By Roger Srivasan
Recently, Lonely Planet placed Jaffna among its top 25 destinations to visit in 2026 — a gesture that
went beyond delighting travellers. It rekindled hope in a city once scarred by decades of conflict,
isolation, and occupation. Jaffna, long the intellectual and cultural heartland of the Tamil people, is
now emerging from the smouldering cinders of war into a dawn of renewal. Private lands that had
been held for “security purposes” are gradually being restored to their rightful owners. The return of
land brings with it not only dignity but also the promise of economic resurrection.
For the first time in living memory, optimism outweighs despair. Streets once silent are humming
again; cafés, libraries, and temples are drawing people back into civic life. What Jaffna needs now is
not pity, but a plan — a blueprint to rebuild itself into a city that mirrors its people’s resilience: clean,
orderly, cultured, and prosperous.
When one speaks of turning Jaffna into the “Switzerland of Sri Lanka,” it is not an idle metaphor. It is
an aspiration for precision, cleanliness, and equity — a landscape where efficiency meets beauty, where governance inspires trust, and where peace becomes a daily practice. Switzerland is not
defined by snow alone; it is defined by systems that work, citizens who care, and the quiet pride of a
nation that values harmony above hubris.
Jaffna can, in its own tropical idiom, embody those same principles: transparent governance, spotless
streets, green public spaces, fair opportunity, and respect for both heritage and modernity. Such a
transformation need not mimic Europe; it can be an indigenous reinvention that blends Tamil cultural
grace with international standards of urban excellence.
The Tamil diaspora — vast, skilled, and prosperous — remains Jaffna’s greatest untapped strength.
Decades of migration turned tragedy into triumph abroad, producing a global community of
professionals, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists who now yearn to give back. What Jaffna requires is
a trustworthy and transparent vehicle through which this goodwill can flow. A Diaspora Reconstruction Fund, with independent oversight and clear accountability, could channel
small and large inve
