This project was in the Ampara district of Sri Lanka - the fourth largest district in the country covering a total area of 4,415 sq. km with a population of around 600,000 people. Large portions of the coastal areas was devastated by Tsunami, an therefore require rehabilitation and remediation. The Tsunami struck the Indian ocean on December 24, 2004, and Ampara district coastal area foilage was completely devastated. Relief was commenced somewhere in the early part of 2005, which was basically relief and rehabilitation of people affected by the tsunami devastation. Relief was further delayed because of the presence of the LTTE cadres in parts of Ampara. Therefore, full fledged environmental and infrastructural rehabilitation only commenced in full swing after the Civil War ended with the defeat of the LTTE in March 2009.
The CAP and ERP programs of the UNOPS began in earnest sometime in 2007 ie, two years after the tsunami devastation but actual environment and infrastructural rehabilitation only began after March 2009, after the end of the Civil War with the defeat of the LTTE. The Sri Lankan Government, local administration in Ampara suddenly geared up towards Nation rebuilding. There was incentive to do so in terms of development, jobs in a more secure environment. The political class too supported redevelopment although there was initial anxiety as to whether the more basic needs of food, housing and health were required initial concentration.
As an Indian in a UN project in the remote part of Lanka gave me a good overview of the distant and recent past and what is impending in the future for the residents of Ampara. Whilst the Tsunami devastated the area of Ampara, the Civil War devastated the hearts and minds of the people. The Eastern region and the Ampara district in particular has a mixed population of Muslims (44%), Tamils (18.3%), Sinhala or buddhists (37.5%) and Christians (0.02%). The three main communities viz, Muslims, Tamils and Buddhists were embroiled in the conflict. The Muslims are tamil speaking but they label themselves as "muslims" and not "Tamils" even though they share the same language. These have been ethnic Lankan Tamils converted to Islam sometime during the period when the Arab traders held their sway in the Eastern regions of Lankan. Some muslims claim to be of Indian origin and their forefathers came from India - regions in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka to trade in spices and silks and thereafter settled in Ampara district. Therefore, muslims in Ampara district are found mostly along the coast and they speak and write Tamil. However, their disenchantment with their Tamil identity is more recent. The civil war put the muslims in a rather delicate position. Whilst they sympathized the Tamil cause initially but they distanced themselves from the same when they realized the impact such association had with their chances of being mainstreamed into Lankan social and political life. This put them in conflict with their former allies - the Tamils. So at the height of the Civil War they were persecuted by the LTTE and also did not get much support and sympathy from the majority Singhala community.
Thus working in Ampara was actually trying to navigate through a minefield of past conflicts and associations. The Tamils being the erstwhile aggressors now considered the repressed, the muslims very much caught in the Tamil-Singhala conflict not knowing where their loyalties lie and the Singhala majority in the rest of the Island considered as a ruling minority within Ampara district.
As an Indian, I was drawn very quickly into the vortex of this rather peculiar circumstances. First, amongst all communities in Sri Lanka, India as a Nation is seen as a "big brother". It has all characteristics of a 'big brother' - size - economic and geographical, influence - cultural, political and historical and most importantly its very location at the veritable head of of the Island Nation. I have not met a single Sri Lankan in my two years there who haven't expressed a reaction to India and my presence in Lanka. It would range from awe, bewilderment, a sense of belonging, loathing, contempt or plain respect or even a mixture of a range of expressions. There was not a single Lankan encountered to have shown little or no interest to who I was, what I was doing there and where I belong. It taught me the my first lesson in Lanka
- India matters and Indians matter even more.
To deal with the Lankan Bureaucracy, the UN local staff and Local Authorities in Sri Lanka, I needed to play my Indian card well. Let me give you another example - whilst most of the UN international staff on dealing with the Lankan bureaucracy needed to justify their role in the project, I did not have to do so. Comments like " we thank your presence in this project, after all you guys (Indians) gave us independence from the British" kind of statements flumoxxed me. Did the Indians really help the Sri Lankan cause for Independence? Yes, we did - after the British quit India in 1947, they quit their presence in the Island - it did not make sense to stay around if they had left the sub-continent. Also, our recent history has been replete with sacrifices and struggles for India's independence. In the case of Lanka, such a struggle has very tepid. There were strong movements like "Free Lanka Bill" in January 1945, but none with ferocity and dimensions that India witnessed. Thus comes the second lesson learned:
- India's image as a protector and guider is strong amongst Lankans
While history may have been on India's side, India, in my view, did not play the shared history with Sri Lanka to their advantage. The presence of IPKF as peace keeping force and thereafter as force that engaged with the LTTE sent confused messages to local people in Ampara. It was well understood that India has sympathies with the Tamil movement. The ethnic link of Lankan Tamils and their Indian counterparts was the main reason for such a sympathy; it was alleged there were training camps in Tamil Nadu for the LTTE. The IPKF's engagement with LTTE put the whole "good big brother" image as one of an interfering "big brother" amongst the whole population - whether Tamil, Muslim or Buddhist. We would have been better served if we as a nation stayed away from their internal conflict. Amongst the Singhala population, India's represent - Land of the Buddha. Buddha is highly venerated in Lanka and India represents Buddha, non-violence, purity etc etc. Most Singhalas want to make a pilgrimage on India's Buddha trail before going to other places of interest. Why did we as a Nation not recognize our image in the Buddhist mind? I met with a retired Lankan army general who now has become a buddhist monk. His words put India's role in Sri Lankan minds very succintly - "India is our father, mother, brother and uncle rolled in one - further it is the Land of the Buddha - we will be forever beholden to her". Here is the third lesson that I have learnt
- India and Indians cannot take sides in any internal conflict in Lanka. We are considered brothers by a majority of Lankan ethnicities. Taking sides places at a greater disadvantage.
UNOPS built around 600 km of rural roads under our project. UN presence was highly regarded because of the high development content. We were continually been felicitated by local people who seemed to appreciate our efforts in providing local jobs and infrastructure creation. We were not the only people doing good work - it seemed that the Chinese government had also built larger infrastructure in tsunami affected Lanka. The Chinese vefurther interests in building a new port in Ampara and an international airport in Hambantota. The strategic interests of the Chinese is to counter Indian presence in the Indian ocean. The Chinese have not subcontracted these projects to local contractors or even to other Lankan contractors. They have relied on their own expertise in most cases and in some cases given it to international contractors. These are all strategic investments aimed at India. Why hasn't the Indian government done something similar? Our strategic interests in Sri Lanka are a given - it is a friendly country sharing strong cultural and ethnic ties with us. It should therefore become a country of prime importance for our presence. Why have the Chinese been so active in our own backyard without creating so much of a concern for us? We have to look into that very strongly. The fourth lesson stems from this
- We must not ignore our true friends and take them for granted - it is possible that they make be hijacked by others
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