“The estate doesn’t mean trees and plants. The estate means people. This is the life of people and their destiny. For so many years we get our morning tea as if it is our special birthright. Most people in this country drink this tea. But no one remembers how this tea reaches us. I say this is the largest wound in our conscience. We have no thought or plan on how to repay this debt. In moral terms we face a great dilemma. We cannot go forward as humans without paying up this debt. If we are to be humans, we must repay this debt to these people. It is a debt in ethical terms. They must be treated as humans. We have to come to a place where we treat them with dignity. Until then we are not humans.

This photography exhibition is very special. A group of young photographers has emerged. In these photographs they have made statements about their lives. Each of them has tried to make a statement of their lives through these photographs. Not one of these photographs is an untruth. There are many very powerful photographs here.”

Dr. Sunil Wijesiriwardene.

“There is another discourse we face through these photographs. That is the story of the deceit, hypocrisy and stupidity so deeply rooted in Sri Lankan politics. What made these young people present their real life story in such a sorrowful manner in 2020? It is clear that from the post-colonial period to date, national politics has done nothing meaningful to save this community from their unfortunate circumstances. Moreover, the All-Ceylon Estate Workers Union and other such political groups who claim to represent this community too have only further trapped these people in poverty.

As I feel, the main question these young people are trying to raise from their photography is- who is responsible for their plight? It is unfortunate that half of the people who hold the responsibility for this suffering live among them, and the balance lives among us.”

Professor Sasanka Perera
University of South Asia