Aah! Oya Yaapana Demalek?
(Oh! You are a Jaffna Tamil?)

The above question was asked by a Sri Lanka soldier a few years back, in Kandy. I was a resident of Kandy for 50 years, living in the heart of Kandy town since 1948. My native town is Jaffna.

During the Esala Perahara it has become a permanent situation for soldiers to strengthen security around the city and outskirts. Every junction and lanes are manned by them, to search people and to check their national identity cards (NIC). Being a man of the area, I, frequently, walked around the city for my day to day business. Once, during Perahara time, around 2:00 pm, I was walking along Colombo Street on legitimate business. A soldier stopped me and started asking several questions. Then he asked for my NIC. On giving it, he turned it around and round several times. His face hardened and he gave me a very stern look and said “Aah! Obay upan gama Yaapana, Yaapana Demalek!” (Oh! Your birthplace is Jaffna. A Jaffna Tamil!)

I replied in Sinhala:

“Ow putha. Magey upan gama Yaapana thamai. Magey demowpiyo, avurudu hatakata issara, Yaapanay podi sellamak keruva, Nuwara neway. Ay nisa, magey upan gama Yaapana wuna. Dang mata, obata vada vadi vayasa puthek innava.”

(Yes son! My birthplace is Jaffna. Sixty years ago, my parents had a small game in Jaffna, not in Kandy. That is why my birthplace is Jaffna. Now, I have a son older than you.)

Many people around and some of the senior officers of the forces heard me saying this. All looked at me, a Tamil speaking like that. Later, they all burst into laughter, and the senior officer told me, “Aney mahattaya yanda.” (Mister, please go)

Any person possessing an NIC with Jaffna as their birthplace, received extra special treatment from the security forces. Those persons were asked to stand out for further questioning. Many law abiding Tamil citizens of the country, had the unpleasant task of standing out like some miscreants in a classroom. This is to the Jaffna NIC holders.

On another side, a similar thing is happening to all Sri Lankan passport holders at foreign airports.

Those with Sri Lankan passports, are asked to queue up separately, and directed to a place for further examinations. Many distinguished Sri Lankans face such unpleasantness at immigration counters in many countries, similar to the Jaffna Tamils. At some counters, it is very often said, “Oh! You are from Sri Lanka. There is big problem !!!!!!!!!!!!……?”

Param--NZ