Jaffna, a symbol of Ealam war

By Nirupama Subramanian

NEW DELHI, MAY 13. If the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) succeeds in wresting control of Jaffna peninsula from the Sri Lankan forces, it would imply a victory over much more than just another piece of real estate.

Through years of armed conflict, Jaffna has been the ultimate prize in the Eelam war. Capital of an independent medieval kingdom, it was an important outpost for successive colonial rulers.

A fort built by the Dutch is still its most important landmark. Notwithstanding its arid landscape, it was the second most important city of independent Sri Lanka after Colombo, a centre of Tamil erudition and learning and the seat of its culture and traditions.

But, most of it has been lost in years of war. In the 80s, the cradle of culture became a centre of militancy. The LTTE leader, Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran, and many top rankers are from Valvettithurai, a fishing village in north-eastern Jaffna peninsula.

Large-scale migration of Tamils from the peninsula, the constant internal displacement of those who have not been able to migrate and the early destruction of its most important cultural symbol, the Jaffna library, have left the social and cultural fabric of the peninsula in tatters.

Yet, Jaffna is the most important psychological symbol of the Eelam war. It was from here that the LTTE established a de facto Eelam between 1990 and 1995, after the exit of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

The Tigers collected taxes, had an independent police and judiciary and printed their own stamps and currency.

The capture of Jaffna by the Sri Lankan armed forces in 1995-96, in three massive operations, was therefore symbolically significant. The then Deputy Defence Minister, Mr. Anuruddha Ratwatte, even presented a victory scroll to the President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, in a ceremony that harked back to the medieval age.

As the two sides are once again locked in a battle for this prized piece of territory, the Tigers will no doubt use their intimate knowledge of the battlefield, to their advantage.

If the Tigers gain control over Jaffna, it would be the first time they would have fought for it, and that would be used by the LTTE to boost its image among the Tamils at home and abroad.

In many ways, the Sri Lankan Army was the first to foresee the present situation. Top military brass posted at Jaffna emphasised that the Army could not be expected to hang on there indefinitely and Army control of the peninsula was no substitute for devolved civilian rule. But as events have proved, the Sri Lankan polity failed to build on the victories of its armed forces, dragging its soldiers deeper and deeper into a war that many commentators have described as ``unwinnable'' for either side.

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