We are funding a museum for visitors, not a home for the living.
Once, Pungudutivu was a powerhouse. It was a land of over 20,000 hard-working people. We were not beggars; we were producers. We gave Sri Lanka some of its best teachers, doctors, writers, and traders. Our farmers turned dry earth into gold; our shop owners dominated commerce from Colombo to the hills.
Then came 1983 – 1990. Displacement scattered us like seeds in the wind. Today, 90% of our people live in Europe, Canada, or other parts of Sri Lanka.
What remains is a tragedy we refuse to admit: Pungudutivu is becoming a Ghost Village.
90% of our homes stand empty, locked up and decaying. Our farmlands, once green, are abandoned. The salty groundwater , making life nearly impossible. And yet, the Diaspora continues to pour millions into the island. But we are pouring water into a leaking bucket.
The Great Temple Paradox
Walk through Pungudutivu today. You will see temples with fresh paint, golden gopurams, and marble floors. But look closer. For 350 days a year, these temples are empty. They only come alive during Thiruvila, when the diaspora returns for a two-week holiday. We spend lakhs on processions, celebrating in front of locked houses and barren fields.
We have turned Pungudutivu into a “Festival Theme Park.” We visit, we celebrate, we take photos, and we leave. Meanwhile, the only hospital on the island sits neglected by the government and ignored by the diaspora. Ask yourself: What is the point of a golden temple if there is no hospital to treat a sick child? What is the point of a grand festival if there is no drinking water for the residents?
The “Petty Project” Trap
Our Diaspora Associations are full of good people with good intentions. But they are trapped in “Small Thinking.” They spend energy on:
- Giving school bags children.
- school lunches.
- building school toilets and offices
- Small handouts to individuals.
These are “Petty Projects.” An individual can do these. An Association should do what an individual cannot. Associations waste their power on band-aid solutions while the island bleeds. We don’t need more school bags; we need an economy that allows parents to buy their own school bags.
The Real Crisis: Water and Work
Two things are killing the island, and the Diaspora is ignoring both.
- The Water Crisis: The underground water is salty. Residents rely on transported water to drink. You cannot build a future where you cannot drink from your own well. Instead of building another temple gateway, why have we not built a massive, island-wide desalination (RO) network?
- The Workforce Crisis: The people remaining are stuck. Some have lost the will to work because of constant handouts (dependency). Others want to work but have zero opportunities.
We need to create jobs not just for Pungudutivu natives, but for people from neighboring villages and islands. We need to import workers if necessary, to bring life back to the streets. A village needs noise, commerce, and movement—not just silence.
The Solution: Tourism & Infrastructure (The Big Vision)
Pungudutivu needs Life-Changing Projects, not charity.
1. “Decent” Tourism (Beyond the Temple) We have history, islands, and ferries. We need to build a tourism economy that functions year-round.
- Eco-Tourism & Heritage Stays: Convert some of those thousands of empty houses into boutique homestays or heritage hotels.
- Bird Watching & Ferry Tours: Create jobs for boatmen and guides.
- Result: This brings money into local shops and restaurants every week, not just during Thiruvila.
2. The Hospital Revival If we want people to retire or live in Pungudutivu, they need healthcare.
- The Project: A Diaspora Consortium should adopt the local hospital, equipping it with modern dialysis units (essential due to salty water issues) and emergency care.
3. Agriculture & Water Industrialization
- The Project: Solar-powered Desalination Plants.
- Turn the salty water problem into a business. If we have water, we can reopen the farms. If we reopen the farms, we create jobs.
A Call to Reality
We are at a tipping point. If we continue on this path, in 20 years, Pungudutivu will be nothing but a collection of beautiful temples in a jungle of collapsed houses.
We need Living People, not just Thiruvila Visitors. We need Workers, not just Worshippers.
To the Diaspora Associations: Stop the petty projects. Stop the handouts. Pool your millions. Fix the water. Fix the hospital. Build an industry. Let us rebuild a Pungudutivu that is defined by its future, not just its past.
