It came under threat, yes, but the
administrative apparatus, regardless of numerous obstacles to smooth operation,
did not stop. Not then and not during
the last days of the conflict.
Throughout the thirty years of conflict, from the most senior public
servant right down to the lowly, thankless but nevertheless indispensible Grama
Niladhari, everyone worked.
Even during times of intense
battle and even in areas that the LTTE controlled, the civil administration
never ceased to function. Even as the
LTTE claimed it was running a ‘De-facto State’ with Killinochchi as the ‘De-facto
Capital’, even when its Dollar and Euro driven apologists in Colombo, certain
sections of the local and international media and even representatives of big
name players in the international community endorsed such characterizations,
these institutions survived and performed because salaries were paid and
resources provided by the State.
Successive governments continued
to send food, medicine and other essential goods or facilitated the delivery of
such items provided by various donors, even though it was well known that the
LTTE could and did pilfer, stock and consume the same. Those in the
Administrative Service, the Planning Service as well as in other state
institutions and services including teachers, doctors, nurses, labourers and
others were not paid by those who ran the so-called de-facto state. The State of Sri Lanka paid their salaries.
The people of Sri Lanka paid taxes to make it possible for such salaries to be
paid.
The Government Agent of Mullaitivu
during the last stages of the humanitarian operation to rescue the hundreds of
thousands of civilians held hostage by the LTTE, Ms. Emelda Sukumar, has boldly
stated what the LTTE did and did not do during those terrible days. She has revealed that the Norwegian based
LTTE leader, Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan, one of the main movers
and shakers of the current onslaught against Sri Lanka in international forums,
had threatened her during the final months of the battle. She claims that she was urged to cease
operations, resign her post and leave Mullaitivu. If anyone was interested in starving the
civilian population trapped in the area, it was the LTTE, her testimony
reveals. There was no hesitation on the
part of the Government or Government Servants when it came to ensuring that the
people did not go hungry or the sick be deprived of proper medical treatment
and relevant medication. The Vanni
enjoyed a bumper harvest in the Maha Season of 2008. There was enough food, both produced locally
and supplied from other parts of the country courtesy the government machinery.
There is only so much that a
Government can do under such circumstances.
The LTTE attacked ships transporting food, medicine and other supplied
to the North. The LTTE robbed whatever
got through and did their best to destroy the distribution mechanisms. They put the civilians on a daily ration of
one glass of rice gruel. Had the troops
not moved in at great risk and cost to facilitate the escape of these
civilians, over a hundred thousand would have died. Of starvation. Courtesy the LTTE.
What is important here is the
commitment of the Government to do the best it can. What is important is the
commitment of the humble public servant to do the job at hand under the most
trying of circumstances, including the risk of being summarily executed by the
LTTE.
Immediately after the LTTE was
eliminated and the saved hostages transported to welfare centres, there was an
outpouring of generosity from all parts of the country. Donor agencies devoted to humanitarian
assistance did their part. The Government, with the help of the security
forces, channeled enormous resources to ensure that the basic needs of the
hundreds of thousands in these facilities were provided for. Doctors
volunteered to serve in these areas.
Ordinary people joined the more organized relief efforts. Dry rations, clothes, stationary, medicines,
drinking water and other essentials were sent to these facilities by the
lorry-load. The generous entertained no
illusions that among those they sought to help were hundreds of ex-LTTE cadres
and many who chose to be silent on the efforts by the state to ensure there was
enough food and medicine even in areas controlled by the LTTE.
The disingenuous sections of the
Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora and the double-tongued whiners and ‘shriekers’ determined to punish the Government because
the LTTE did not prevail over the security forces, as they expected and/or
hoped, lack the eyes to see these truths and lack the integrity to acknowledge
they were wrong.
Those who gave and in fact keep
giving, would not be deterred by these lies and ingratitude as such is often
evident. The honourable, when they give,
do not expect acknowledgment or thanks.
They do the has-to-be-done thing.
Today, Ms. Sukumar is not
threatened by the LTTE. Today, supplies
sent to Mullaitivu are not robbed by the LTTE.
Today, people are not being forced to starve. Today, sacks of rice, flour, dhal etc sent by
UN agencies are not being used to make bunkers by the LTTE.
It was not like this before. In the ‘before’ of war-end, there were many
who went beyond the call of duty to serve the people. There were people who gave knowing well that
gift could be pinched by a butcher, but hoped that something would trickle down
to those who needed food and medicine most.
They were not thanked then and
perhaps they will not be thanked tomorrow.
They are blessed, nevertheless.
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