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A small restaurant serving Sri Lankan cuisine, opened three weeks ago, has become a symbol of resilience, rekindling hope among people who have long existed in a state of limbo—almost in a no man’s land. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
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Gourinathan, born in a refugee camp, now coordinates the small restaurant named Adisil. He and his colleagues, who work at the hotel, are from the Puzhal camp in Chennai. “I came here when my mother was pregnant with me. Like many others, I was born in the camp. Our family is from Trincomalee,” he says. He studied up to Class 10 and worked as a construction labourer before joining the restaurant. “Many organisations and government agencies have helped us,” he adds. “One day, I hope to visit my relatives back home.” | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
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Vijitha came to India when she was just 23 days old. Now married to a fellow refugee, she worked as an accountant before joining the hotel. “I am trained in accounting. Here, I work as the cashier,” she says. “I want to visit my homeland, but I am afraid that if I go, I may not be able to return. I love this country and its people,” she adds. When asked about the biggest challenge they face, she points to restrictions on movement. “We need permission even to visit relatives in other refugee camps,” she says. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
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Geetha says she has only faint memories of her motherland. She came to India at the peak of the civil war when she was three years old and now manages the kitchen at the hotel. She has two children, and unlike many others in the camps, they have Indian citizenship. “I married an Indian citizen—it was a love marriage. That is why our children have the privilege of citizenship,” she says. Like hundreds still languishing in refugee camps, she too wishes to visit her homeland, even as she has come to love India as her own. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
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The hotel is now run by 11 women and one man, with support from various agencies. “Both the Union and the State governments have been sympathetic to their needs—except on the question of citizenship,” says Suriya Kumari of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR). “This is largely because they come from a friendly country,” she adds | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
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The hotel is now run by 11 women and one man, with support from various agencies. “Both the Union and the State governments have been sympathetic to their needs—except on the question of citizenship,” says Suriya Kumari of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR). “This is largely because they come from a friendly country,” she adds | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
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“We are happy now—except that we don’t have citizenship,” was the common refrain. “Earlier, we used to do other jobs like tailoring. Now, we can work together like a family,” they say. There are approximately one lakh Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/OUTLOOK
