| The German tsunami relief convoy reached the | | | | Northern Jaffna Peninsula from the rest of the island |
| Paranthan junction, which is the last northern point in | | | | in pre-colonial days and has now evolved into a |
| the mainland of Indian Ocean's war-torn island, where | | | | military epicenter of the civil war.The shallow waters |
| people lived in the midst of the civil war in 1996.I had | | | | through which elephants once carried goods into the |
| been there for a brief period of time when I was | | | | Jaffna peninsula, giving it the name Elephant Pass, |
| working with CARE International. The Elephant Pass | | | | have been a silent witness to the ebbs and flow of |
| strategic military camp of Sri Lanka Army was | | | | the northern conflict. Elephant Pass, the terrestrial |
| stationed there. The camp was a major coveted | | | | gateway to the Jaffna peninsula, is now under the |
| target for LTTE since their failed attempt in 1991 | | | | control of the Tigers. The fall of Elephant Pass has |
| along with heavy losses of cadres.When I was | | | | changed the military course of the whole conflict. The |
| staying in that vicinity in 1995, the vulnerability of that | | | | Dutch colonialists first built a small fortress in 1776, |
| area was an every day presence. The artillery shells | | | | which was converted in modern times into a rest |
| were pouring at times like thunderstorm. Some of | | | | house for tourists. After Independence a permanent |
| the shells had fallen near my house and in one | | | | garrison was set up there to check illicit immigration, |
| incident I narrowly escaped. But a known girl nearby | | | | smuggling and unlawful transport of timber.As the |
| died, of shock caused by the heavy explosion of an | | | | intensity of the ethnic conflict escalated, the strategic |
| artillery shell. I was able to recall how her two sisters | | | | importance of Elephant Pass also increased. The small |
| were crying when her body was being taken for | | | | camp gradually expanded into a sprawling complex. |
| cremation along the same high way on which I was | | | | At one time, the Elephant Pass base and the satellite |
| traveling with the German intern students in the relief | | | | camps covered an area of about 23 km long and |
| mission.After that incident and continuous artillery | | | | 8-10 km wide. While we were proceeding along in |
| shelling, the Area Director of CARE International in | | | | close proximity to Elephant Pass the Jaffna Lagoon |
| Kilinochchi asked me to get away from that area a | | | | on both sides of the high way triggered my thoughts |
| number of times. But I was reluctant to leave as I | | | | back to many of the personal experiences in the |
| was used to the artillery shelling and aerial bombings | | | | Jaffna Lagoon. I had traveled a number of times |
| since my childhood in the war-torn northern Jaffna | | | | crossing the lagoon from the mainland to the |
| Peninsula. But for the Area Director, her upbringing in | | | | peninsula and vice versa as travel through Elephant |
| the New York City in a calm and quiet atmosphere | | | | Pass was prohibited in 1995.The presence of the Sri |
| made it hard for her to accept my explanation.Finally | | | | Lankan military at the Elephant Pass made passage |
| I left that area for a while. But memories still came | | | | unsafe what with heavy land mines laid everywhere |
| alive when I was looking at the demolished buildings | | | | around the camp area.Even traveling on the lagoon |
| and the surroundings on the way. Our five-vehicle | | | | was unsafe as the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Navy |
| convoy was now speedily hurrying through a | | | | were warring with each other with heavy casualties |
| one-time No-Man Zone.The highway and the | | | | on both sides. The small boats used to start just |
| surroundings were once heavily mined areas. When | | | | before midnight, as the journey through the lagoon |
| we were passing the once strategic military camp | | | | would be invisible. The three hours journey crossing |
| and the destroyed tanks were telling signs of the | | | | the lagoon was enjoyable to me with lot of thrill and |
| war. The horrors of the war and the heat of the | | | | suspense until we reached the other end. LTTE |
| battle could be seen around the Elephant Pass Camp | | | | monitored the lagoon passage as they controlled |
| which was finally lost to the hands of LTTE in | | | | both coasts, the Kilali in the peninsula and the Nallur in |
| 1999.Elephant Pass has come a long way from being | | | | the mainland.Crossing the Elephant Pass was more |
| a stretch of shallow waters that separated the | | | | than a crossing and going back into the past to me! |