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