Metamorphosis of Northern Sri Lanka

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne and his deputy Dilan Perera on arrival at the Jaffna Central College

A solider in a landmine clearing operation

The War Monument at Elephant Pass

My recent visit to the North after a lapse of eight years, along with several media collegues gave me an opportunity to see the difference in a peninsula then, in the year 2002 and now.

My third visit to Jaffna gave me a chance to share our feelings with people of all walks of life.

I still recall days what the Jaffna residents went through during the three decades of terror.

There were road blocks and check points with collecting taxes from the ordinary folk, being the main purpose, from those traders who transported food itmes, medicines, school books, educational material and various other goods from Colombo to Jaffna.

On one occasion, I remember how the LTTE imposed a huge tax on a bus carrying adults and children who were on their way to a funeral of a school principal at Kilinochchi.

The present Government under the able leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to change the entire scenario and now the benefits of the war victory are being reaped by the people of the North as well as the South.

My three-day official visit to the peninsula was to attend a conference organised by the Public Administration Ministry.

The Jaffna District Secretary, Mrs. Emelda Sukumar had organised the meeting and 25 District and Divisional Secretaries from the entire country attended it. Public Administration Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne chaired the meeting. His deputy Dilan Perera was also present.

Their discussions were mainly on people, and the problems faced by resettled families who returend to their original homes after the war ended on May 19 last year.

On our way to Jaffna we stopped for refreshments at several places, Vavuniya, Omanthai, Mankulam, Iranamadu, Elephant Pass, Muhamalai, Kilinochchi and spoke to the residents, boutique owners and the farmers.

We were able to speak to Army personnel as well as, who were on duty at all the security check points.

Sergent Kumaratunga the head of the demining group stationed at Muhamalai said about 135 Army personnel have been engaged in landmine clearing operations. Their present assigment was to 'clean up' both sides of the A-9 road.

The clearing program started eight months ago and over 12,000 landmines have been 'pocketed' so far, he said.

While adding, "This is not an easy task, since the terrorists had buried them all over in the jungle.

"We have to clear them as early as possible to enable the Railway Department to go ahead with the second phase of the railway track from Omanthai to Jaffna."

The War Monument and the statue of the Hasalaka hero Gamini who single handedly blasted the LTTE armoured vehicle with explosives to save Palaly Army camp and at Elephant Pass are worthy places of interest.

Mrs. Teresa who runs a tea boutique at Kilinochchi, with her daughter and the two grandchindren, said during the time of war her house was attacked by terrorists for not obeying the LTTE orders.

She had to flee from the area since the LTTE tried to recruit her grandson to the Army.

"These incidents still haunt me and I thank the Government and the Armed Forces for eradicating terrorism and crush their organisation once and for all", she said.

P. Kathiravelu, a resident of Keerimalai (30 km from Jaffna) said he had returned to his home town after 25 years to see only the walls and the broken doors remaining.

"The terrorists had damaged my house and destroyed my cattle farm"" nearly 50 cows".

He said the furniture of his house and other valuable items have been stolen by the LTTE and so now he has to restart his life with his other family members who are presently in Chennai, India.

He is a farmer by profession also made a request to the Government to help him financially to reconstruct his house and restart his farming.

He pointed out that many who fled to India during the conflict are now waiting to come back and therefore the authorities will have to provide the facilities for them to resettle.

Public sector employee, Matha Sundaralingam and her family were in Madras all these years who had returned to her home town at Thiriunelvely Junction in Palali after a 18-year gap.

When heard the death of LTTE leader, we watched the security developments closely before deciding to return, she said.

She thanked the Army for creating a peaceful atmosphere, but was pained by the loss of her house and property. She made a fervent appeal to the authorities to help her to get back her employment.