India’s Plans for Sri Lanka post-LTTE
Posted on January 31st, 2012
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shenali Waduge
We cannot deny the historical links shared between Sri Lanka and India. We cannot also forget decades of IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s aggression camouflaged by diplomatic niceties with post-war observing an India totally in denial of its own links & support of LTTE terrorism. So much so that IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s concern is none other than the Tamil civilians of the north and east and a steady flow of Indian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-assistanceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-takenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ without argument. A Government that politically & militarily defeated terrorism should not need to fear ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-influencesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for a nation backs any Government that does not compromise the territorial sovereignty and integrity of that country. This type of public backing is more powerful than any external military force should that be one of the threats being used. Just as the People must have confidence in the Government the Government must ensure that it is worthy of receiving the backing of the People. Must we remind India of its lists of interventions ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” through the LTTE, arrival of the IPKF, through economic assistance and now a steady flow of labor! The people are watching.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Some of IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s actions can never be explained and their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-pettinessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ devalues its aspirations to become a global power house and win a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In foreign relations and political pleasantries there is no give and take. Giving becomes a sequel to the taking ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Bangladesh is a good example. India has managed to coerce self-involvement in varied humanitarian programs, development projects as well as use the Tamil National Alliance as its mouthpiece in local politics. A mistake of the GOSL was not to politically silence the TNA claiming it to be no mouthpiece of the Tamil people but only the voice of the LTTE, the Tamil Diaspora and the high castes of Sri Lanka. Had the GOSL done that India would have been left to search for a mouthpiece other than the TNA!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So it baffles us to why the TNA has been accepted in politics and it explains the current demands made through the TNA for something called a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-political solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, implementation of the 13th amendment, devolution of land and police powers, remerger of the north and east. These wishlists no doubt are sent from India. Therefore, when proposals come for ferry links, Indian consulates, Indian projects & Indian personnel in the north their presence should immediately warrant greater intelligence and greater information gathering.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India used Sri Lanka as a tool to appease Tamil Nadu. With LTTE no more India needs to give Tamil Nadu assurance that pre-LTTE and post-LTTE sees no major differences. We are well aware that the LTTE international network was a thriving business generating money from varied illegal businesses. For India the LTTE was a tool to advance its own agenda laid out by Brahmin North and that will never allow an Eelaam in Sri Lanka or Tamil Nadu. Indian Governmental involvement was to only make sure that if things went out of control India would be able to immediately annex the northern tip to India & east of Sri Lanka becomes a bonus for IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ambitious plans in the sub continent. GOSL never let go of Trincomalee at any cost!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military has opted to continue most of the high security zone areas and maintain its personnel throughout the north and east is a concern to India. It is something India cannot object to so instead the alternative has been to use the TNA to attack the military, using NGOs and locals to bring allegations against the military with the motive to depict a sense of fear amongst civilians against the military. These plans are very clear to us and we wonder why all these parties kept mum throughout the times LTTE abducted Tamil children, punished all those going against the LTTE with death, forcefully took peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s property, money and jewellery? Did any of these people speak against the LTTE?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We need not remind India or the TNA that it did nothing for those Tamils that suffered at the hands of the LTTE. It was the poor & the low caste Tamils used as scapegoats so India, TNA, NGOs & foreign governments should feel ashamed.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What of the calls for devolution of power to the north and east provinces and the implementation of the 13th amendment. For starters it is an amendment that was forced upon a sovereign nation and should be annulled. The Tamils are a minority in the east and devolving police and land powers does not address any demands of the ordinary people. These devolutions will only serve the interest of India and the puppets that India choose to back as political parties in Sri Lanka. India is well aware of Tamil NaduƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s desire for self-determination and the State has managed to successfully plant politicians who function for the love of themselves alone. Thus, with Tamil NaduƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s self determination bids on hold it has served India to consider the north of Sri Lanka and east where Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s natural harbor could boost IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s geopolitical ambitions in the long term.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India as history will remind us has been using a range of policy approaches in Sri Lanka from passive to aggressive and now to being a friend showering offers Sri Lanka cannot refuse. India has learnt aggression has only resulted in causing a deep resentment amongst the South against India though overshowerings of affections have not changed the sentiments of the South towards India. We do not trust India.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Key to IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s post-LTTE involvement in Sri Lanka is the economic integration. The CEPA, FTAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s are some of the agreements that are detrimental to Sri Lanka and if signed by politicians and secretaries who care not the least for Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sovereign status these will afford far dangerous repercussions. The fishing issues are another way India is using to exert its bully tactics. India has agreed to build houses for Tamils, roads for Tamils and trains for TamilsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦why did India not give citizenship for Tamils especially those who sought refuge in India as way aback as the 1980sƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦why were these people kept in camps?
