How Can My Brother Walk?

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How Can My Brother Walk? Story of a Tamil IDP

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Following is a narration by a 4th grader from the northern part of Sri Lanka (Vanni) of the Sri Lanka Airforce attack on an internally displaced hamlet on  29-November 2008.

Because we have no father, my mother, younger brother, sister and I lived with our grand mother and grand father at their home. I am studying in the forth grade and have two siblings, a younger brother and sister. People were displaced in Paranthan. They went to Kallaru. We also went to Kallaru and temporarily settled there. 

On 29-Nov 2008, I woke up hearing a sudden blast. My mother, my grand mother and grand father dragged all three of us and ran. We decided to go to another house. A loud blast was heard again. The roof of the house, which we went, fell off. My grand father was lying in a pool of blood. He was groaning. “my thambi, amma” (my little brother, mother) were the words coming from his mouth. We scrambled out of the house. My younger brother shouted that he couldn’t get up and come. My grand mother couldn’t come because of the wound in her hand.  My mother and sister ran until the neighbours guided them to hide in an irrigation channel. A thundering sound was heard again. After half an hour the rescue team, which came there brought us to Tharmapuram hospital.

My grand father succumbed to his injuries. My grand mother lost one of her hands. My mother is getting treatment at Vavuniya hospital. The doctors have pronounced that my younger brother‘s body below the waist has become senseless, and will not function. How can my brother walk?

TamilNet coverage on the incident.