Jumbory and Jaffna =)

A disturbing fact, as always calls our attention. This was one such scenario. Between the insistence by my dad and a reluctance from my part, I was tagged along to the annual Jumbory (all schools get together and camp on the same grounds), held at Nalanda College (for you information I have never being there and I never wanted to either). As I walked through the school grounds I still was reluctant, for I was sure it was bound to get boring.

But just like on thousand other previous occasions parents prove you wrong. Once I got my camera out everything else started to look brighter (I know it sounds like a line from a cheesy love scene). My GRUDGE against the human race, for bringing me here, dissolved. The hustle and the bustle of camp preparations (350 scouts to be exact), the echoing chatter of the outpour of eager parents, scout uniforms, all seemed appealing.

As my mother dragged me to the far corners of the ground where camps are built, I saw the detail in to which they have gone to create their domain. Unfortunately everyone stank (as boys usually do, scout boys especially now), so I had a slim chance getting close to them enough to have a civilized conversation. Despite that, I wondered around tent to tent, to see my mother dearest deep in conversation with some senior scouts from Kalmune and Jaffna.

The interesting fact though wasn't them, but the inquisitive boys who came following us thereafter, asking "what did you ask them?" We were bit taken aback like "who the hell are you to ask us that? Nevertheless mother replied calmly. Soon we were having a full blown conversation. Funny though I should call it so, considering the fact that the boys had limited knowledge of English and we, having a below limited knowledge of Tamil.

The beautiful fact was the energy that reflected in their eyes, the eagerness was overwhelming.
They were using all three languages to communicate with us. Something’s they said though was thoroughly disappointing. Three boys, Dushyanthan, Darshan and Creedy (Cool name huh?), painted a picture about the conditions in Jaffna better than all the local newspapers put together. The SL Army considers all Tamils as LTTE, thus treating them brutally so. These boys, Creedy especially seen people being shot at for no credible reason. I, being 19, am yet to witness that. Dushyanthan said "No offense, but most Sinhalese thinks that all Tamils are LTTE, the SLA abuses us with that mind set".

He recalled a scenario once, when he and his friend going home late after Festival, they were stopped by a army soldier. He asked for the NIC, Dushyanthan showed, but when asked for the school ID, he didn’t have. Slap! The friend didn’t have the NIC so -SLAP!
Do they deserve this? But there's more, anyone seen out on the road past six o' clock, is pointed the gun and threatened to go home. This only boils the anger within people even more.

I wonder if our privileged citizens residing in Colombo have dealt with such situations, if they have, well then it’s definitely a handful. I remember at a recent gathering someone said she felt that her privacy is violated when the police pry through her belongings at check points. They open her lipstick. Fine lipstick! These guys have guns pointed at them. It left her drained and disappointed to even feel the Independence Day spirit, they don’t have independence. More than to her, she feels for other people who have to endure this treatment.
What are we complaining about?!!

Up north their actions are stifled and controlled, we complain that we feel caged, suppressed. To them our life is sweet sweet freedom. Dushyanthan wishes to live in Colombo no matter what. The drive he has to get out of his rut was sounded from his expressions. Between the broken English and broken Tamil, I found out that despite the atrocities of war, their parents wish to live in Jaffna, and that Diaspora wish to return to their homeland. They wish that north will be reinstated and people could live there like we do in Colombo.

The parting with them was marked with the words they chorused "Hope we meet again". I hope so because I want to see how their life has changed for the better.