The first activity on today’s program was a lecture at The University of Jaffna, established in 1974. As today was a Saturday, there were not many students present on campus, but we got to meet some of them after our lecture and take pictures with them. Today's lecture was mainly about the economic crisis from a northern perspective but also touched upon politics, migration, and general information about the university. We were at the faculty of geography which teaches around 1200 students. As with the other universities we have visited, the number of girls attending (85%) is much higher than that of boys. The lack of interest in studies was explained by the prioritization and intrigue of making money. Another reason mentioned is the increase in drug abuse, which has become a significant problem in the last 10 years, especially among male students. When it comes to the economy in Jaffna, the lecturers mentioned an increase in tourism in the last 5 years. Several hotels have been built as a result, for example, the one we are staying at (J Hotels). Another interesting point made about the economy is how the second-generation migrants who moved from Sri Lanka to countries like Germany, Scotland, England, and so on do not send money back to Sri Lanka as the first-generation migrants did. The lecturers continued to discuss minority representation in politics as 95% of the people in Jaffna are Tamil speakers and therefore a part of the Tamil minority. Out of 225 MPs in the government, only 15 of them are Tamil. During the lecture, we had a nice snack, samosa and patties, alongside some typical sweet Sri Lankan tea.
After the lecture, we went back to our hotel to meet with the Angel Network - Jaffna Transgender Network - an LGBTQ+ rights activist community in Jaffna. They have been around for 5 years and are working with lgbtq+ rights and working to build community livelihoods for transgender, queer, and GNC (gender-non-confirming) individuals, and are mainly focusing on transgender rights. They are located in Jaffna but are also working with other Tamil-speaking places across the country. They started up in 2019 when 5-6 people had faced significant struggles at school etc. and wanted to prevent the same struggles for other trans people. The Jaffna society is very politically involved and it is a place for women and trans women who experience oppression in their daily lives. They are afraid to walk outside at night because they get hateful comments and get name-called, which truly damages their emotional well-being. The Angel Network organized the first pride parade in Jaffna, where many trans people, among others from the lgbtq+ community, from areas in Jaffna, and also from other parts of the country, marched. They all joined together for the same cause, and, over the years of this occurring, some of the police have become supportive. This annual event has opened up many more opportunities for people in the community and others to be able to feel safe and secure in their homes.
In the evening, we celebrated the Pongal festival (A harvest festival) with “Manudam” a local young leader’s association. Upon arriving, we were greeted by young children and adults, dressed in traditional clothing, and given paper flowers. We first took part in a ceremony where we boiled milk over a fire and danced around the pot. Following that ritual, we were ushered inside to watch both children and adults perform traditional dances, poems, and songs. We were then welcomed onstage to perform a song of our own, Ring Meg. During the performances, we were given a sweet pineapple-flavored drink and a sweet rice dish. After everyone at the ceremony shared a final dance together, we went outside to play some games. We played a game where one was to hit a pot with a stick while blindfolded, and a game where we were supposed to eat a whole bun without using our hands. The children also played musical chairs. After some group photos, we said our final farewells to the Manudam group. This was a very fun afternoon where we got to know and meet many children who showed us how to celebrate Pongal.
Written by: Lorelei, Andrea, Julia, and Kaja
