In an interview to N Ram of The Hindu, President Rajapaksa has “highlighted his determination to resettle as soon as possible the close to 300,000 Tamil civilians displaced by the conflict.” ‘As soon as possible’ is perhaps the most ambiguous usage in the English language.

When a Head of State says the number is close to three lakhs, the chances are that the actual number will be much more. Soon after his visit to the Tamils’ camps in the island nation, Swami Sri Sri Ravishankar had mentioned a much larger number. Even if take the Presidential estimate at its face value, three lakh Tamils are even now without the basic needs of life. They have left behind their homes, their personal belongings and all what they managed to save in their life. Many families have lost their near and dear ones.

Three lakh Tamils have to take care of their shelter, clothes, food, medical needs, and the schooling needs of their children and many such barest requirements of a human life. Even if for a day, a single Tamil citizen in Sri Lanka is without any one or more of these basic amenities, I would say the Government has failed in its duty. I don’t say – as Subramania Bharathi said – that ‘let us set to fire the entire world if one individual is without food.’ But nobody can question the sincerity, or the social consciousness of Bharathiyar’s assertion.

In his budget speech today, our Finance Minister has announced the allotment of five hundred crore rupees for the resettlement of the displaced Tamils. This amounts to just sixteen thousand rupees per displaced Tamil. And where is the guarantee that the amount will be used for the purpose it is meant for?

HR