Yes, so they have had hardships, because I have heard that in those places when the war was on there was no electricity for 15 years. So it’s not easy for me to say, ‘you can do this.’ So the only thing is humanity-wise, in whatever way I can help, I want to do that. It is not a simple thing, it is 25 years of hatred.

• But when you first came into the national team, were you conscious of this fact?

I have lived in an environment of Tamils and Sinhalese (living) together.

• In Kandy? Different from Jaffna?

Yes, totally different from Jaffna, and I was in a hostel, St Anthony’s College, so all the Sinhalese, Muslims, Christians and Tamils lived together. So I didn’t feel the differences.

• Did you ever face discrimination as a Tamil?

Actually, no, because my parents... when I was small, in 1977 and 1983, our house and everything was burnt in the riots. So we had to run away to survive.

• You were hardly a teenager at that time.

No, no, in 1977 I was only six years old, in 1983 I was a bit more aware, I was in hostel at that time. That was the only discrimination we had. After that we were a bit scared to live in this country. But still, our parents took a chance and lived.

... contd.