Joyful Christmas in Jaffna

by Ananth Palakidnar

For the first time in 30 years, the sounds and lights of firecrackers dominated the skies of Jaffna, replacing the deadly sounds of artillery shelling, rocket launchers, aerial bombings and machine guns when the Christmas midnight mass was held in the churches of Jaffna, informed sources said.

The Catholic Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savuntharanayagam conducted the midnight mass at St. Mary’s Church, Jaffna with the participation of thousands of devotees who were mainly from the fishing community in the coastal areas of Jaffna.

The fisherfolk in Jaffna were the worst affected by the war as there were restrictions in the seas for fishing for three decades. With the end of the war early this year, several measures were taken by the Government to rebuild the lives of fisher folk in Jaffna with the removal of restrictions in fishing in the Northern seas.

Rt. Rev. Savuntharanayagam, delivering his Christmas message from the altar of St. Mary’s Church, said it was after 30 years that Christmas was celebrated in a peaceful atmosphere in Jaffna.

“All these years, the people of Jaffna were in darkness with death and destruction. Now with all war machineries, put to rest, peace prevails in the North and the whole country.

Let us thank God letting us breat the air of peace. Though the war is over, there are a large number of issues with regard to the Internally Displaced Persons which need to be dealt with. So all efforts must be made to expedite the resettlement of the IDPs wihle ensuring their safety and well-being, in their original places of residence,” the Bishop said. As the curfew was relaxed completely, the churches in the remote areas in the peninsula were also packed with devotees. For the first time in three decades, brisk sale of firecrackers was seen in Jaffna.Vans and lorries transporting firecrackers were seen in every nook and corner in the Jaffna town. The streets around the Dutch fortress of Jaffna which had seen pitched battles were packed with pavement hawkers, informed sources said.

Meanwhile, a mega cultural event has been arranged by the Security Forces followed by fireworks at the Duraiyappah Stadium today.