Jaffna international airport declared opened -- Because of national anthem issue ... only music -- building operations still not over

Jaffna international airport declared opened -- Because of national anthem issue ... only music -- building operations still not over

A new chapter was opened in the field of civil aviation in Sri Lanka with Jaffna international airport being declared opened this morning. President Maithripala Sirisena, prime minister Ranil Wickremasingha, Arjuna Ranatunga, high commissioner of India, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and a large number of diplomats were present on the occasion. 

After a wonderful opportunity of Jaffna international airport being opened in the Indian zone, facilities would be available for air travel from Ratmalana to Jaffna, Jaffna to Chennai while air travel
of Tamil nationals travelling to India as well as Sinhala Buddhist devotees travelling to Dambadiva would be facilitated. 

Before this, Jaffna international airport was created after the runway of Palali was renovated which incidentally was affiliated to the air force and though by the time the ceremony took effect it was in a state where flights could operate; there was a large number of external tasks to be attended to and thus this opening has gone into motion, it is understood. 

In the meantime a controversial point had developed sometime back whether the national anthem was to be sung in Sinhala or Tamil at the ceremony and finally the music pertaining to the anthem took its place, it is reported. Though children were invited to the ceremony-hall to sing the national anthem, no such effect was to be seen.