Reopening takes A- 'Northern Spring' to Jaffna

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

In the Christmas week in 2008 a sudden roar came from the LTTE claiming to cause a major havoc to the economy and people of the Southern parts of the country. It was in this context that President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned that malicious elements that depend on the LTTE for survival have already begun to create political unrest by creating many problems for the Government.

Troops at Paranthan

The entrance to the exhibition

At Jaffna

Youth enjoying the musical extravaganza of the ‘Future Minds of Jaffna’ exhibition

While all the LTTE terrorists were lashing all possible evil forces Jaffna and its people, especially the young generation, were thrilled with 'Future minds of Jaffna' - a mammoth educational and trade fair organised under the directives of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make the people feel the beauty of 'Northern spring".

This education and trade fair was organised for the people of Jaffna nearly after two decades.

Organised through the Presidential Task Force for Northern Development chaired by Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the then Security Forces Commander Major General G.A. Chandrasiri and special assistance by Minister Douglas Devananda who was then the Minister for Social Services the 'Future Minds' filled the two grounds of the Vembadi Girls' High School and Jaffna Central College.

Opening the Industrial and Educational Exhibition 'Future Minds of Jaffna' stressed the fact that development is a vital factor to Jaffna peninsula specially for the younger generation.

Capture

This came up as intense fights broke out in the Vanni front as Security Forces launched their final battle to capture Kilinochchi and Paranthan. While 57 Division lead by General Officer Commanding Major General Jagath Dias and 58 Division by Major General Shavendra Silva thrust was on the Jaffna front of the battlefield by 53 division lead by Major General Kamal Gunaratne and 55 Division lead by Major General Prasanna Silva. Both sides exchanged heavy artillery and mortar shelling as the battlefront took a new turn. But troops advanced into the enemy territory amidst all these obstacles. The bad weather condition that prevailed for weeks until now affecting the Vanni front improved enabling the troops to face the battle in a relatively better environment. Still the ground was muddy and flooded. The LTTE never expected such a swift move towards North of Kilinochchi and Paranthan as the Task Force I troops had taken only 30 days to advance 22 km from Pooneryn to Paranthan.

On December 20, the Sri Lanka Navy sank an LTTE logistics ship along with four other Sea Tiger vessels in the Mullaitivu seas. The attack was significant as the LTTE's logistics vessel was found to be engaged in monitoring the movements of Navy vessels in the area. According to the statement made by the Navy Spokesman around 30 Sea Tigers were aboard the logistic vessel and other five attack craft were also destroyed in the attack. Following the 2007 annihilation of LTTE weapon carrying ships - famously known in those days as floating warehouses - the major weapon supply line collapsed.

Thus, the LTTE had to use maximum of their cadres with limited arms and ammunition, yet their efforts became inefficient and withdrawal became faster. A significant number of LTTE cadres have already started fleeing to the safety of the Government controlled areas. They have lost hope with the fancy separate country LTTE promised. Sri Lanka Army was preparing themselves for a mass exodus of civilians from the terrorist held areas. What became obvious through these unfolding incidents was that the LTTE was left with only a few days or few weeks to face their defeat in the Wanni as troops launched the final assault on Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu terrorist strongholds.