RAJ KHOOBLALL
The images of the recent civil unrest in Sri Lanka have shocked many of us and remind us of the Arab Spring of the 2010s. Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves have drastically decreased over the past two years. This is mainly due to the Covid situation where the country could not get foreign currency inflow from the tourist industry while its imports continued to rise. The country’s foreign exchange reserves have run dry, and it can no longer afford to pay for its import of food and fuel.
Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst economic crisis since its independence. As the endless agony continues, its citizens are struggling to get food and other necessities. There is a critical shortage of medicine, basic food such as rice and flour, and fuel. The country has not been able to honour its loan repayment and foreign suppliers are reluctant to trade with Sri Lankan companies.
Many students and youngsters are frustrated by the situation and have descended on the streets demanding for immediate political change. Others have taken to the streets for looting as they are hungry and need food for their families’ survival. Motorists are queuing at fuel stations from sunrise to sunset to refuel their vehicles.
Rotary and its Focus on Peace
and Conflict resolution
Rotarians around the world are very concerned with this tragic situation and are offering their support to the victims of the calamity. Rotary Club of Rose Belle is very anxious of the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka and has been in contact with Mr Jeyasoundara, president of the Rotary Club of Kilinochchi Town, to see how relief effort can be coordinated. Mr Darshan Agileswaran, the current President of Rotary Club of Rose Belle, is himself a native of Sri Lanka. He was born in Jaffna in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka in 1988 during the peak of the civil war and his family struggled to escape the war zone for their survival while thousands of people unfortunately perished in the armed conflict.
Darshan was two years old when his father and mother came to Mauritius. He started pre-primary and primary schooling at the Camp Diable Government School and later joined the Imperial College, Curepipe, for his secondary education. To complete some administrative formalities, he had to return to Sri Lanka in March 2004 but after two years he was able to come back to Mauritius for good. Nearly two decades later, Darshan still remembers those difficult times he spent in the remote village of Sri Lanka, where he lived with the fear in his heart that anything could happen at any time.
Although now well settled in Mauritius, Darshan has been in regular contact with family members in Jaffna and in 2019, he decided to marry Jenashaliny from the village of Kilinochchi. Lady Jenashaliny has personally witnessed brutal killings of innocent Tamil civilians amidst the end of the Civil War in May 2009. She was fortunate to flee the village to live in a refugee camp with her parents. Darshan told me that his wife had to dress like a boy just to avoid being captured by the enemy and in the refugee camp, she survived by eating raw potatoes, carrots, and peanuts.
It is always with a heartbreak that Darshan relates these events. Looking at what is happening now in the country, he is rather positive and believes that there will be dawn just after this darkest hour.
The City of Joy
Sri Lanka is a very beautiful country, which attracts nearly 2 million tourists per year. With its high literacy rate and hardworking people, Sri Lankans have the exceptional ability to rise after every disaster. In the past, these people managed to rebuild their economy after the Tsunami calamity in 2004 and again reconstruct their country after the civil war in 2009. Indeed, the World Bank had ranked Sri Lanka as a middle-income nation in 2019.
I believe that again, this time, Sri Lanka will be able to overcome this difficult episode of its history. For the President of Rotary Club of Rose Belle, “The country may be witnessing one of the worst economic and political crises in its history, but our hope is with the people of Sri Lanka. With the major financial assistance coming from India and other countries, they will be able to rebuild the future for hundreds of thousands of innocent people impacted by this crisis« . Darshan and Jenashaliny are both waiting impatiently for things to get a bit better so that they can travel to Sri Lanka to see the extraordinary landscapes of their native village; enjoy the deliciousness of the local food and experience the warm hospitality of their people.
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