Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

09 May 2021

 RELATIONSHIPS

eLanka Newsletter and Soma Somanathan’s emails came almost at the same time. Former runs an article headed ‘‘Rajans’ Picnic combined with Sinhala & Tamil New Year Celebrations-by Dr Harold Gunatillake and it carried a picture of  a person who looked very much like Raj Gonsalkorale of the Sri Lanka Reconciliation forum, Sydney.  eLanka article is introduced as follows:

[Amidst our hectic schedules and busy lives, the Rajans meaning the old Pupils of Dharmaraja College the premier Buddhist school, Kandy, Sri Lanka, living in Sydney, grouped together, with their families, at the Nurrangingy reserve in Doonside, a faraway suburb of Sydney for a picnic and barbe party, with their families, to coincide with the Sinhala & Tamil New Year which fell on the 14^th April, every year.]

Soma’s message carried the following:

[A Sydney based clothing businessman kindly donated around  4,000 new Children’s clothes including boys and girls T shirts and shorts.

 

20 boxes of the total 4,000 clothes were shipped to 20 remote schools include

 

·       Thannimurippu Government Tamil mixed school, Poothanvayal in Mulliyavallai, Mulliatheevu

·       Chelliaiyatheevu Government Tamil mixed school in Poonagary, Killinochchi

·       Kumulamunai Government Tamil mixed school in Mulankavil

·       Punnaneeravi Government Tamil mixed school

·       Iranaitivu Roman Catholic School

·       Poonagary Central College

Karunaadukerni Government Tamil mixed school located at the border of Mullaitheevu

Columbugam  Hindu College and Columbugam Roman Catholic Tamil School in Jaffna

Mareesankoodal Subramaniyam school in Illavaalai

Schools located at Periyankulam , Kandawalai, Killinochchi

Schools located at Thevipuram, Vallipunam in Puthukudiyiruppu

Schools located at Vettilaikerni in Mulliyaan Vadamaradchi

Schools located at Katkullam village in Vavuniya district

 

 

2ND PHOTO – Less abled volunteer teachers including teacher lost right arm during the war distributing the T shirts to the under privileged children  living in Vettiliakerni coastal village……. Last 2 Photos – Volunteers separating the clothes by age group and packing from a function hall in Seven Hills Sydney.]

There would have been Tamil groups celebrating New Year here in Sydney when their community in Sri Lanka was anxious about the pandemic, on top of their war related challenges. But when I get two reports at the same time – they are the bases of my experience which support my ‘facts’. Accordingly, I concluded that the Tamil group was more involved with war victims whilst the Sinhalese Buddhists were disconnected with the trauma that Victims of Sri Lankan war continue to live with.

Natural structures are formed by those who forego pleasures and/or endure pain. Mothers are a good example of this. That is how mothers become the binding energy in a family. Likewise, minorities in a group who endure common pain. Thank you Soma for being a sacrificing  mother.