Years of non-violent democratic environment prevalent in the Tamil homeland of SriLanka, particularly under the leadership of S.J.V.Chelvanayakam, enabled the Tamil citizens to elect their representatives to the Parliament and local bodies. People centered politics was the hallmark of the activities in the Tamil homeland. Deprivation of fundamental rights of Tamil people by the Sinhala dominated governments based in Colombo, led to an adverse impact on the democratic politics in the Tamil homeland. The Tamil youth not having a secure future to look forward to, began taking to arms to secure their rights and protect themselves from harassment by the Sinhala armed forces operating in the Tamil homeland. This led to armed Tamil militants groups, holding sway in the North and East of Sri Lanka. It later escalated to a situation where one armed militant group eliminated all other political groups (both armed groups and non-violent political parties) and laid its claim to be the sole representative of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Thus, with the Sri Lankan government determined to pursue a military solution and the armed Tamil group equally determined to cling on to the territories it now holds, there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Tamil refugees in India.

In this situation the role of OfERR continues to have relevance in the lives of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu. OfERR, during the quarter century of its functioning in India, has apart from the many services it provides for the refugees, focused itself on preparing the people to return and resettle in their homeland.

OfERR began its services in India as a committed response by a group of refugees from Sri Lanka who were displaced in the pogroms against the Tamil people in July 1983. OfERR provided humanitarian assistance to the thousands of displaced people who crossed the Palk Straits and sought refuge in India.
In the initial stages of its functioning the humanitarian assistance centered on providing strength and encouragement through counseling and helping students to find schools and colleges to continue their disrupted studies. Trauma counseling was an important component of the Counseling program. The unique nature of OfERR as an organization of the refugees, by the refugees and for the refugees was recognized by all and greatly appreciated.

In 1984 the legal formalities for functioning as a non-profit organization were completed and it was registered as a society under the Tamil Nadu ‘Societies’ Act. The management committee and staff were all volunteers. While the Management committee members of OfERR receive no remuneration the volunteer staff is paid an allowance to complement the dole they receive in the camps. Some voluntary staff also receives remittances from relatives now living in European countries and other western countries.

Consequent to the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord in July 1987, 30,000 refugees in the camps were repatriated to their homeland by the Government of India. However, a large number of refugees from Sri Lanka living outside the camps did not choose to return. Though under the provisions of the July 1987 accord, India had deployed its peace keeping forces to the North and East of Sri Lanka, it was evident that the Sri Lankan Government under President Jayawardena was not implementing political package. The LTTE was also not prepared to hand over its arms to the Sri Lankan Government. Many of the refugees living outside the camps began to face problems, when police began to compel them to leave the country under the Passports Act. Though the refugees living outside the camp were indeed “refugees” as they had a well founded fear that their lives and limbs would not be safe if they went back, Indian authorities could not give them ‘refuge’ as India did not have laws in its statute books for refugees. India was not a signatory to the UN Convention on refugees. OfERR through sustained advocacy among all Indian political leaders and Public service authorities convinced the Authorities of the need for issuance of a “Refugee Identity Certificate” for all Sri Lanka Tamil Refugees who remained in India as refugees. Thus the Collectors were authorized to issue “Refugee Identity Certificate” to all Sri Lanka Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu.

- Rev.Sam Coilpillai