New Delhi’s concern for Sri Lanka’s Tamils and poverty of Indians
Posted on August 2nd, 2013
Asada M Erpini
A report by Kuldip Nayar that appeared in Island on 01 August should be food for thought to the Indian Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, if they are really concerned about the Tamils domiciled abroad or living within India. The report states that 65% of Indians are poor and 35% of them are destitute. Nayar continues, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-add dimensions other than food, you end up comparing India with backward countries in AfricaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. These data are not anything that the Indian leaders can be proud of: yet, the Indian Prime MinisterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”magnanimityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ towards Sri Lanka Tamils and his professed determination to uplift their living conditions seem to know no bounds.
Two recurring themes obviously are giving the Prime Minister of India, a country of over 1.2 billion people, and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, one of IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s constituent states of nearly 70 million Tamils, endless sleepless nights. While the former never seems to get tired of talking about the need for an opportunity for the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tamil community (in Sri Lanka) to lead a life of dignity, as equal citizensƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, the latter is forever pleading with the Centre for a firm hand against Sri Lanka and its Navy when the Tamil Nadu fishermen who illegally enter Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s territorial waters and rob the Northern Tamils of the island nation of their livelihood are arrested.
The Indian Prime Minister, as reported in the media on 25 July, states that New Delhi would work towards ensuring, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tamils (of Sri Lanka) are masters of their own destinyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. On 19 June, another report quoted him as having said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-India would make every effort to ensure the achievement of a future for the (Sri Lanka Tamil) community marked by equality, justice and self-respect”. Prior to that, a report dated March 15, 2012 that has been quoted by SCAD, a charity that is pleading for contributions, points out that nearly half the population in Tamil Nadu do not have proper toilets and, according to IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 2011 Census, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-45% of the stateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s population resorts to open defecation due to the lack of sanitation facilitiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
Tamils of Sri Lanka probably are grateful to the Indian Prime Minister that he has so much of time and energy to be spent on their welfare. Or, are they? A good proportion of even the Tamils, on the other hand, may wish that India leaves Sri Lanka and its Tamils alone so that the latter could manage their affairs as best as they could. IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”helpƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ during the past many decades that transformed a rag tag bunch of street thugs to a gang of ruthless killers, who, in the pursuit of deliverance of Tamils from the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”persecutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by the Sinhala government and the Sinhalese people, dragged a generation of Tamils to their doom clearly will be fresh in their minds.
Mister Prime Minister of India, Sri Lanka and its citizens are capable of dealing with the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s problems. You have enough stinking and nauseating matters in your own backyard that are crying for attention.
August 2nd, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Telagana violence is what will happen in Colombo and Jaffna after NPC election.
“In a statement that could have violent repercussions, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K Chandrasekhara Rao said state government employees from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra who are working in Telangana should go back to their respective regions.
He said this to a delegation of Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers Association here while the other two regions, known as Seema-Andhra, witnessed violent protests against the division of Andhra Pradesh for the third consecutive day on Friday.
“Andhra employees working here should move back to their respective places. Telangana people would work in our government. Andhra people can work for the government there,” Rao said.
KCR said people from the other regions had deprived the locals by usurping jobs and promotions in Telangana.
KCR’s remarks came even as the Seema-Andhra employees in the state secretariat were holding rallies against separate statehood for Telangana, expressing concern over their safety and future.”
August 3rd, 2013 at 1:45 pm
India want Sri Lanka to treat the Tamils in an exceptional manner even after they tried to divide the nation by military means, and yet India does not even have a conciliatory word for the Singhalese. The answer is simple. Sri Lanka should treat the Tamils in the same manner that Singhalese are treated in Tamil Nadu and how the Indian Tamil fishermen treat the maritime boundaries of Sri Lanka. Unless the leaders of Tamil Nadu stop their diatribe on Colombo no progress can be made regarding the Sri Lankan Tamils.
August 3rd, 2013 at 3:23 pm
If you scroll up a bit along the articles, you will see that Tamil women are being taken into the SL Army. That is how we in Lanka treat our minorities – with fair play. We hope the gesture is reciprocated.
As for poverty in India – it is endemic. Poverty and dirt are part and parcel of daily Indian life. 80% of India are Hindu with
around 13% Muslim. Buddhists count a mere 0.8%.
August 3rd, 2013 at 8:34 pm
India must be in a different world. Tamils and Muslims are the richest people in Sri Lanka. See the condominums the Tamls build in wellawatta, mt lavinia areas. Most amazing. It is the Sinahlese who are paupers
August 4th, 2013 at 7:33 am
My hat’s off to patriots who write boldly and courageously for motherland. We have very few and you are one