Photo courtesy of Ishankha Singha Arachchi
With British colonial rulers controlling the coastal regions, including the lowlands, they secured the Kandyan kingdom through an agreement unifying Sri Lanka into a single state in March 1815. Until then, the feudal land tenure system had existed but following the British takeover, it gradually transformed into a capitalist economy.
Initially, coffee was introduced as a plantation crop, later expanding to tea, rubber, coconut and cinchona. The laborers for these plantations were brought from impoverished villages in South India. They arrived by sea at Talaimannar and were then taken to the central highlands on foot. Many of them endured immense hardships during this journey and by the time they reached their destinations a significant number had succumbed to illnesses and perished.
These groups, transported as indentured laborers or semi-bonded workers, passed through the Kurunegala District on their journey. Although coffee and tea plantations are no longer prominent in the district today, rubber and coconut cultivation continue to thrive. As a result, there are five rubber estates covering an area of over 250 hectares.
According to the last census conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics in 2012, the Malaiyaha Tamil population residing in the district was recorded at 2,594. Among them, 147 lived in urban areas, 1,247 in villages and 1,200 in estate settlements.
The beginning of the workers’ struggle
Traveling approximately three kilometers along the Ranaviru Gama road, which branches off from the Kurunegala-Dambulla highway near Ibbagamuwa, one can see the Bathalegoda Rubber Estate. This estate was named after its proximity to the Bathalegoda Reservoir. Covering an area of 281 acres, ownership of the estate is divided among ten families.
For over 135 years, despite working tirelessly for meager wages, estate workers have never been granted a house of their own or even a single piece of land. Harsh working conditions and persistent poverty have kept them confined to the estate’s line rooms. The workers of Bathalegoda, living in these line rooms, endure extreme hardships due to the lack of access to proper education and healthcare facilities.
The difficulties become even more severe during the rainy season. Since the estate’s toilets are located a short distance from the line rooms, using them at night or in heavy rain becomes an immense challenge.
In May 2023, estate workers forcibly occupied plots of land after the estate owners prepared to sell a portion of the estate to a private investor. The occupied land was an abandoned section of the rubber plantation, which had become overgrown after cultivation was discontinued. Each family marked off 20 perches of land for themselves.
Initially, around 300 families lived on the estate. However, due to job cuts and the lack of basic facilities, more than 200 families were forced to leave the Bathalegoda Estate. Eventually, only about 28 families remained, with no alternative housing or livelihood options. Of these, only around 18 families secured employment on the estate while estate management continuously attempted to evict the remaining families from the line rooms.
In an attempt to evict the estate workers under the pretext of a land dispute, the estate owners called the police and filed cases against six workers, including a woman, on August 12, 2023. This date marked the 70th anniversary of the historic 1953 workers’ strike. The charges included unlawfully occupying estate land and damaging plantation property. Additionally, the Bathalegoda estate owners sought a court injunction to halt any construction on the occupied land.
However, this unjust action faced strong opposition from various civil society organizations. The Ibbagamuwa Devasarana Development Center, which has a history of advocating for farmers, workers and marginalized communities, along with the Kandy Social Development Institute and several Colombo-based civil society organizations, extended their support to the workers. Their intervention provided significant relief and encouragement to the struggling estate workers.
Ownership of 10 perches of land
Following the intervention of civil society organizations against the sale of the estate, the estate workers pursued legal action at the Kurunegala District Court. As a result, the estate owners agreed to allocate 10 perches of land per family for the 28 affected families. This agreement was formalized through a contract signed between both parties in July 2024.
The estate management agreed to allocate the land where the estate’s Hindu temple is located for religious activities. With the temple committee’s approval, permission was also granted for facilities dedicated to children, women, youth sports and social welfare programs.
The estate workers will receive permanent land deeds for the 10 perches allocated to them. However, they must vacate their line rooms within six months, by January 23, 2025. The biggest challenge they now face is the lack of financial resources to build even temporary houses on their newly acquired land before the deadline.
Until April 2024, the daily wage of the Bathalegoda estate workers remained at Rs. 750. However, with the intervention of civil society organizations, the workers were able to secure an increase through the Labor Department, raising their wages to Rs. 1,000 along with the payment of outstanding dues. Additionally, they managed to organize their employee provident funds more systematically.
Despite this wage increase, the amount was far from sufficient to turn their dream of owning a home into reality.
Even under severe financial constraints, 10 worker families managed to lay the foundations for their new homes through sheer determination. However, the remaining 18 families were left with nothing but a barren plot of land, unable to afford even temporary shelter, leaving them in a state of helplessness.
iPEN-Palmera collaborative contribution
Determined to turn their dream of owning a home into reality, the Bathalegoda estate workers continued to seek support from civil society organizations that had stood by them throughout their struggle. Among these organizations the Institute for People Engagement and Network (iPEN), an emerging civil society group advocating for the wellbeing of the Malaiyaha community, recently stepped in to assist in this endeavor.
Responding to iPEN’s request Palmera, an Australia-based organization dedicated to uplifting low income communities, decided to provide financial support for constructing 28 houses. This marked yet another victory for the Bathalegoda estate workers.
“Palmera is providing 100 percent of the funding for this housing project. These homes will be built in consultation with the workers, ensuring they are designed according to their needs. The Bathalegoda community itself will be actively involved in the construction process,” said iPEN’s media coordinator, Sandamali Senewiratne.
According to the agreement between the estate owners and the workers, they were required to vacate their line rooms. However, the construction of their new houses has not yet been completed. “The workers are currently residing in temporary shelters built on their land plots while continuing their daily work. Regardless, by March 31 we will hand over the new houses to these families,” Ms. Senewiratne said.
For generations, the Malaiyaha community has toiled under harsh conditions, shedding blood, sweat and tears to contribute to the country’s economy. Yet, they have been excluded from many welfare programs and denied ownership of even a small piece of land. However, the estate workers of Bathalegoda have now secured their right to a home and a plot of land – an achievement won through their relentless struggle for justice.
According to the agreement made between the estate workers and the plantation laborers, the new village that will emerge along with the housing project will be named Anandapuram.