered by the Pasikudah Bay and spanning 150 acres, the resort will have 500 rooms, over several stages. By 1983, three hotels with a total of 171 rooms were in operation. However, the operation was halted following the 1983 riots.
The SLTDA states that it is planning to revive this resort as travel restrictions to the East have been lifted. The 100 acre extent of the resort area has been reserved for the construction of several hotels. Investors have been selected and their proposals to construct approximately 500-700 rooms are currently being evaluated.
The exact number of rooms is likely to depend on the physical carrying capacity of the beach. A land area of 50 acres has been reserved out for public areas, recreational facilities and common amenities. Lands in Pasikudah have also been demarcated by private companies as well. Land has also been demarcated for an ayurveda spa by a private company.