The Indian Government yesterday pledged to send teacher trainers to Sri Lanka to work with Sri Lankan educators to uplift the education of the Indian-origin Tamil community (Malaiyaha Tamils) living in upcountry – plantations region. The move is aimed at improving the livelihoods of one of the most vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka, and to give them a future where social mobility is a possibility and no longer just a dream.
The plan to send teacher trainers to Sri Lanka was announced by Indian Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among other support measures, during a speech given at the “Naam 200” organised to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Malaiyaha community in Sri Lanka.
Such support for the Malaiyaha community must be commended and encouraged. In doing so, India has shown Sri Lanka what it has failed to do over the last seven decades. The Malaiyaha community have served colonial and post-colonial Sri Lanka and have contributed much to the national economy and state coffers for generations.
However, Sri Lanka’s much celebrated “Ceylon Tea” industry and the State has never given the adequate attention nor support which the community deserved for generations. There were some measures taken, however they were not adequate. The Malaiyaha community, like other’s in some rural parts of Sri Lanka seem to have been “left behind” with little improvement in their livelihoods or future prospects. For decades they have been treated as second class citizens, often overlooked, under-resourced and their concerns and grievances often dismissed or ignored. It is indeed sad that Sri Lanka which has a history, with many painful lessons learnt on the ill-treatment of its communities, continues to fail to give adequate attention to communities which are significantly disadvantaged and has not seen social justice.
The plight of the Malaiyaha community is another reminder of failures in governance of the state of Sri Lanka. Whether that was by design, to aid a key export to flourish unhindered by the tides of social change, or not, is left to the reader to decide. While the “Ceylon Tea” brand has suffered at times due to exposes about the living conditions and the plight of the Malaiyaha community who make the “tea industry” a possibility, concrete, long-term change, and improvement has not been delivered to the community by the Industry. There is much debate about this, but the fact remains that the massive economic gains which were gathered over the decades have not trickled down to the Malaiyaha community.
“Education is the only wealth which cannot be destroyed. Even if you have nothing but education, no one can stop your progress and growth. Education transforms, empowers, and enhances your social mobility. It is for this reason, Government of India has given special focus on educational support to you as part of its developmental partnership over decades…I am delighted to announce that we will soon send teacher trainers who will work with local teachers and abreast them with latest developments in teaching field and enhance their teaching skills to meet growing needs and aspirations of students from Malaiyaha Tamils. I am sure this Teacher Training Programme along with other projects under the package will provide a holistic developmental framework for Malaiyaha Community and make an impact on their livelihood,” the Indian Finance Minister told those who were gathered at the Naam 200 event.
Sri Lanka has much to learn from this type of support and dedication that India has shown to descendants of their citizenry, even though the Indian Republic didn’t exist when the British effected the long and arduous journey of the first generation of the Malaiyaha Tamils, who crossed the Palk Straits and marched on foot, enduring the trails of the wild and unpaved Ceylon to reach the plantations. What India does, even today for the community of their descendants, showcases Statepersonship, a bedrock of long-term policies which have bipartisan support, care for one's own, sound understanding of the region and soft power diplomacy. Let us hope that the next generation of Sri Lankan policymakers are taking note.