Sri Lankan civil war displaced yearn to return to their old homes

 

Catholics displaced by the three-decade civil war light candles at the annual feast of their iconic guardian lady – locally known as 'Kaanikkai Maatha' – in Myliddy, a small fishing town in Sri Lanka’s Northern province. 

Catholic hopes of reclaiming land are rekindled at annual feast of their guardian lady in small Jaffna town

By Rubatheesan Sandran

June 15, 1990, is marked as a black-letter day in the collective memory of parish people in Myliddy, a small town in Sri Lanka’s northern province. It was the last time they saw their homes, a Catholic school, and the Church of Our Lady of Presentation.

Once described as a “typical Jaffna fishing village,” it’s been under military occupation ever since — a cruel legacy of the nearly three-decade civil war in Sri Lanka that ended in May 2009.

Nearly 35 years since their forced displacement, some 500 villagers were back on Feb. 2 for the annual feast of their iconic guardian lady — locally known as Kaanikkai Maatha — praying and hoping to return home soon. However, there is a long way to go.

“We’re delighted to see our relatives and friends in one place after so many years. Our only plea to our Maatha is to return our lands, homes, and her church soon," said Joseph Albert Alosiyus.

“That’s my only wish and prayer today,” the elderly villager told UCA News following the conclusion of the feast.

Earlier, as the holy Mass began, a displaced villager read from a prepared text:

“We have come to our Mother after a long time. We are very happy to be here today. It gives us fresh hope that we will be returning to our homes and our church very soon. We plead for the early resettlement of our families in our own lands soon and even for those who are preventing us from returning home.”

     An old photograph of Kaanikkai Maatha Church in Myliddy, Sri Lanka. (Photo: S. Rubatheesan)

For those present, it was an emotional reunion after having experienced multiple displacements over the years.

They recalled how hundreds of families fled the area and moved into temporary camps and rented homes, while others migrated abroad.

Most of those who arrived for the feast in three hired buses now live in various parts of Jaffna.

The church remains in military custody and the authorities permitted them to hold the annual feast Mass on nearby open ground surrounded by barbed wire fencing.

The participants inquired about the well-being of their distant loved ones and relatives who have long left for foreign shores.

They recalled the pain of leaving behind their ancestral homes and agrarian lands. They regretted that their once picturesque coastal village with a significant fisherfolk presence now lies abandoned, with a few hundred families scattered around the Jaffna region.

A banner displaying an old image of the church hung in the background of the podium. The organizers of the feast had put up temporary shelters along the nearby road for the devotees.

Known as Myliddy Church, its original structure dates back some 500 years, being one of the oldest churches built during Portuguese rule (1505-1618) on the Indian Ocean island.

The church was destroyed during the Dutch period (1658-1796) and was reconstructed during British rule which lasted until 1948.

A priest gestures during Holy Mass at a makeshift location near Kaanikkai Maatha Church in Myliddy, Sri Lanka, which remains under military control. (Photo: S. Rubatheesan)

The present structure was completed in 1952 and the annual feast is celebrated there by parishes in Myliddy and Palaly.

Senior members of the communities recalled how local Hindus helped them to organize feasts.

One elderly fisherman who was at the Mass recalled how Maatha kovil used to serve as the lighthouse while its large metallic bell rang three times daily for prayers held at 5.00 am. 12.00 noon and 6.00 pm.

The church building, along with a hostel for holy sisters, other Catholic shrines such as Myliddy Beach Velankanni Maatha, St. Sebastian Church, and a Catholic school remain in military custody.

A total of 1,446 hectares (3575.71 acres), which includes 1,062 hectares of private land, are under military custody in the town, according to the Jaffna district secretariat,

Over the years, the fisherfolk and farmers of Myliddy and Palaly have pleaded with successive presidents to return their ancestral lands to help them resume their traditional livelihoods, especially since the 2022 economic crisis.

“Government forces occupied territory to set up military camps, or bases, for operations, and demarcated certain areas as High-Security Zones (HSZs), thwarting their return,” according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Those displaced live in poor, squalid conditions in displacement camps across Jaffna.

Sri Lanka, at a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) hearing in October 2015, agreed to return the occupied land, except areas needed for national security reasons.

But there has been no transparency in the process and many affected communities dispute these national security claims. The aid provided to enable families to rebuild their homes is also inadequate, HRW said.

When President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited Jaffna last month, he assured that civilian-owned land would be returned to their rightful owners soon.

“We have mixed feelings today. We are happy that we are marking the feast of our lady after many years, but we are sad we cannot do this in the church of our Mother,” said Father CG JeyaKumar, the dean of Ilavalai Deanery.

Jeyakumar, who was once the parish priest of the village, led the holy Mass on Feb. 2.

Father SM Sutharsan, the current parish priest said Catholics who attended it appeared eager to return and resettle on their land with dignity and respect.

“While we thank the government for making this [feast] happen after several years, we urge them to consider releasing the land belonging to our parish people,” he told UCA News.

“It is the single prayer of the whole community,” Sutharsan noted.

An old fisherman said most of his family members had migrated abroad and may not be interested in coming back.

“But I just wanted to see the house I built for the family all those years ago, although we could not stay there for long,” he said.

He said he wanted to be buried in the Maatha’s church's cemetery.

“That’s one last wish I have,” he added. (Courtesy- UCAN)