By

Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

The fertile land called Sampur (Sambur as pronounced by the Tamils) in the North Eastern Province, across the Koddiyar Bay of Trincomalee, on which about 685 families lived before 2006, is no more for the villagers who owned it. Today, more than 800 families, who are forced to live in shanties of tin shelters in the outskirts of Sampur, are watching over their own land braving the scorching heat, heavy rains and storms.

Their only hope is to get back to their place of origin and to start the self-sustaining life they had been having for generations in Sampur.The 500-acre Sampur, which means a land that is complete (sampurna/sampurnam), is completely fenced and guarded heavily now. The houses on that land had been completely bulldozed and left bare for a coal power project on which construction has not yet begun.

The villagers flocked around the journalist, when they came to know through various channels. Some came rushing with their land and property deeds to express their plight. What is amazing is that most of them own at least half an acre of paddy or coconut land in Sampur.

“Look how I lived before,” a government official, who did not want to reveal his identity, stretched his hands showing the deed which stated he owned about 30 acres of land.
“I am not a beggar to live on the water that is supplied in a bowzer and live on one meal per day. I ate and drank water from my own land. We cooked rice which was harvested from my own land. I even made coconut oil for domestic purposes,” he claimed.

More than a hundred tin houses could be seen scattered around and the displaced community, mostly Tamils, are living in horrible conditions.In 2006, during heavy fighting between the government forces and the LTTE, the Sampur village was deserted. They were given shelter in Batticaloa.

Right after they fled, the Army reclaimed Sampur from the LTTE, in September that year. The immediate plan for a coal power project on the people’s land in Sampur was initiated and then it became an issue as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) objected to the grabbing of the people’s lands and filed legal action.The Tamil National Alliance alleges that there was a hidden agenda in the project to permanently evict Tamils from the Muttur East region.

The displaced are living in untold hardships in Kiliveddi, Pattithidal, Manachcheri and Kattavarian, basically barren and rocky lands, on the outskirts of Sampur.Three times a week the water bowzer comes. That is the only thing that is given free, an elder lamented.

According to them, they were given dry rations two years ago and the supply has been stopped.
“This is ridiculous. We cannot live like beggars. Where is the food, where is the water, where is our livelihood?” they questioned.The children in the camp walk nearly two miles to a school that is located in the village they live in and they hardly have three meals.

Sampur has lakes, ponds and the sea. “We have been doing fishing in lakes, ponds and the sea. We are the people who never had any trouble in our lives. War was the only issue however, this ongoing war of poverty is unexplainable,” a feeble old man said.

Apparently, nearly 50 families have been settled in a place called Navalady and they have been left with no choice. The Navalady displaced are given 10 perches of land each and they claim Navalady is a totally barren land not even fit for any kind of cultivation.

“The camp life is a mere beggar’s life” one of them said pointing at the pots and pans on the sandy floor. “I was a self-sustained man, who ate fish for all three meals. Why are we deprived of all those facilities?” Does a coal power plant need a fertile land like Sampur?” another questioned.

Most of the men walk about five to six kilometres to find a job and bring some rations for their families.”I have to leave the house to find work daily. If I don’t, my family will be in hunger. Everything has been forced on me and I don’t understand why,” a 40- year-old man said. I am forced to work in other people’s land when I was once cultivating my own land.”

They pointed out that the tin houses are not even suitable for cattle. According to the reports, under the agreement, India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has launched a feasibility study on the proposed 500MW plant, estimated to cost US$ 500 million on the 500-acre land.

The people, although living on the outskirts of Sampur still manage to visit the powerful Kaali Amman Kovil in Sampur.

The kovil, which was bulldozed and left only with the main structure, is still visited by devotees.
“The half bulldozed kovil, is still the place for me to shed my tears,” a woman said.The kovil was on the main road of Sampur however, due to the road closure, the road to enter the kovil is now on a jungle path.

While claiming it’s a forced resettlement, the villagers say Sampur is the best place in the area and the rest is all barren land.The villagers claim other places earmarked to be given to them are Vembadithottam and Seethanavali which are completely barren lands. “There is no water and it is rocky. There is even no grass for cattle to graze there during the dry season,” one pointed out.

The IDPs have many doubts. Some have whispered to them that if the coal power project fails, a Sinhala community would be settled there. “We are worried about our land and wonder if someone else will take it away from us,” they claimed.

The displaced persons have been living in shanties for nearly eight years and still have not received a proper resettlement plan.Many of the displaced have found shelter in different places, some have got their new National Identity Cards. They have no voter registration too.

A teacher said that she moved out from the camp with the assistance she was given by one of her relatives living in a foreign country. “Although I have nearly 10 acres of land, I am now living elsewhere. The day Sampur is returned to us, I will come with my deed and occupy my land,” she said with grim anticipation.

A youth claims he is even scared to look at his own place of birth. We fear the worst if we talk about Sampur. “We don’t even want to show or share what the government is doing to us. I have completed my Advanced level and have no job. If I had the land, I would cultivate and perhaps collect money and say goodbye to Sri Lanka.”

The hopes are shattered for the Sampur people. They had ornamental fish, homegrown paddy and flour for their daily food, coconuts and coconut oil. “Who will provide those now?” Those items are so expensive, now I cannot afford them,” a young man lamented.

Showing some of the deeds, laminated and wrapped in brown paper, simply explains what is running in their minds.None of them were willing to give their names and identity due to reasons best known to them, but they revealed the fact that they are not happy at all with the resettlement programme.
The IDPs have been promised 20 perches of land. However, they have declined to accept it.

They say there are plenty of other places which ‘suits’ a project like coal power.One of the IDPs said, “Ilakkanda, Kokkati, Madurawettawan, Iraalkuli and Aalamkulam are places uninhabitable and it would be good for a coal power project.””In the Western Province people daily protests over some plans the government wants to expedite and the government has listened to the public and scrapped the projects that can bring revenue to the country. However, we the IDPs cannot do that while living in the camps.”

“We know that the casino plans were scrapped, the Rathupasswala issue was sorted out, and the factory concerned has been moved elsewhere. Why not do that for us too? We are the hardest-hit people in Sri Lanka. We wish we had died in the war, rather than live in agony and die daily,” many lamented.

They conveyed one message to the government: “If Sampur is returned to them, they will not want a penny from the government and they know how to establish themselves without asking for loans and grants. “We are self sustained people and we know how to manage our lives if our lands are returned.”

Courtesy:Ceylon Today