CHOGM-What does it matter Manmohan Singh comes or not, or Stephen Harper boycotts it ?
Posted on November 7th, 2013
By Charles.S.Perera
‚ CHOGM is a bi-annual meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Governments.‚ It is like an association of‚ past Students‚ of a school.‚ Being a meeting of politicians they talk about politics as it affects them and each other.‚ Governing a country is no easy matter.‚ There are those who are critical, and those who are supportive. There are those who are rational and those who are irrational.
‚ Each country has different problems that require different solutions .‚ Therefore, there is no effort on the part of those attending the CHOGM to evolve a unitary method of solving problems or keeping the antagonist forces together.
‚ It is an opportunity for the Heads of Governments of the Commonwealth to understand the cultural difference of participants and understand that each country has ‚ to adopt different methods to solve problems they have, be they economic, social or human rights , in keeping with each others cultural, social, and economic back ground.
‚ CHOGM ‚ is not‚ an occasion for them to advise each other as to how they should govern and solves their problems , but to understand why the same problems in the 53 different member countries of the Commonwealth ‚ have different solutions ‚ according to cultural, social and economic back ground of ‚ each country.
‚ It is this difference, and the understanding of that difference, that brings together the Countries of the Commonwealth not to face accusations but to understand that in politics what is sauce for the goose, is not the sauce for the gander.‚ Therefore, the Heads of Governments attending CHOGM should not have ‚ individual agendas to respect.‚
‚ They are not participating or not in the CHOGM for the wants of the electors back home, but as governments of the Commonwealth, governed by different people of different backgrounds to understand better and share ‚ the solution each one of them has for their political problems.
‚ Sri Lanka-â„¢s main problem comes from the Tamil minority Community which refuses to accept the hand of fraternity extended ‚ to them by the Sinhala majority Community and seeks a solution separated from the Sinhala Community.‚ However much the Government seeks reconciliation with the Tamils, they ‚ refuse to cooperate, and have‚ ‚ friendly ties to build a Nation together with the rest of the of the Communities.‚
‚ The solution to this should be found by Sri Lanka alone, and not by other governments who have their own problems which are not the same as that of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka could use legal, cultural, social and religious incentives to bring the Tamils in to the fold.‚ It is for Sri Lanka Government to experiment with, and not on the advice of the other member States of the Commonwealth who‚ are unable to understand the problem in the given context. More over‚ doing so would ‚ be an interference into the internal affairs of the country which is not a gesture expected at a CHOGM.
‚ The Leaders of the Governments of the Commonwealth do not attend the CHOGM for the want of the people of the respective countries, because it‚ has become now a custom for the these heads of‚ States‚ to meet bi-annually in different member Countries of the Commonwealth as venue.‚ They may discuss political matters affecting each other and make a report of the outcome and ‚ discussions to their people.
‚ It is the duty of the UK Prime Minster David Cameron to attend the CHOGM as the Commonwealth is a British brain child.‚ Nevertheless, he comes as an equal member of the Commonwealth of Nations.‚ It would be wrong for him to attend the CHOGM to fulfil the demands of the Tamils in Great Britain. ‚
‚ David Cameron need not go to the North of Sri Lanka because the Tamil Community wants him to do so, because that would be an interference into the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.
‚ David Cameron should have the courage to tell the Tamils living in UK with British Passports that they are British Tamils.‚ Their allegiance is to UK and the affairs of UK. They have no right as British subjects to contribute in any way‚ for the separation of Communities in Sri Lanka which is a Member of the Commonwealth with its own rights and privileges as a Sovereign State. ‚ Cameron should emphasise that their continued activities against a Member Nation of the Commonwealth will result in the suspension of their citizenship as such activity would cause a diplomatic crisis.
‚ In India David Cameron said about Indians in UK, “We want to see British Hindus, British Indians in the top of our judiciary, we want to see them at the top of our armed forces and we also want to see them at the top of our politics,”‚ ‚
‚ For that to be so the British Indians should have unflagging allegiance to Britain, without interfering in the affairs of India in a manner detrimental to India. Similarly, the British Tamils too should‚ show their allegiance to‚ Britain‚ and stop interfering into the internal affairs of Sri Lanka in a manner detrimental to it.