Why is India not magnanimous enough to extend citizenship in India/Tamil Nadu for all those that seem to abhor living in Sri Lanka or calling themselves Sri Lankan?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As a democratic country no foreign government and especially no persons drawing monthly salaries and mere mouthpieces of the mandates of these organizations can demand Sri Lanka to function to their own dictates. If the public says NO to the 13A ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” plus or minus, the Government has to honor that wish. The Government is to be reminded that it is only the custodian of governance of the People. To avoid ambiguities and to cease making a mockery of the country it is time for the world to be directly told that there would be NO devolution of powers ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” land, police or finance and that demands for the implementation of such should not be brought forth for any future talks. Even India would appreciate if our leaders put their cards properly across the table without leading the nation astray. Any country will be more than willing to discuss gaining the sun & the moon from us but it is upto us to ensure we know what we are offering. We have two big players in the form of China & India already very much involved in a spate of activities throughout the island. Our biggest question is how much of the movements and actions of these nations are being followed by our Government or have they been given a carte blanche?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All that needs to be said is that the Indian Government has been duping Tamil Nadu, the LTTE, the Tamil Diaspora and all those that aspire for a Tamil Eelaam either in Sri Lanka and especially in Tamil Nadu. India will never allow an Eelaam in either territoryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦but India was willing to ride along so long as India was party to all the talks, India was party to the bargainingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and India had the final say. India was even willing to accommodate the theatrics of self-serving politicians in Tamil Nadu and illiterate others who set themselves on fire! So we can understand how the LTTE eventually branched out to become a terrorist movement that decided to make a whole load of money using ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-self-determinationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as their theme and all those foreign & local ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-representativesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the LTTE cause were also making money pretending to work for the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rights of the Tamil peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If liberation of the Tamil people was the central and only motive ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” no single Tamil should have died, no single Tamil child would have been kidnapped and trained to kill, no Tamil would have suffered fatally for going against the LTTE. May we remind the world that it was 294,000 Tamil civilians that were kept as human shields by the LTTE that were rescued by Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military. It was at one of these rescue camps that an LTTE suicide bomber pretending to be a civilian blew herself up killing scores of Tamil children/women including women soldiers who were providing treatment for Tamil civilians who had been denied food by the LTTE. If the Sinhalese has been discriminating why are Tamils leading better lives than most of the Sinhalese?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the light of these realities the UNSGƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Panel Report, the Channel 4 film become evidence of the hypocrisies that prevail just as foreign parliamentarians who become mouthpieces for the LTTE on the gratefulness of the funds given or the votes that come their way. Besides we have ample footage of how Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s military bravely rescued Tamil men, women & childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦how they carried the ailing, how they fed those that were denied food & water by the LTTE, how our military dressed the wounds of Tamil people who had been shot at while fleeing the LTTE ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.these footage are far humanitarian and give an everlasting picture of the greatness of our heroes than some blurred pictures meant to tarnish our nation.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To India all we need to say is that our country has bore 30 years of suffering to ensure IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s South was not divided. Thirty years is no small number and it merits India to allow Sri Lanka some breathing space. We are approaching 64 years of independence and exactly half of that post-independence has been to deal with bombs, suicides, assassinations & killings. Now that militarily the LTTE has been defeated India should leave Sri Lanka alone and trust in us that we would not allow LTTE to prevail especially if it means it would be a risk to India.
Terrorism has become a useful tool for nations and governments to forward other agendas but it does come with collateral damage and that damage is something our nation does not wish for any country ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦even India.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Quote: India will never allow an Eelaam in either territory
This is the old view. Not valid anymore.
Actually India is actively pushing for Tamil Elam. The only danger it has is, separatism in India. The possibility of Tamil Nadu independence from India.
But what if Tamil Nadu leaders (docile as they are) are happy to have the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka and be satisfied with that? This is what is happening.
India is following the Malaysia-Singapore model for Tamil Elam.
