The road deteriorates as we go further north but signs that construction is about to to begin that involves a massive expansion of this highway are clearly visible. I am stunned at how wide they intend to construct this road and I wonder if amenities to house the expected traffic from the south will also be constructed at the same time.
We pass areas that are still cordoned off for mine clearing along the way and see men engaged in this risky business. The jungle which once fringed this road has now been cut right back making the A9 a lot safer to drive. Still, stepping into the bush for a nature call is probably not advisable!
As we approach Killinochchi, we begin to see the traces of this conflict, which only ceased about a year ago. Part of the reason we were keen to make this journey before I left was because we realised that in a year or two development will change this landscape completely.
There is definitely an army presence here and traces of what happened during the last few weeks of the conflict are quite evident. This is the town which was the administration centre for the LTTE but when they retreated they destroyed some of the key installations such as this water tower.
I find many buildings intact but with their roofs gone. It is possible these materials have been pilfered by those who have returned and perhaps by the army itself for use in the bunkers that have now sprung up along the road. There are huts along the road and signs that people are coming back to live here are evident
along our journey. They live in basic accommodation currently but there are building materials stacked up by the roadside which indicates new construction to house the many who lost their homes will soon begin. The town of Killinochchi is itself bustling and on the surface life seems to have returned to normal. The army have constructed little rest houses along the way. They serve a good cup of tea and fresh roti. We stop for breaks and while I munch on my roti, I notice the floor is lined with box lids that once housed bullets and the table legs are the bullet boxes themselves! Recycling takes on a whole new meaning during times of war! 
There is a monument to Gamini Kularatne, who is now referred to as the ‘Hasalaka Hero’, Hasalaka being a farming hamlet near Kandy where he grew up. He was part of the forces in 1991 guarding Elephant Pass a strategic point and gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula when he decided to sacrifice his life to save the base. During 1991, the army were still in control here and whilst engaged in a ferocious battle with the LTTE, this soldier climbed on to an oncoming bulldozer tank and lobbed two grenades inside preventing the army base from being destroyed and the pass taken over. He paid the ultimate sacrifice that many soldiers are called to do, except this was a calculated decision he made fully understanding the consequences. 
Elephant Pass has been a strategic military stronghold since the days when our first colonial masters the Portuguese built a fort there in 1760. It is a little narrow strip of land that links the peninsula with the mainland. It is no surprise then that a few key battles were fought here during the war years as well. Besides the first battle of 1991 there was the second battle of 2000, when the Sri Lankan army lost control of the pass to the LTTE. When they regained control in early 2009, it signalled the beginning of the end of this 30 year conflict.
We pass two monuments that have been erected to commemorate the end of the conflict. Monuments erected to glorify the end of a civil conflict can cause further resentment in a country that is looking to build bridges and mend fences. Perhaps they could be built with a sensitivity to the lives lost on both sides but I don’t believe that is the intention of these monuments.
After almost 12 hours of travelling we finally approach Jaffna. I am excited to be here in this city I had often wondered about but I have few preconceived notions of what I might expect. We are tired and hungry and turn into a new restaurant for a ‘Taste of Jaffna’! Soon, it will be time to explore and go meet the people of the north. 
There is a monument to Gamini Kularatne, who is now referred to as the ‘Hasalaka Hero’, Hasalaka being a farming hamlet near Kandy where he grew up. He was part of the forces in 1991 guarding Elephant Pass a strategic point and gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula when he decided to sacrifice his life to save the base. During 1991, the army were still in control here and whilst engaged in a ferocious battle with the LTTE, this soldier climbed on to an oncoming bulldozer tank and lobbed two grenades inside preventing the army base from being destroyed and the pass taken over. He paid the ultimate sacrifice that many soldiers are called to do, except this was a calculated decision he made fully understanding the consequences. 
Elephant Pass has been a strategic military stronghold since the days when our first colonial masters the Portuguese built a fort there in 1760. It is a little narrow strip of land that links the peninsula with the mainland. It is no surprise then that a few key battles were fought here during the war years as well. Besides the first battle of 1991 there was the second battle of 2000, when the Sri Lankan army lost control of the pass to the LTTE. When they regained control in early 2009, it signalled the beginning of the end of this 30 year conflict.We pass two monuments that have been erected to commemorate the end of the conflict. Monuments erected to glorify the end of a civil conflict can cause further resentment in a country that is looking to build bridges and mend fences. Perhaps they could be built with a sensitivity to the lives lost on both sides but I don’t believe that is the intention of these monuments.
After almost 12 hours of travelling we finally approach Jaffna. I am excited to be here in this city I had often wondered about but I have few preconceived notions of what I might expect. We are tired and hungry and turn into a new restaurant for a ‘Taste of Jaffna’! Soon, it will be time to explore and go meet the people of the north. 
We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment