Myriad Shades of Blue

The vast azure sky over the northern plains gives you a feeling about how high the empyrean truly is. It has a way to make you feel how exiguous you are compared to the universe. But that’s not a disappointing feeling. Instead of that you will realize how it is to feel that you are amalgamating with something magnificent than you.

I, Edwin and Thamilchelwan are once again on the road to Mulativu. But we needed to make two pit stops to meet two people. And the first one is Santhiramohan in Manikkapuram. I was thinking how the name Manikkapuram similar to Ratnapura, which practically is the same name. And my friends were saying that people hardly know the village as Manikkapuram but Redbana. Manikkapuram history starts right after the outburst of 77. All the Tamils around the country were threatened and some lost their habitats and the faith of brotherhood. The Norwegian NGO Red Bana came for the rescue and created this village- Manikkapuram and displaced Tamils from south found a new home. For an example Santhiramohan came from Matale. But now this is his home and he is working to make it better.

“We have an assembly of all the community centers or the rural development societies of the Pudukuduirippu area and I’m the secretory. The assembly was held in Pudukuduirippu divisional secretariat and I met the provincial council member of the region. He promised me to pass a grant for the community center building, 800,000 in total. Then I talked to a batch mate of mine and then to his mother. And she donated this piece of land to build a community center for the village.”

The community center building is almost done except for the wiring and the finishing. According to Santhiramohan, after the community center is open they can use it not just as a library and a place to read newspapers but the HQ for the village sports club and the funeral aid society or the Marana Adhara society. They are the first to form a Marana Adhara society in the division and Praja Mandala concept led the way to that as Santhiramohan mentioned. And he added that the training programs facilitated by Chrysalis helped him to a great length especially when it comes to deal with the administrative work of government bureaus. 

After meeting him we headed Thimply to meet another social worker named Sagundala. They also have a community center building which is under construction and we met on the porch of a temporary house built with tin sheets and cardboard. The residents were a kind couple and they rushed to the nearby shop to bring a bottle of orange barley to treat us. We always heard that Sri Lanka is famous for the hospitality but receiving it from people is truly something. People in my country can be many things but still they are my people. That’s what I felt every time I meet someone new in my journey.

“I previously worked at Kombavil community center which is a nearby village. Then I participated to the Chrysalis training program and learned how to deal with the government authorities and the protocols so I communicated with them to get a community center for our village and it was a success. This community center is for both Thimply and Karnankuduiruppu villages. Also we have plans to empower women by introducing self-employment means.” Sagundala explained about the community center under construction which we saw on our way here.

This is a young village. Thimply was created after 2010 when Wella Mulli Waikkal people had nowhere else to go. Before 2010 Wella Mulli Waikkal was a forest.

We bid adieu to Sagundala and the kind couple and start our journey towards Mulativu. The roads were empty expect for a vehicle passing us occasionally. The cloudless sapphire sky is racing behind us I could see from my side mirror. It was a hot day. But I forgot all about the heat when I finally came in front of the faint waves of Nandikadal lagoon. I couldn’t forget the history and what the name Nandikadal represented but I could see a new blue on the water. The gentle waves and the water body stretching to a vista consisted of brushwood is a mix of Cyan and Persian blue. The breeze kissing our faces was soothing and made us forget about the heat.

When we were set to head back to Kilinochchi, small droplets of water started to kiss our necks. It is going to rain, after months! All the farmers of the area and all the people of the area will be so pleased and they will thank Gods, so I thought. And then the heavy rain fall down upon us as a force of smiting of heaven. The beautiful sky turned to Prussian blue then dark in no time. By the time we reach a shelter, we were soaked to the bones. To understand the experience of the rain in northern plains, you have to experience that. It’s not your average romantic rain. The northern rain will easily intimidate you and make you crawl to a shelter and stay there for hours. But at least farmers will be happy, so I thought looking at the sky, covered with a thick dark blanket.