The story of the end of Sri Lanka: the people of Hambantota, who are suffering from hunger; Far from helping, China stopped even coming to the port

The highway running towards the capital Colombo on one side and the Hambantota port connecting the world to Sri Lanka on the other. Greenery spread all around, clean roads, power lines and pucca houses. At first sight, this village seems to be progressing on the path of prosperity and progress, but after spending some time here, it becomes known that it is stuck in a state of misery. Neither does the bus come towards this village from the highway, nor do people get employment from Hambantota Port.

The devastating tsunami of 2004 devastated this area of ​​the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The government of Taiwan had established a village named Xu Chi here for resettlement. Local people live here who are mostly Muslims. It is the last village in Sri Lanka on the southern coast.

The story of unemployment and hunger

There is no business or employment here. People were living their lives like this. The current economic crisis of Sri Lanka has created a very difficult situation for the people here.

As soon as we enter the village we see Timusamma. About 70 years old Timusamma is selling kachoris outside the village. His daughter made them by filling vegetables and fish. No other member of the household has any work.

Timusamma sells kachoris throughout the day, selling at least 1500 Sri Lankan rupees (approximately 400 Indian rupees). More than half the cost. She barely manages to save Rs 700 (about Rs 175 in Indian Rupees) for a family of five. This money is not even enough that all the family members can eat enough food.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he explained the situation in his house. She says, “Earlier we used to sell a shortbread for Rs 10, now we have one for Rs 20. Everything has become so expensive that all the money goes into the cost itself. Nothing is left for the family.

Job on port is far away, can't even go

Hambantota Port, being built by Chinese investment, is about five kilometers away from here. This port and a large area around it are under the control of China. Nearby people are not allowed here.

Timusamma says that when the port was being built, she hoped that people around would get employment, but now this hope has been lost. She says, 'The people here have not got any help from this port. We are in bad shape and there is no one to inquire about us.

Hindi and Urdu spoken in Ju Chi Village

Most of the Muslims live in Ju Chi village. After the serial blasts on the occasion of Easter in Sri Lanka in 2019, the government had imposed a number of restrictions on Muslims, including a ban on all types of hijab and burqa, but, in Ju Chi village, small girls wearing niqab and hijab Looks worn. Here Muslims have preserved their traditional lifestyle and culture.

Some people here also speak broken Hindi and Urdu. Many of the villagers worked in the Middle East where they learned Hindi and Urdu from Indians and Pakistanis. However, village children watch Indian cartoons and understand Hindi.

youth forced to go abroad

Fahad, 28, had returned to Sri Lanka a year ago after working in the UAE for eight years. After working abroad, he came back with the dream of living with his family and doing something in his village itself, but the current economic situation in Sri Lanka has shattered all his dreams.

Fahd's wife is pregnant and he wanted her to stay at home when the child was born. Now he has to return to the Emirates to work again, because here he is no longer able to feed his family.

Fahad had returned to the village and opened a vegetable shop. Inflation has increased so much that people are not even able to buy vegetables. Nowadays he is selling one kg of onion at Rs 300, potato at Rs 300 and beans at Rs 400 per kg.

“Diesel and petrol have become so expensive that it is not possible to bring vegetables from outside every day,” says Fahad. People do not have money so they are not able to buy vegetables. Earlier people who used to eat three times a day are now able to eat two or hardly once. Barely we bring vegetables and they are kept dry. I will have to close this shop soon.

Fahd, who was living with his family of seven in Xu Chi village, had dreamed of spending the rest of his life here. They have to go back within a year of their return from abroad.

Fahd says, 'I had come with this dream that I would live in my country with my wife and children. But this dream of mine remained just a dream.

Took a scooty of 5 lakhs, the car became a dream

Pointing towards his scooty, he says, I had taken it for five lakh rupees. Now petrol has become so expensive that we are not even able to drive this scooty.

Fahadh once dreamed of buying a car. Now he feels that this dream of his can hardly be fulfilled. He says, 'The car is so expensive in Sri Lanka now that we can only dream of it. Even if I do a job for 50 years, I may not be able to buy a car now.

leaders are responsible for the destruction of the country

Fahad feels that his dreams will die in his eyes and in his eyes the politicians of the country are responsible for these conditions. He gets emotional while talking about the current economic situation in Sri Lanka. Barely holding back his tears, he says, 'Sri Lanka is not a poor country. Everything is here. We produce to meet the needs of the people. We were a very happy country, but the greed of our leaders has ruined everything. They took unnecessary and unnecessary loans and our country fell into this trap.

Fahd says, 'In our country people spend by taking loans and because of this this country has been ruined. Our leaders spent by taking loans and also stole from it. Unless it stops, the situation in Sri Lanka will not be good.

Does the government provide any help? On this question, he says, 'We do not need any kind of help from the government. All we need is a good government, which thinks about the interest of the country and the interest of the people of the country. Our today's leaders think only about their commission. They start non-essential projects, take loans and get away with their commission. Even if the country is ruined by this, they do not care.

worse than before

All the people we talked to in Xu Chi village had to say that earlier the situation was difficult but not so bad that people did not have any food.

Many people here also work in the nearby salt factory. Depending on the number of hours worked in a day, people earn from 700 to 1000 rupees, but the rising inflation and the depreciating value of the Sri Lankan rupee have put many of the necessities out of their reach.

This village, situated at the extreme end of Sri Lanka, is finding itself further away in this time of economic crisis. The complaint of the people here is that there is no one to inquire about their condition.

Hopelessness is taking over the people here. A youth says, 'We are only praying that the conditions of the country get better by fasting. If things don't get better soon, we won't be able to see our future here. We have to get out of here.

What is meant by rationing of fuel

Fuel cannot be given more than one thousand rupees for two wheelers and more than 1500 rupees for three wheelers and cars, vans, jeeps and other vehicles. However, this limit will not apply to buses and other commercial diesel vehicles.

There fuel will not be found in cans, buckets and plastic tanks. There is a fear among people that this will increase black marketing.