Jaffna Musings: Displaced People, KP And KG
By Sumanasiri Liyanage -February 14, 2015
Sumanasiri Liyanage
On February 5 early morning, I took the Chinese built intercity train to Kankasanturai that ran on an Indian tracks after Vavunia. The train took more than 7 hours to reach Jaffna, my destination. This time I travelled by train after 35 years being my last train journey to Jaffna in July 1980, during the time of the General Strike. I visited Jaffna several times during July strike most of the time with late Comrade U E Perera who was the President of then powerful Railway Workers Union. Opening up of railway to North is undoubtedly commendable. My last visit to Jaffna on A9 was in 2011 for the demonstration and rally organized by the FUTA. Since 2011, things have changed considerably, new constructions in Kilinochchi, better roads, housing schemes by the Indian government. While we were passing Kilinochchi, I asked my Taiwanese friend who was travelling with me if he could say this was the area where an intense armed battle occurred about five years ago. His answer was emphatic no. As we have always been told an appearance may be deceiving especially when more complex questions are raised. Looking at the new roads, shopping malls, government offices, public school and hospital buildings and others, it looked Jaffna and the North have come back to normal after 35 years of war and destruction. However, the story is partly true and developments like in other places are deceptive and lop-sided.
Now there is a government at the center supported by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and a provincial council with TNA Chief Minister and the cabinet. It was said that the TNA supported Maithreepala Sirisena unconditionally to extend and establish democracy in general. The people in Jaffna voted overwhelmingly to Maithreepala Sirisena in spite of the fact that the number of votes to Mahinda Rajapaksa had also shown a significant increase. By democracy, the people in Jaffna and Vanni might have thought and expected something different from what the TNA meant. TNA led Provincial Council correctly informed the people that it cannot operate according to its plan because of the intervention of the central government controlled byMahinda Rajapaksa. Now thing has changed. A new Governor was appointed, new provincial secretary is now in charge. In such a circumstances, it is totally justified for people in Jaffna and Vanni to think and expect that things would be moving in the right direction. People are patiently waiting to get their hopes and expectations fulfilled.Read More