These Are Not Dewdrops of Jaffna

A woman stands against a weathered wall, where colour, age, and survival sit quietly in the same frame.

A woman dries chillies among shell casings in Kilinochchi. The war had ended, but its fear remained close to daily life.

An elderly man and a child sit inside a woven shelter, where ordinary life continues in the long shadow of war.

In 2009, in the aftermath of the war, fathers lost their children, and wives lost their husbands.

In Mullaitivu,
(The Sri Lankan civil war (1983-2009) resulted in an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 deaths, left around 60,000 individuals disabled, and displaced approximately 1 million people. Additionally, reports estimate that about 100,000 people disappeared during the conflict.)

During the thirty years of war, people had to abandon their homes and flee. After the war, upon their return, they found only the foundations remaining.
In a family with no adults, Akka (elder sister) broke a diwul (wood apple) fruit to feed her younger sister. (In Sri Lanka, the house corridor, called Isththopuwa in Sinhala and Thinnai (திண்ணை) in Tamil, is a shaded veranda at the front of traditional houses, used for relaxation, socializing, and welcoming guests.)

The young couple prayed to God before embarking on a sea journey in Jaffna

In Mullaitivu, Jaffna (Sarasvathi refers to the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom, arts, and learning).

A Palmyrah fence is a traditional boundary made from woven Palmyrah palm leaves or branches. In Jaffna, Tamil houses are often separated by these talpitis fences.

The 1983 pogrom was a violent anti-Tamil riot in Sri Lanka, where mobs, supported by the government, attacked Tamil civilians, their homes, businesses, and places of worship. Tamils were driven away from the estates.

The violence resulted in widespread destruction, deaths, and displacement, with thousands of Tamils fleeing southern regions like Colombo to seek refuge in the northern areas, particularly Jaffna, where they were relocated to unknown villages.

On August 12, 2022, in front of the Kilinochchi War Victory Monument, mothers and family members marked the 2000th day of their protest for the disappeared.
They were demanding answers for their loved ones lost to enforced disappearances, including those who surrendered carrying white flags.