With a fresh hope to live a peaceful life in their homeland in a post-war scenario, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees camped in various places in the State of Tamil Nadu are keen on returning and resettling in the island nation.

Of late, Sri Lanka has been offering many employment opportunities in provinces where Tamils live. The Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena had announced at a Christmas address in Jaffna on Sunday that special Presidential Task Force would resettle Tamil people to their original places within six months and assured to bring military, police and state agencies together to achieve this aim. 

This has stirred the Sri Lankan Tamil youth who pursue their graduate degrees across Tamil Nadu and they are planning to return for employment. Many also plan to take up their higher studies in European countries like the UK and Germany.

“On an average, three to four graduates return to Sri Lanka and register with the government’s employment exchange. They are employed by the government within two or three years after registration and this instills hope among the youth”, said R Pathmanathan, Education Programme Coordinator of OfERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation). 

The graduates from India are not only employed in the education department, but also in administration and electricity departments, Pathmanathan added.

Source: The New Indian Express