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By P K Balachandran - COLOMBO
24th December 2012 07:51 AM
“Ghosts” that were “tormenting” 15 of the 103 Tamil women recently inducted to the Sri Lankan army have ceased to pose a problem ever since the recruits were shifted out of the Bharathipuram camp.
“When we came to know that Bharathipuram had seen many deaths during the war and that the ghosts of the dead were still hovering around, some of us felt like strange men were touching us. We would faint out of fright. Fifteen of us had such experiences. But the problem is not there since we shifted to Kokkavil camp,” said Subajini Nagendran, a 18-year-old recruit from Dharmapuram in Kilinochchi.
“We thought we were seized by an evil spirit. To drive it out, one of us would go into a trance and break into a wild dance as if possessed (by Kali or Amman),” Nagendran told Express.
Since the native cure failed to drive the ‘spirits’ away, the affected women were admitted to the Kilinochchi hospital, where Dr S Sivadas, psychiatrist at Vavuniya hospital, examined them. “Feeling of being possessed stems from lack of confidence, arising from an inability to adjust to new situations. ‘Devil dancing’ to rid evil spirits is common among the people of the Wanni,” he said.
“The recruits were not prepared for military training as they were expecting to learn clerical work. The question that they kept asking themselves was ‘We are Tamils. Is this right choice?’ But they denied any sexual abuse by the army,” Sivadas added.
Copyright © 2012 The New Indian Express. All rights reserved.
Comments(11)
I extremely sorry for these young Tamil girls. They were abused by evil men in the LTTE. They were not given proper education,and forcibly taken away from the free education given by the government. Certainly an evil act!. It is common to be terrified by the hundreds of deaths in front of their eyes. If they want to get rid of fear, they must: 1. Pray every day asking God to help you have courage to face the new birth, new life that God has given to you. 2. Change the location as quickly as possible to a new environment. 3. Look for a suitable place to continue your education. 4. Make few future dreams/aims/goals for your future and discuss among your friends, parents, relatives, religious leaders for their blessings. 5. Do not blame government, people for every little mistakes rather look for the ways to contribute to your service to the country. Improve your life to place where you can be an asset to the community. May God bless Sri Lankans.
Posted by Herbert at 12/26/2012 07:56 Reply to this Report abuse
Dear Herbert, I dont know where you live, but its an imaginary world. Do you know anything about Sri lanka's history. or you chose to ignore the histroy. We Srilankan tamils had been abused since independance by successive Sinhala Governments, LTTE was created only in 1972. I totally agree that LTTE was an evil force, But Sl govt perpertrated unthinkable crimes against us in the name of fighting the LTTE.
Posted by dinesh.D at 12/26/2012 11:44 Reply to this Report abuse
This guy sounds like the ghost of that baby killer Pirbhakaran!
Posted by Hutu at 12/26/2012 19:07 Reply to this Report abuse
It is unbelievable how narrow minded you people are, the 'evil men' in LTTE? The LTTE was only formed because of the injustice in Sri Lanka, you can call them rebels or whatever, but you have no right to call him a baby killer. WHY IS EVERYBODY IGNORANT TO THE FACT THAT THE SRI LANKAN ARMY RAPED TAMIL WOMEN? AND KILLED HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO DESERVED A RIGHT TO LIVE.
Posted by Gee at 12/31/2012 01:18 Report abuse
Iam agree with above comment!!! Good application!!! In addition proper Councelling should be carried out.It Must****. The Govt,may interfere this case & do needful to save these innocent Srilankans.We feel pity on these types of Barberian acts, This is NOT AFRICA..
Posted by abey at 12/26/2012 09:54 Reply to this Report abuse
I am a srilankan buddhist, recently travelled to Jaffana and Kilinochhi, we all feel really sorry for the fate they have gone though in last 3 decades, and really glad they are in good hands now. I dont think we need to remind tamil people the hell they had when IPKF was in SriLanka. let us look at the complet picture and take every effort not to go back to that horrible past. Tamils, Sinhaleese, Muslims all are srilankans and they deserve a good life and this country is the best place they could taste the freedom and prosperity.
Posted by nalin Bandara at 12/26/2012 13:03 Reply to this Report abuse
The Tamils and Sinhalese have gone through lots of pain and agony for generations, due to lack of decent leadership. I have doubts about the united Sri Lanka. However, I do not support Eelam, because the Tamils do not have good leaders, having separate country will not solve their problems either. The TNA is a joke, and the Tamil diaspora leaders are under the grip of the Westerners. I have visited every part of Sri Lanka this year. The Tamils never had equal rights, and I believe the Tamils will not have equal rights in the future either. Sri Lanka will never move forward, because it rules by fools and thugs. The Jaffna University students must focus on their studies to become political elites to lead their people. Following the LTTE will never take them anywhere. They have tried thirty years, but did not work. Why are they trying again? Only people who are mentally ill do the same thing again and again without expecting any change? Are they all mentally ill?
Posted by Antany Peter at 12/26/2012 13:06 Reply to this Report abuse
Is abuse an excuse for the LTTE or blame your politicians. Dinesh.D need to look back in the ernest beyond Independence. Low Caste people in the North fail to realise how they've been supressed & abused by the high caste tamils & had been denied. Education was the domain of the high caste untill the missionaries took it to the North to the low caste & thereafter free education introduced by the GOSL. IT IS THESE FREE EDUCATION EDUCATED LOW CASTE WHO TURNED THEIR GUNS ON THE GOSL INSTEAD OF ON THEIR OWN HIGH CASTE WHO DENIED THEM. If these educated low caste could think they should by now realise the ltte should not have been allowed to be formed. Today, it is these high caste to further their hidden agenda through a hidden hand the church think the low caste people are expendable. Tamil political leaders hide away in the South and keep screaming they represent Tamil & the opressed. Sooner the low castea realise the damage casued to them by the high caste it will be better
Posted by dickie bird at 12/26/2012 13:30 Reply to this Report abuse
this country now stragling good leader ship if we devied Sinhalese Tamil Muslim we cant develop our country we have to unite one country as sri lankan some fool people are devid as making their own benefit enjoying their life
Posted by NALEEM at 12/26/2012 13:44 Reply to this Report abuse