IT WILL NOT BE WRONG to say that Kilinochchi has received two New Year gifts in just four months. On January 2, 2009, Security Forces regained Kilinochchi, heralding a new era for this major Northern city that was dominated by the LTTE for around two decades.
Kilinochchi was their administrative hub after the fall of Jaffna. It is where they had the so-called LTTE Peace Secretariat, the Voice of Tigers Radio and several other military and administrative buildings. It is where the Tiger leaders met visiting foreign dignitaries during the flawed ceasefire period. Yet, this was a facade. The people of Kilinochchi suffered under the tyranny of the LTTE, which ironically claimed to ‘liberate’ all Tamils.
Now, Kilinochchi is free. The Tigers are no more in Kilinochchi or for that matter, in the entire North except for a very small land area.
Normality is slowly but steadily returning to this war-ravaged city. And yesterday, Kilinochchi received another precious New Year gift.
The ‘gift’ was a surprise visit to the city by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the architect of the campaign to restore unity to the Motherland.
In fact, this was the first visit to Kilinochchi by a Head of State.(Courtesy: Daily News)
