Polonnaruwa’s Sinhapura village in Welikanda is another settlement established under the Mahaweli Project, with irrigation facilities provided for the people. Almost all the residents of Sinhapura relied on paddy farming for their livelihood. However, they were constantly threatened by wild elephants, which frequently disrupted their farming activities. A.M. Punchikumari was one such farmer, living in Sinhapura with her husband and two sons.
At the start of the 1990s, the Polonnaruwa District’s Welikanda and Dimbulagala Divisional Secretariat areas came under the threat of war, and Sinhapura was no exception. In September 1996, Punchikumari’s husband was abducted by militants.
Left without her husband, Punchikumari found herself in a desperate situation with her two children. She could not manage paddy farming alone and had no alternative sources of income. Determined to educate her children, she worked tirelessly, taking up labour jobs and later securing an opportunity to supply meals to a nearby army camp. With the earnings from this work, she slowly rebuilt her life, providing her children with an education.
During this time, she faced relentless harassment and pressure from various individuals in the village, including threats against her children and even death threats.
Despite these challenges, Punchikumari displayed immense courage and managed to send her children to a boarding house, ensuring they continued their education. She sought help from various government and voluntary organizations regarding her plight, but none supported her.
Today, her children live in Colombo, while she continues to face harassment from certain individuals in her village.
- Christy Shelton Fernando
