Jaffna: THE Army victory over POONERYN received a mammoth recognition in the JAFFNA peninsula when several hundreds of jubilant civilians on Monday (17) took to streets waving National Flags and shouting slogans against Tiger terrorists.  Cheering people lined up along JAFFNA town streets to watch the fleet of three-wheelers with fluttering National Flags atop and marching civilians in glee. Many youngsters while dancing to the tunes of base drums requested the troops to capture KILINOCHCHI as early as possible without letting Tigers to cripple normalcy in other areas of the country.  

Some energetic young men heralded the victory bursting fire-crackers as the procession with three-wheelers and civilians wended its way across JAFFNA streets. Police had to divert traffic on congested roads as the crowd and the vehicles joining the procession swelled.    

One banner carried in the procession questioned as to why the LTTE leadership, Velupillai Prabhakaran orders surrender of a child from each family when he does not let his children to fight.   

Liberation of the A-32 MANNAR- JAFFNA Highway has needless to say, rekindled new hopes for JAFFNA people who maintain very close family relations and other business interests with people in newly-liberated areas. Traders in JAFFNA were among the most benefited section since they would be able to make better profits out of their slashed prices once the road remains open with intensification of fresh supplies to the peninsula through land routes.

Monday’s expression of public solidarity for members of the Security Forces for the first time in the recent history, even disregarding possible LTTE reprisals and risks to their own lives, showcased the turn of the tide that remained hitherto, partial to the LTTE but now it is no longer. The jubilation continued for about four hours before the crowd dispersed.