Highly influential Chinese population in Malaysia with the help from Mainland China agitated for a seperate state. Mainland China saw it and instigated it because Malacca Strait is the most important shipping hub for China. China wanted Chinese rule of Singapore. Malaysia succumbed to pressure. Malaysian Chinese population percenatge reduced as they became Singapore but a significant percentage of Chinese remained. But they never demanded a seperate nation after Singapore. No further disintegration of any other country thereafter. This is what the US-EU-India group is trying in Sri Lanka.
It is safe, secure, militarily, economically and politically for Tamil Nadu to remain part of India and have a satellite state of Tamils in Sri Lanka. TNA is a tool of Tamil Nadu. So the independent nation of Tamil Elam will be ruled by Tamil Nadu leaders through proxies. What more do they want? Best of being part of India and the benefits of ruling an independent Tamil nation.
India is working for Tamil Elam a seperate independent nation of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Contrary to HL de Silva’s claim, Tamil Elam is not the epitaph of India but the birth of New Colonial India (like China in Tibet). It will only be the epitalh of peaceful coexistence in Sri Lanka.
I will write a detailed article on this.
February 1st, 2012 at 4:06 am
We cannot deny the historical links shared between Sri Lanka and India”
There was no India before the British Raj made it in the latter part of 18th century; there were a host of different nations in the Indian subcontinent.
Yes, the island nation had intermittent historical links with these different nations as it is only 12 miles across the sea, but a long distance (travel time and chance of reaching the other shore) before India was made.
Rawana+Rama. Kuweni+Wijaya and Buddhism+Asoka to name a few.
It is a different story after the arrival of Indians from the Malabar Coast with British Raj to take over the Dutch possessions from the Dutch Stadtholder in 1792.
The British used violent aggression and oppression enhanced by Indian non-violent aggression and oppression. The wounds of violent aggression and oppression are visible while wounds of non-violent aggression and oppression are not but the suffering is the worst
February 1st, 2012 at 5:09 am
A “steady flow of labor from India” ! Scary stuff here. Is this is to counter Chinese labor in Lanka ? May be it is time we only had local labor. Isn’t Lanka is getting too embroiled in international issues, post-war with ltte ?
* We already have Tamil Nadu illegal migrants galore here. It is time to identify and deport them.
* Our cultural connections with North India (Buddhism) should be separate from other issues.
* An Oath of Allegiance a must for all true born Lankans.
* Send Millions of Petitions to Parliament via the Speaker to remove 13-A forever.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:26 am
Ref:India will never allow an Eelaam in either territory -This is the old view. Not valid anymore.
Dilrook
Very interesting – Hope Srilanka Tamil won’t messup like they done it in 1987 (13A fully implemention before IPKF leaving from Srilanka)
February 1st, 2012 at 4:16 pm
It’s interesting how many Sri Lankans have decided to work in India and/or be educated in India (For a starter Shenali was one).
In 2009/10 i can vouch for over 1000 Sri lankans seeking sought after IT jobs with Microsoft in Bangalore, Kerala and Chennai. Further influx of Sri Lankan labour to India and Bangladesh in the apparel industry following the Euro GSP withdrawal.
Countless number of Lankan students applying to elite Indian Universities like IIT and on apprentices with Indian Conglomerates with a view to work in the West.
20% of Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka are Indians.
India dump cheap plastic, textile,cement and all other products that are surplus to their requirements to Lanka cheaper that the Chinese.
I regret to say, India is our powerful neighbour
February 1st, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Marco,
Those who study in India pay for it. India is not doing them a favour!
MOST (not all) of those who go to work in India are RECENT Indian migrants. They add to the Indian economy!
20% of tourists may be from India but value wise it is only 5%. They spend very little.
Indian goods are the most inferior in quality. Including pharmaceutical products.
We have a more powerful neighbour than India. Militarily, economically and socially, it is CLOSER than India. India has NO veto power but this neighbour has.
Bangladesh is not India.
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:17 am
I agree with Dilrook’s comments. Threats from TN and India are very serious. We need to have strategic planning and should be prepared to defend our country. We should develop adequate defence capabilities to defend the country. We need to learn to be competitive and need to dump unproven Indian myths, (just as Indians have dumped them ) and develop critical thinking skills. As mentioned before, we live in a dangerous world and we cannot survive being passive and ‘Dharmishta’ and seeking a fools paradise of Nirvana. Developing survival skills are essential. At the same time law and order and fairness to all is essential.
