I dream that another world is possible which is more just and fair, where everyone has a space to play a role that he or she is called to.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Drinking Water a Major Issue in Gampaha District
A young woman worker in the Free Trade Zone at another meeting said, ‘Our neighbours start quarreling when they go to fetch water at the tap on the roadside’.
At a gathering of ‘People without Shelter’ at Liyanagemulla one person very confidently said, ‘I do not have such a problem because there is a good well near the abandoned paddy land on the border of the FTZ’. I as the animator of that meeting posed the question to him, ‘Where do the toilet outlets of the boarding houses in the area are channeled’? Everybody knew that they are channeled to that same marshy land where the well is located. Then suddenly it dawned on him the quality of water he has been drinking.
Two weeks ago at a meeting in Katunayaka, a mother was grieving that she could give only a bucket of water for ablution for her young daughter in the morning who was sitting for the GCE O/L examination.
At another meeting at the Methodist Church at Kurana a mother said, ‘already a number of children who have tried to cross the road to fetch water, have been knocked down by the speeding vehicles’.
Those were grievances expressed by people at various meetings held to motivate the people to pressurize the local government authorities to provide drinking water in the area of Seeduwa Katunayaka Urban Council.
A campaign has now being launched by the Katunayaka Seeduwa unit of the ‘National Alliance for Protection Natural Resources and Human Rights’ in the Gampaha District in collaboration with the ‘Tax Payers Association’ of Seeduwa and Katunayaka.
The administrative area of Jaela Pradeshiya Saba, which too has a very high income from the taxes they collect from the factories located in the Ekala industrial zone is another area in the District of Gampaha where drinking of water is very scarce, due to the pollution of ground water with industrial waste discharged by the factories.
The politicians at every election make promises to provide a proper supply of water service. But these politicians soon forget their promises once voted into power because they have other agendas, the projects which fill their pockets with commissions they receive from the contractors.
The ordinary people have had the illusion that the politicians whom they voted into power would solve their problems. Gradually, people have begun to realize that the politicians make only empty promises. These people who have surrendered all their rights to the politicians and never imagined about their role as citizens, are now disillusioned.
However due to the discussion held they now realize that unless they take appropriate actions themselves as regards this burning issue, they will have to live without water for another decade.
Drinking water is essential for life and as such an urgent need for every living being. The water resources are a lifeline for survival of every living being. Thus even the UN has agreed to halve the number of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.
However, so many people living in the area of this Urban Council in Seeduwa-Katunayaka and Pradeshiya Saba of Jaela, have for decades survived without or with very little drinking water for their day to day use.
These local authorities, with a high income from the industrial and commercial establishments have the capacity and the provisions to provide drinking water for the general public but unfortunately have failed to do so.
In this context, Sramabimani has undertaken to support ‘National Alliance for Protection of Natural Resources and Human Rights’ of Gampaha District and the Tax Payers Association of Seeduwa and Katunayaka to hold group meetings at the village level and to mobilize the people on the issue of drinking water and pressurise the political authorities to give it top priority. In view of this the communities where meetings were held have now come forward to write mass petitions to the relevant authorities asking them to initiate a major project which could provide drinking water to their people.
Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda
Thursday, November 13, 2008
CSM Visit to Vauniya
Therefore our visit was also an expression of our solidarity with the Tamil brothers and sisters suffering in Wanni. During this we donated our collection to the holy family sisters as a sign of our solidarity with those who suffer in the North.
It was a group of 10 consisting of 4 priests – Frs. Rohan, Sarath, Reginald and Nandana, 2 nuns: Christine, Mildred and 4 lay people: Dhammini, Malkanthi, Fredie and Jesudasan. The journey was started at 4am on Monday hoping to reach Vauniya around 10.45 to attend a meeting of the inter religious meeting at the Buddhist temple but we failed to be on time due to the delays at the check points.
Displacements.
According to information we received from various sources, people are moving away from the direction of the A9 road towards Paranthan. There are over 315,000 displaced people in Wanni. What is special about these displaced people is that they have to move from one place to another depending on where the bombs fall.
The schools are closed and some schools are occupied by the Army. Though the hospitals are functioning there is a shortage of doctors and other medical staff. The casualties of war are very high from both sides. The LTTE cadres stay with the civilians. There are some priests and religious moving with the civilians. Still the LTTE is in control of the entire area. Although, Vikshopa Madhu and Oddusudan are declared to be “Fire free Zone”, the displaced people for whatever reason do not seem to move towards the West but further towards the East and North.
We learned also that these security personnel normally have to work for long hours and are suffering from fatigue and stress.
Some of the groups are operate with the knowledge of the security forces. If the people complain to the Police or the Army about the harassments they suffer in return they are betrayed and have to face the consequences from those same groups. A grenade could be thrown at you or be abducted or even killed.
Food Crisis
The electronic items are not allowed to be taken to Wanni. All goods such even bags of rice or fish transported from North to South or South to North have to be being unloaded for check up and reloaded again at the main check point at Medawachchiya.
Some of the families have been recently resettled in a state land. The GS in the camp told us the remaining families too are to be resettled in the same way but that will take time.
Involvement of the Clergy.
· They are being looked down as a minority.
· Boys and girls are being abducted by unknown groups and killed.
· Parents are frightened to send them out.
· Lack of security and constant fear of bombings and shelling might occur at any moment.
· Due to hartal the schools get regularly closed and that often affects their education.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Solidarity with the Displaced in Wanni
Fr. Anton Jayananda explained to the people what the response of the Christian community ought to be at a moment like this. People responded very positively. Handbills were distributed to create awareness in the public on the situation in Wanni.
I should say that the Parsih Priest was very cooperative. We could clearly observe that he was thoroughly convinced that the people's lives in Wanni has to be supported and people's lives should not be misled by the falsehood spread through the media.
I hope those who read the handbill will realize that war can only destroy lives of thousands and only a political solution will save their lives. Unfortunately the political leadership in our country has failed to realize this for 60 long years. How many more years the Tamils will have to wait for a solution.
On the same day a similar collection and distribution of handbills were done in two places in the parish of Hapugoda. Being a Sunday many members of the clergy could not participate in this event. We expect a higher number will join on Friday at Jaela and Saturday in Negombo.
After mass the CSM about 20 activists from Negombo and Jaela walked from the Church premises to Kandana market place and received people's contribution. I was amazed to see the goodwill of the people. One activist reported that one person who came to buy medicines gave away whatever he had. I watching one lady who came to the market (not the super market) putting two thousand note to till. Some very poor contributed 10 or 20 rupee notes very generously. The good will of the people was amazing. When the activists again and again reported that it was the poor who contributed most, Fr. Anton remarked, 'People are generally ready to contribute to a worthy cause and we have to touch their hearts.'
In fact some of the activists were standing with their banners and holding the tills for one hour in the hot sun. I observed among them three mothers holding their babies in their arms and another two were pregnant women. The good will of these people has to be appreciated. At 11 o'clock when about to leave I suggested that they all have a cup of tea. Every body refused and said they can have it at home. Then while I was walking to the bus halt one man was running towards me and I thought he was nearing me to oppose us or abuse us but he offered Rs. 50 for the cause.
Although we expected some negative response from the public, there was only one disheartening incident, where one of the activists was abused by an angry man who disliked our good deed. Otherwise, there was much cooperation from the general public. Altogether about 30 participated in this activity.
Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Drinking Water in and around Ekala Industrial Zone
The ground water is heavily polluted with poisonous chemicals discharged by the factories. As a result, the wells in the home yards which are their normal source of water, which have been used by them since they first settled down in the area about 30-40 years ago, can not be used any longer. The tube wells constructed more recently as sources of drinking water are also been found polluted. The natural sprouts and streams from which people drew water a few decades ago have disappeared.
About 15 communities in and around the industrial zone at Ekala have been deprived of safe water for drinking or any other domestic purposes such as washing and bathing. The number of people immediately affected is around 50,000. But, it is indirectly affecting many more people when taken into account those people living along the canals and the lagoon. For a example the fishermen are complaining that the fish breeding grounds too are affected due to effluents discharged by the factories.
The source of water supply for a Housing Complex which consists of 2000 houses, is a river situated in close proximity. According to its residents this river is heavily polluted particularly by two factories in its close vicinity. Although the authorities have been informed on several occasions no action has been to prevent the river from being polluted. The inaction on the part of the authorities put the lives of about 2000 families in danger. In another location, people complain that the water they get from their tube wells are of various colours due to the effluents discharged by a paint factory located in its neighbourhood. People in another community complain that their water has a strong ordour and a colour and gives a very bad taste. The water from their wells cannot be used either for cooking meals or prepare tea or drink to quench their thirst.
Manawa Himikum Piyasa make the communities aware of the gravity and the human right aspect of the issue and motivate them to organize themselves at their monthly meetings and to take simple actions such as writing a petition to the local authorities and whenever possible to go on delegation to lobby with the authority. Since last year, the affected communities were brought under an umbrella organization called ‘The Alliance for Protection of Natural Resources and Human Rights’.
As a result of a decision taken at one of those meetings a group of representatives met the Central Environmental Authority in
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Commemoration of Black July in year 2008
About 100 participated in the workshop. The purpose was to study how we could together develop a strategy to face suppression and war.
'The Christian Solidarity Movement' held an ecumenical service on the same day at the Philip Neri's Church at 3.30p.m. and then all joined the cultural event at the Fort Railway Station at 4.45 p.m. The feed back that I got was that the prayer service has been very inspirational.
When all joined the cultural event in front of the railway station a picket was held opposing war, suppression of democratic freedom and disappearances. Of course there were a few at the scene who expressed their opposition to what was happening there. We were happy that those few individuals stopped with that and did not create any disturbance there.
The cultural event ended with the lighting of candles. It symbolized the determination of the participants to continue the struggle to end the war and all suppressions and restore democratic freedom in the country.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
25th Anniversary of Black July
The Christian Solidarity Movement (CSM) believes that it is an occasion to educate ourselves particularly in the present context of the country where disappearances, abductions, killings, war and rising cost of living on the fact that Black July continues in Sri Lanka in those forms. Every Christian is invited to play a prophetic role in defending the sacredness of life.
It is being arranged to have an ecumenical service at the Philip Neris's Church on the 23rd of July in the afternoon and then a 'cultural" event in front of the railway station, which will be organized by the 'Forum for Life'. If the financial constraints can be overcome withing the next few days, the cultural event is planned to be held from morning. There will be a poster and photo exhibition, singing of peace songs, street dramas and so on.
We invite friends and volunteers to contribute financially and otherwise to make this event a success.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
'Why Are We Treated As Slaves'
I returned on Wednsday from Mannar. The bus journey was really a tough. We got into the bust at 6.30 in the morning and reached Murungan at about 4.00 in the evening. We spent the night at Don Bosco Institute where there are about 150 boys being looked after from the affected areas. Although we did not meet any of the priests that evening the boys extended to us their cordial hospitality. Many children there were attending the village school and about 20 others are being given vocational training such as in computer skills, carpentry, motor mechanism and so on. I found the children there live a very free and happy life.
As I did not know Tamil (Fr. Terrence can speak little Tamil) I had a communication problem in the absence of anyone who could speak English. But then two senior students from the computer class met me. I really admire their courage to communicate with me in English.
On the following morning we met Fr. Pius, a Salesian priest who has just returned from India after seeing his ailing mother. He was very welcoming us and treated us with very friendly and warm hospitality.
We heard also about another community in a place called Kunchikulam, opposite to Madhu Rd, there is a community of 300 families, who traditionally have lived on hunting, bee honey collection and so on. But they are now been been forbidden to go hunting for security reasons since the army has now come in there. As a result, their means of livelihoods is seriously affected. This has caused serious problem to those people. The priest whom we met would like to have even some dry rations for distribution.
If for security reasons the army forbids them from engaging in their means of living, the authorities should be able to provide them an alternative means of living.
I was happy to hear that about 15 people from the Kalimoddai camp where the people arrived from the uncleared areas are detained, have been freed.
After breakfast, we went to Nattan and spoke to the priests there. In the Nanttan camp the displaced people from Arippu and Selavaturai are living. We had a long conversation with a displaced family from Arippu. This family has been engaged in sale of prawns and crabs before they were removed from there. Thy are awaiting the day when they could return to Arippu and start their livelihood.
They all still wondering why they can't return to their homes and engage in their fishing, since Mannar is now a 'liberated area'. If liberated people must be able to live a freer life than before.
