Social Harmony in Ampara District with Special Reference to Post Tsunami Development

Abstract

This paper attempts to analyze the positive and negative factors of tsunami in the context of peace and harmony prevailing among the different communities living in the Ampara district. Social harmony is an issue that has attracted the attention of many scholars in the world now. There are number of scholars making in-depth studies on it since it is considered one of the paramount factors that would accelerate social, economical, political and cultural development of any country. There are many evidences that bear witness to the close interconnections among different ethnic groups even before the country gained independence. The escalation of violence that erupted in 1983 drew a wedge between the healthy relationships that the different communities were enjoying. The fact that the people separated themselves based on the respective ethnicity had dire consequences on the prevailing peaceful climate in the Ampara district. Against this backdrop the, country was feted to witness the bloodshed for the last decades. The tsunami waves played havoc on the coastal belt of Sri Lanka. In the wake of this natural disaster the people understood the magnitude of the harmonious co-existence. Consequently, the tsunami natural disaster can be viewed, as a binding force. Despite the fact that the co-existence among the people in the wake tsunami natural disaster can be considered as a positive signal, it is very unfortunate that it has become a cause for worry among the languished people. The unfair distribution, corruption among the politicians in distributing the tsunami aid and the cloud of suspicion concerning the PTOMS had made the people unable to heave the sigh of relief or breathe the wind of peace in the area.