Revenue officials treated us like slaves: Lankan Tamils

Madurai: The suicide of an inmate of a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camp at Uchchapatti near Madurai on Sunday has caused an upheaval of sorts among the refugee community here with many alleging harassment by the state officials who treated them live ‘slaves’.

Protests erupted in the camp, which is about 40 km from here, following the death of camp inmate S. Ravindran, 42, in a severe electric shock he sustained touching a HT cable after climbing a tall electricity tower in the camp on Sunday. He had gone up the tower after revenue officer G. Duraipandi, who is one of the two RIs in charge of the camp administration, allegedly chided him as his daughter and son were absent during the roll-call taken as per rules. Several camp inmates squatted in protest at the body, hoisted black flags atop their houses and pasted posters hailing him as a ‘martyr’ who gave up his life for the sake of dignity and honour for the refugees.

“We salute you for sacrificing your life to liberate us from slavery and to proclaim to the world that we must be treated as human beings”, read the posters put up all over the camp and outside. The tragedy quickly assumed political colour as VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, Tamil Nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran and Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam leader Kolathur Mani, besides representatives from MDMK and PMK rushed to the camp to pay homage to Ravindran’s body before the last rites in the evening. In a strongly worded statement, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss slammed the state government for treating the refugees of war “worse than animals…as unwanted guests despite our umbilical cord relationship”.

Revenue officer Duraipandi, who was roughed up by the camp inmates after Ravindran’s suicide, and had to be rescued by district SP Vijayendra Bidari, is in Rajaji government hospital undergoing treatment for wounds. He complained of “terrible pain all over the body, even the head” though doctors attending on him described the injuries as “no serious”.

“I was just doing my duty. The roll call must be taken thrice in a month to ensure that the cash doles and the highly subsidized rations that the government gives the refugees go to the right people and there are no proxies claiming on behalf of refugees who have left the camp altogether. I never expected Ravindran to resort to such extreme step and touch that power cable. I was beaten up by the inmates. I was saved by a few elderly women in the camp before the police arrived”, Duraipandi told Deccan Chronicle from his hospital bed.

“I have been managing the administration of this camp for over a year, sharing responsibility with another RI by name M. Duraipandian. Actually, Ravindran does not come under my purview. I tried to pacify him when he quarreled with Duraipandian demanding that his son and daughter must be marked as ‘present’ when the two were not”, Duraipandi said.

However, the camp inmates had a different story. “Nearly ten of us climbed in the electricity tower pleading with Ravindran to come down but he refused. And before he touched the power cable, he shouted saying at least his death must free us all from oppression”, said a youth in the camp, adding, “Please do not print my name. I will be him, but he refused to climb down. Before Ravindaran touched the electric wire he shouted stating at least my death free you all from the oppression,” said youth who tired save his life.”We pleaded with the RI to speak to Ravindran but the official would not budge from his chair”, he said requesting anonymity.

“RI Duraipandi should be punished for driving my father to commit suicide”, said Pradeep, 15-year-old son of Ravindran, sobbing along with his five siblings near the body. Ravindaran had admitted Pradeep at the Government Rajaji Hospital for haemophilia treatment. The boy was rushed back to the camp after the RI insisted on his presence for the roll call. ‘We explained the boy’s medical condition, that he bleeds uncontrollably. But the RI would not relent. He threatened to remove his name. And after the boy was brought from the hospital, the RI demanded that Ravindran should produce his daughter Priya, who is living with her husband in Pudukottai.

The RI threatened to remove her name from the list though Ravindran pleaded hard. The official said we are outsiders and have no right to argue, to demand. He called us humiliating names”, said another camp inmate. Yet another woman inmate, who is seven-months pregnant, said she had been living with in-laws at Kanyakumari but rushed back for the roll-call.  “Once he removed my name because I was not present at the roll-call and I had to spend two months travelling to the Rehabilitation Commissioner’s office in Chennai to get my name back into the list”, she said.