Dispelling Perceptions Of uncaring Government In The North
June 25, 2012
By Jehan Perera -
Jehan Perera
Those who travel from Colombo to the north, be they nationals of Sri Lanka or foreigners, are likely to be impressed by the developments that they see when they travel by road. The view on the A9 Highway, once called the Highway of Death due to the scores of lives lost in fighting to control it, is a constantly improving one. The journey now takes around ten hours, down considerably from what it used to be. The well constructed roads make travel most comfortable and the main source of concern would be traffic police waiting in the shadows to catch speeding drivers. The roadside restaurants are numerous and more and more of them offer clean restrooms that were rare in the past. At journey’s end there are a range of hotels to choose from, some even equipped with swimming pools. These developments that are visible and earn the praise of nationals and foreigners alike are a result of the macro-economic policies of the government.
The government has utilized the international assistance that has come to the country to focus on infrastructure projects, such as roads, government offices, schools and hospitals. These are visible signs of development. The security forces that were once so visible on the roads have now been mostly withdrawn and this too is pleasing to the traveler who resents being stopped at security checkpoints. However, there is one major checkpoint at Omathai, which was the dividing line between government-controlled and LTTE-controlled territory along the A9 Highway to Jaffna. This checkpoint still operates and bus travellers have to disembark with their bags and make the crossing. Foreigners are questioned as to why they are travelling to the north, why they visited Sri Lanka, what are they doing as employment and other such intrusive questions that make them uneasy. But for Sri Lankans there are little or no questions that are asked.
