Authorities turn a deaf ear to pleas from ‘Golu Gammanaya’

Villagers in Thinipitiya in Meigellewa in Thirappana are experiencing many hardships in the attempts made to live and are further handicapped by the fact that the majority members here are either deaf or dumb

• Villagers said that nine out of 12 families in the village had members who were deaf and dumb
• A few others have been fortunate to get admitted to schools for children with special needs in Anuradhapura and Colombo
• Although parents are dumb, several children in the village are able to speak, but they are in the habit of communicating using gestures

With the help of experts from universities I attempted to improve their speech, but the children follow their parents and communicate thorough gestures and become virtually dumb
-Nanda Rajapakse (University Graduate from the village) 

There is a need to work out an effective mechanism to uplift the lives of adults and children with special needs in the village
- Prisani Ramyalatha (A young mother) 

Thinipitiya in Meigellewa in Thirappana is a far-flung village in the district of Anuradhapura inhabited by several families, either deaf and dumb or dull of hearing by birth.
Thus the village of Thinipitiya in Meigellewa Grama Niladhari area is popularly known as Golu Gammanaya (the village of the dumb). 
 About 35 individuals of all ages- men women and children- have been living in this village amid innumerable hardships. Villagers said that nine out of 12 families in the village had members who were deaf and dumb. It is a sad predicament that their misfortune doesn’t end with one generation. This handicap has been inherited continually through generation to generation. They said that anyone born to these families is destined to be aurally handicapped.
The majority of the people in Thinipitiya village depends on agriculture and fishery while several others survive on manual labour amid dire economic constraints. Their sad predicament has been aggravated by want of basic amenities indulging drinking water, toilets and access to a road. 
 It is a matter of serious concern that several children of school-going age have either been left to idle or help their elders in the trades that the latter are engaged in.  However, a few others have been fortunate to get admitted to schools for children with special needs in Anuradhapura and Colombo. 
 Villagers pointed out that they have been living in wattle and daub houses with polythene sheets to cover the entrance. However their continual requests to the relevant authorities for housing aid had been ignored. They said they were anxious to make a living by engaging in self-employment if facilities including land for agriculture was provided. 
Although parents are dumb, several children in the village are able to speak, but they are in the habit of communicating using gestures. Parents maintain that these children are subject to discrimination as they are labelled as children from |the ‘Golu Gammnanaya’; hence the reluctance in them to attend school.
 Meanwhile Nanda Rajapakse is one woman who had the good fortune to overcome the challenges in this village and pursue higher education. She is a university graduate. Nanda said that she made continual representations to the relevant authorities and endeavoured to obtain their help to improve the living conditions of the villagers, but to no avail.
“With the help of experts| from universities I attempted to improve their speech, but the children follow their parents and communicate thorough gestures and become virtually dumb,” she said.
Prisani Ramyalatha, a young mother, requested the relevant authorities to provide basic needs to families like housing and schooling, for their children. “There is a need to work out an effective mechanism to uplift the lives of adults and children with special needs in the village,” said Prisani. 
She added that the electricity supply to their houses had been disconnected for arrears of bills and that they were unable to have two square meals a day due to economic constraints.