Cheered by tens of thousands of people, a train decorated with banana plants and colourful flower garlands arrived in Sri Lanka’s northern Tamil heartland on Monday, 24 years after the “Queen of Jaffna” was suspended because of the civil war.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa bought a ticket and boarded the train for the last 43 kilometres of the journey and opened several railway stations along the way.
Yarl Devi as it is known in Tamil, was once a popular mode of transport between the ethnic Tamil-majority north and the Sinhala-majority south.
It was scaled back in 1990 because of the heightening civil war between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels.
The war raged from 1983 to 2009 when Sri Lankan troops crushed the rebels.
“This is not just a train journey but a bridge between north and south,” Mr Rajapaksa said on-board the train.
“Today what is left to us is to win over hearts and minds, healing of minds. I think this train journey today will help connect hearts and minds once again.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