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:12 am
Ben_silva
We both know What Lord Bhuddha thought us very well!
We both community (as a family )clever enough to sort out our own problm with out others intevention !
outsiders always have hidin agenda !
eg: if in a family (husband & wife) have problm if We(I) involve to sort out their problm I will have eye of his wife is not it ?
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:12 am
Sri Lankans need to solve problems themselves and need to help each other and have a duty of care. Whay I fear is racist conduct of Tamils in Tamil Nadu. Not all Tamils are racist. What Andy saiid is not clear.
February 2nd, 2012 at 2:01 pm
No point in arguing with fake “patriot” Ben Silva. Anyone can google “Christian School of Buddhism – Nibbana is Extinction!” by Ratnapala for more on this. It is pretty obvious what Ratnapala said so long ago when looking at Citizen K’s article on making the cross during cricket where Ben Silva has very carefully chosen his words to avoid offending someone (his funding source).
Lets look at some of the myths of India today like worshiping cows, Sati pooja (until recently), worshiping rats, bathing with dead bodies in the Ganges, beating up low caste people etc. etc. etc. All of these are incompatible with Buddhism. Had it not been for Buddhism, the Sinhalese would have become Indianized long, long ago, considering the many Indian myths Buddhists believe in today like horoscopes, believing in Murugan (Kataragama) and goddess Kali etc.
All Ben Silva wants is to create the vacuum to allow Christianity into Sri Lanka. Patriotism is his disguise.
Thanks to true patriots like Soma Hamuduruwo, Prof. Nalin Silva, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara etc. patriotism became the norm after the bad times of Chandrika Kumarathunga when patriotism was equated to racism. None of these patriots advocated what Ben Silva does, instead they promoted Buddhism. Unfortunately it also allowed quite a number of people with hidden agendas jump on to the patriotic bandwagon.
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:46 pm
All Lankans who care about our one and only homeland should get together to prevent division of the country. Each of us has something to contribute. We can do it, we have a common goal, let’s stay with it.
Ben means well – he just wants Lankans never to go to sleep on our problems, but think ahead and prepare with the necessary action and put the required Laws in place.
Buddhism will always have a place here for our Spiritual Needs as Truth cannot be destroyed. Right now we have to look after the country, post war with ltte, and set things right for all the future generations. Also, our Material Needs must be met. Let’s put our thinking caps on and work together !
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Agree with Fran.
“Ben means well – he just wants Lankans never to go to sleep on our problems, but think ahead and prepare with the necessary action and put the required Laws in place.”
If we emphasise on DIFFERENCES amongst pro-SL crowd we can find plenty.
1. Religious affiliations. (you Buddhist, I Christian, he Muslim and lets bash each other – division)
2. Ethnicity. (you Muslim, he Sinhalese – division)
3. Politics (you SLFP, I UNP, he JVP, he JHU lets kill each other – division)
4. Views (you disagree on that with me so I disagree on this with you – division)
5. Definition of peace (you don’t like DD, Karuna, I love them so lets hammer each other – division)
If you look at what’s good for SL, there is some good in ALL these.
We should pick all these fellows in our war march.
Look at prince Dutugemunu’s army. There were gentlemen, drunkards, womanisers, thugs, monks, people branded as “wicked”, etc. We need them ALL.
If you a patriot NO MATTER WHAT race, caste, ethnicity, religion/irreligion, political views, climate change views, etc. you hold WE NEED YOU.
To go further, if you a patriot NO MATTER WHAT crime you have committed against pro-TEs it does not matter. We need you.
If you are branded a war criminal by ANY Tamil group (peaceful, violent or whatever), you are a war HERO and we need you.
Let’s work together until we win back the UNITARY Sinhala Buddhist ruling SL in every nook and corner of the island.
After that we can fight among us to share the loot!! :)
February 3rd, 2012 at 3:45 am
Lorenzo
UNITARY Sinhala Buddhist ruling SL in every nook – Well done !
a war criminal by ANY Tamil group (peaceful, violent or whatever), you are a war HERO – Well said !
God bless you Lorenzo !!!
Ben_silva
Not all Tamils are racist- Agreed !
We Saivite Tamils are not rasict like what Lorenzo think !
Yes We are not patriodic to our mother lanka for last 64 years ! Why ??? We do not know?
Can you our chinhala brothers & sister help us ?