‚ In Sri Lanka too, the Government ‚ would like the Tamils to shed their separatist cloak, and engage wholely and completely in the development process holding the hands of‚ unity with all those who people Sri Lanka.
‚ It is also the duty of Manmohan Singh the Prime Minster of India to attend the CHOGM, being the head of an important Government of the Commonwealth and a neighbour, if not a friend of Sri Lanka.‚ His inability to make up his mind to do his duty through fear of antagonising the TamilNadu is his weakness as a political leader.‚ A good leader should be able stop irrational politicians from interfering into matters on which he has to take‚ a political decision.‚ TamilNadu which harboured Sri Lanka terrorists and‚ helped ‚ them in the assassination of ‚ Rajiv Gandhi a promising young political leader of India and a Prime Minister, has no right what-so-ever to dictate terms to the Prime Minister of India as to what he should do and should not do.
‚ Manmohan Singh should be able to tell the TamilNadu politicians that they as Indians should‚ think and act as Indians and their interest in the Tamils in Sri Lanka is misplaced.‚ It is the Central Government of India that has to take a decision with regard to Foreign Affairs,‚ therefore to decide to attend or not to attend‚ the CHOGM in Sri Lanka cannot be decided on the whim and fancy of TamilNadu.
‚ The undue interest of the Tamil Nadu politicians in the affairs of Sri Lanka is mainly due to the fact that India has failed to develop Inter State social, and‚ cultural relations.‚ No attempts seem to have been made to bring together the people of different‚ Indian States through the ‚ organisation of Cultural‚ and Social events.‚
‚ On the other hand Sri Lanka Government has done more than what is necessary to bring the Communities together, though it had been hindered and made impossible by the egoist political leaders of the TNA.‚ In Sri Lanka the only way to bring about even a semblance of a Communal unity would be by removing TNA, like it was by eliminating the terrorists that the call for ‚ separatism by the terrorists was ended.
‚ Stephen Harper the Prime Minister of Canada is a foolish man to say the least.‚ He has to gain nothing except perhaps the votes of the Canadian Tamils, by boycotting CHOGM.‚ It was an opportunity for him to have ‚ seen Sri Lanka and understand the situation first hand, and report back to the Canadian Tamils what he has come to understand of the situation in Sri Lanka.‚
‚ The Canadian Tamils should be more interested in the affairs of‚ Canada, being Canadian Citizens and perhaps build a closer relationship with the Canadian First Nation and help them improve their condition of living which has been neglected by Stephen Harper and his government.‚ It will help their‚ future existence as an important Canadian Tamil Community.
‚ If the Prime Ministers of India and Canada are led by‚ certain groups holding before them, ‚ like a carrot before a donkey ‚ their voting rights, it is their business if they were to ‚ lead their nation into a political precipice.‚ The CHOGM in Sri Lanka will nevertheless‚ be held.‚
‚ However, Sri Lanka will in its own way,‚ at its own phase settle the ethnic problem and march forward with its development process unhindered who attended or‚ who did not attend the CHOGM.
November 7th, 2013 at 1:39 pm
Harper and Singh are remnent puppets. Sri Lanka does not miss these two idiots who are dependents of Tamil Terrorists remnents. What can they do even if the two idiots are present? All Sri Lankan patriots support their boycot. They are display their ignorance by the boycot.
November 7th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
India hasTamil Refujees from Sri Lanka
Canada also has refujees from Sri Lanka.
Tamil refujees from Canada making Holidays and visiting relations in Sri Lanka
Tamil refujees from India unable to come back or travell to Sri Lanka because of financial difficulties
No Tamils refuse to come back or travel to Sri Lanka when they have enough money
By boycotting CHOGM Manmohan Singh and Stephen Harper satisfy Tamil Terrorist only not Tamils who want peaceful life in Sri Lanka. If both head of Governments Manmohan Sigh and Harper want to assist
Sri Lankana Tamil, why they can´t take action against Tamil Terrorist who supported killings
and enjoying their luxery life with blood money in their country?
are they Leaders of Terrorism or for peace loving people?
November 7th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
To quote the article:” