Fleeing hunger, Sri Lankan Tamils recount tales of economic crisis

Sivasankari and her family did not think about the consequences when they fled their village in northern Sri Lanka to take the perilous boat journey to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Monday evening. The only thought on their minds was to flee hunger in their home country and reach India.

“We got into the boat thinking that we will either reach India or perish in the sea. We were marooned for the whole of Tuesday, and we were not sure whether we will step our foot on the soil. Finally, we could reach Dhanuskodi. We can’t live there (in Sri Lanka) anymore with hunger,” Sivasankari said, after reaching Rameswaram on Tuesday evening.

The woman is among 16 Sri Lankan nationals, including a toddler and children, who reached Rameswaram after an arduous journey, which is dangerous in more ways than one. Mohammed Asim, another “economic refugee”, said they fled Sri Lanka to save themselves from hunger as the economic crisis was much worse than it is being projected.

“The quality of the essential items that we get is also very poor though the price is exponentially high. If we get rice one day, we don’t get coconut. If we get coconut, we don’t get flour on that day. It is impossible to live in Sri Lanka that we decided to leave,” Asim said.

Sivasankari and Asim are part of the second batch who arrived in Rameswaram on Tuesday. Ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka find Tamil Nadu a better option to migrate, though illegally, not just due to its geographical proximity, but also because many have relatives here. These people either live in refugee camps or in their own accommodation after having fled Sri Lanka during the civil war that raged for nearly 30 years.

Theori, who was part of the first batch that was stranded in Rameswaram’s fourth island, said she could not buy essentials by spending “exorbitant amount” as she is a single mother, after having lost her husband. “One kg of rice which cost Rs 130 is now sold at Rs 230. LPG which cost Rs 1,900 is now available only for Rs 4,000. Poor people like us cannot afford to live in Sri Lanka. It is difficult to give education to my children as well,” she said.

The woman also said that she came to Tamil Nadu since her mother is living in the refugee camp in Gudiyatham in the Vellore district. Gajendran, who came with his wife and four-month-old son, said he was a painter in Sri Lanka and paid Rs 10,000 each to take the boat from Mannar to Rameswaram. “We were dropped off at the fourth island. We did not know which place was it. Finally, we were rescued by Coast Guard. I am glad we could reach alive,” he added.

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