A9 highway connects Kandy, the cradle of Sinhalese culture and history, to Jaffna, the crucible of Tamil culture and history. This 321-kilometre-long beautiful highway runs through middle of the island nation, vertically dividing the country. It was known as the “highway of death” till the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was defeated in 2009.
There can’t be a better metaphor to describe the deep racial divisions still present here. After the decimation of LTTE, geographically, the island has become one, but it still remains a divided nation, mentally. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka Presidential Polls: Perception Favours Anura, Numbers Sajith & Ranil, Namal Under No Pressure To Win Vavuniya is the southernmost Tamil-dominated town in the overwhelmingly Tamil dominated northern province whose capital is Jaffna.
During 25 years of civil war, Vavuniya was held by the Sri Lankan government. The Tigers territory started a few kilometres after Vavuniya. It was almost impossible to cross the border without trouble.
Both sides had built multiple check points, bunkers, watch towers and had stationed a large contingent of troops. Moreover, one had to obtain an entry permit or an LTTE visa. If you drive on the highway now, you don’t even notice the border.
It is a seamless road. The physical barrier has long disappeared, but the mental barriers still remain. Once you cross Vavuniya, new houses, commercial establishments, schools, colleges and hospitals greet you on both sides of t.