7 - From War to Work: Ethicality amidst Post-War Trauma?

Summary

Introduction

When I arrived at Da Bindu just before lunchtime on a Sunday in July 2019, I was not expecting to find a television crew and a small group of Tamil women workers at the premises. Although it was the weekend, Chamila had suggested that I come along because they were returning from a long-distance trip and that I arrive late morning. I arrived there a bit later because a prior interview had taken longer than I had anticipated.

As I arrived late at Da Bindu, nearing lunchtime, I was hoping that the delay would not mean that I could not interview Chamila. I had contacted her because I was tracing the reactions of various groups to the employment reform bill, which I discussed in Chapter Five. Like all things in fieldwork, running late can fortuitously open up opportunities on the research radar that had not taken priority when setting out for the day. Following jagged little paths of research connections rather than linear and neat tracks is how I remember the month of July 2019.

As I walked into the premises of Da Bindu, four workers were seated in the garden area – and a television film crew was further into the porch area of the house-cum-office. As a native Sri Lankan (now British–Sri Lankan), I knew from the way that the workers were dressed, in colourful salwar kameez clothes and adorned with a pottu, that the chances were that they were Tamil workers. After smiling and greeting each other, I went into the office area, and asked for Chamila. When she came out, I apologized for my delay; she generously laughed it off, saying how they too had returned late and everything was behind schedule.

We then started our research interview, during which she explained why women workers from Northern Sri Lanka were present and outlined for me a new set of challenges faced because of management practices in the area.

According to her, ‘The factories that these young women work at apparently administer birth control pills to control their periods. This way, they do not take too many breaks when they are menstruating/having their periods.’ She then went on to outline both the compulsion involved in prescribing birth control pills to young women workers and the health risks because of the type of medication given.