Uva waits in hope

The newly put up posters, banners and cutouts of candidates at the upcoming Uva Provincial Council elections greet you at several places as you enter the Province.

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Uva waits in hope

The newly put up posters, banners and cutouts of candidates at the upcoming Uva Provincial Council elections greet you at several places as you enter the Province.
In fact, these cutouts and banners make the province look fresher compared to the trees that have grown dull due to Mother Nature’s wrath.

The two districts are buzzing with political activities. The environment with regard to the preparation for the polls is more or less the same as one would find in any other part of the country.
However, for the people in Badulla it is business as usual despite the activities. They do look forward to the polls, but they have their issues which need to be addressed by politicians or by nature.
The Nation team visited both districts to get a sense of the pre-election period on the ground.

R.M Ranatunge, a trishaw driver told The Nation that his expectations from the upcoming polls were nothing special. He stated that he wished to see a Chief Minister who moved with the people and fulfilled their expectations.
“There are also signs of development. The Provincial Council has kept its promises in terms of development programs, but nothing additional was done for the people,” he said. “We eat if we earn. But there is no relief from the government for the common man.”

Driving along a steep and narrow road uphill slightly away from the Badulla town, we came across a small village where residents had once worked at the now defunct Dunhinda Estate. The estate was shut down soon after the riots in 1983. However, the workers continued to live there and continue to do so more than 30 years after the closure of the estate.
Kuzhanthaivel Periyasami (77), the Chief Priest of the Pillaiyar Kovil in the village said that the residents do not have basic infrastructure facilities and stable jobs. He explained that the village was neglected by officials since the closure of the estate.

Poor health service

Raji Lechchimi, a female of 40 years of age, a kidney patient who needs to get the dialysis done daily, revealed the fact that the people in the estate never had a doctor. “We have no option other than going to the Badulla hospital which takes at least 15 minutes for us to get there,” she said.
 “It would be a great help if the authorities can help me to get my operation done. We are not in a position to spend so much of money for the operation because we live by doing odd jobs and the earnings are enough only for the day.”
Lechchimi acknowledged that politicians do come to their estate during election times and, in fact, promise a lot of facilities and relief for the people but they have not seen them ever since and neither had they taken any initiative to help people in the estate. “We see the politicians only during election times and they have promised solutions for our issues. But we have only been given false promises and nothing more than that.” she said.

Unemployed youth

Fathima Rizna (26) sat for her Advanced Level examinations way back in 2007 and got through with an A and two Cs in the Arts stream. She has since tried her level best to get a job in a profession that she likes - teaching. “I love teaching. Certain politicians have promised that people like us would be given an opportunity. I am hoping for the best,” she said.
She pointed out that obtaining assistance was not easy since their village was not attached to an estate. “We are not identified as estate workers and therefore, it is a bit difficult to obtain assistance,” she stated.
The lives of these residents in Dunhinda Estate are so harsh, difficult and challenging. Despite all the negative impacts, the people are full of positive energy and thoughts. They have always cast their vote in every election with the hope that one day someone would provide them with solutions for their issues.

The people revealed that they are looking forward eagerly to cast their vote in the upcoming election. “It is true that they have not even visited our estate to inquire or to witness who we are and how we live, but we will vote with the hope that one day someone will actually help us to have a better life with at least basic needs.”

Estate sector

The estate sector brings in a large amount of foreign revenue to the country. However, the workers live in appalling conditions with a few basic facilities. The recently painted line houses in the Kahagala Estate, Haputale, in which the workers live in look like crammed up building blocks, a common site in all estates.
“We painted the houses for the Aadi festival in July this year. But all expenses are borne by us, and no one helps us,” said S. Pushparaj (47). He stated that the problems faced by estate workers were more to do with housing facilities and wages.

“The roof at the back of my house is broken and I have no way of repairing. The wage I get is inadequate to attend to these basic needs,” he said.
According to Pushparaj, the wages received by the estate workers depend on the number of days they work. “We get a daily wage of Rs.450 if we work less than 19 days a month and Rs.650 if we work 19 days or more in a month,” he said.

Source - www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/33267-uva-waits-in-hope.html