We met on the second day, several other priests in the Cathedral. The parish priest told us a very interesting story. With the permission of the bishop, he has gone to collect a lorry load of sand from a property belonging the bishop. Prior to that he has received letters of permission from the grama sevaka, the district secretary and also from the SSP. But, when he started cutting and loading sand into the lorry, an army official has objected to it and prevented his actions and told him that that the permission given by the Police is not valid and he should have permission from the area commander. He has failed all his efforts to reason out with the officer showing his the permits already in possession. Finally, he has stopped his work that day and has got permission from area commander to bring sand from the bishop's own property to the cathedral site. The priests during that week have been engaged in burying 7 dead bodies killed by unknown gunmen in the Mannar area.
The priests citing this examples asked us, 'Is this democracy in the so called liberated area' and 'Why are we made slaves in this country'?
In Mannar town the SLT telephones except the mobile phones have not been functioning for about a week. So communication was extremely difficult. Finally when we returned from Mannar to Colombo on Wendsday, we were checked at 10 places, the last was at Waikkal. At every occasion we had to get down from the bus with our bags and walk a distance.
When we got down from the Mannar bus at Medawachchiya, we had to come a long way to get the Colombo bus. The three wheeler charge was Rs. 80.00. We started at 6.30am from Mannar and it was 4.30pm when I got down at Peliyagoda. The question that the priests asked why we are treated as slaves is still haunting me.
Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sramabimani May Day Celebration.
About 80 young workes of Sramabimani Worker Forum stood in a picket line and shouted slogans for about 45 miniutes on the 1st of May at the Seeduwa Juction. Their demands were 'reduction of cost of living', 'a living wage for the FTZ workers', 'payment of salary increments laid down by the government'. Some other slogans read, 'Don't we have a right to live', Don't' we have a right to a healthy environment'
After the picket at the junction, the workers walked in procession from Liyanagemulla up to the Sramabimani centre, which took about another 30 minutes. A Buddhist monk, a priest and two religious sisters walked with the workers.
A meeting was held at the centre, at which four persons addressed the gathering. After the welcome speech by Sugath Rajapaksha the chief organizer, a worker from NEST who has been recently dismised for being involved in trade union action, delivered the first speech.
He invited the workers to pay attention to their own plight as the workers as caused by high cost of living. Refering to the expereinces of NEST workers, he narrated what consequence they were made to suffer, when they made a very inncocent demand, namely an increament of Rs. 250.00 a month, as a part of what the the government has recommended to the private sector.
He said, 'we came to the city hoping for better pastures but we have fallen from the frying to the fire. As workers if we continue to close our eyes to these realities and keep silence, we would loose everything. Therefore, we need to organize ourselves and fight for our just rights.
Other speakers were the Buddhist Monk, Fr. Sarath iddamalgoda, Sr. Noel Christine and Vincent Weerakkody.
Of course in an area where the worker population is about 30-40 thousand, the impact of a demonstration by 80 workers could not bring about any substantial change. But, we are happy that this time we were able to have a public event unlike on the previous occasion when the walk was held in the interior. However, according to information we have this is the only public event held in FTZ area to celebrate the May Day.
Last year too the Sramabimani Worker Forum held a similar May Rally.
The workers are afraid of taking part in public protests. They fear of being identified by the management. Among the workers also there are also some workers who carry tales wanting to curry favour with the management.
It is not an easy task to organize such an event. Several meetings were held at the boarding level to sell the idea of May Day demonstration among the workers. When asked some of these young workers in fact did not know what the May Day actually meant.
Our original plan was to hold this event on the 4th of May, but the date was changed to the 1st of May on the on the suggestion of a group of workers. It was most disheartening thing that very people who suggested the change of date were not present at the demonstration. It reflects also the challenge we face when working among this generation of youth.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Christian Solidarity Meeting on the National Issue
Yesterday we had the committee meeting at the CSR. A position paper was read out and it is acceptable to all who were present. I think it is a very good one.
But none of the sub committees have not met including mine. But it was agreed that those who were present will see that their committees will be ready for the general meeting on Saturday.
We have to see that the big number which attended last month remembers that they have to be present this week too.
At present I am trying translate the position paper into English. I hope I will be able to send it before Saturday.
Morning session on the 14th has to be devoted to study the position paper and afternoon the committees will have to work out their plans.
Thanks
Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda
Sunday, June 1, 2008
People's March to defend their rights.
Having that in view we had a people's march on Friday to protect workers rights and environmental rights of people around the industrial zone at Ekala. About 600 people participated in it. Two Buddhists monks and two Christina priests and two nuns walked along with people.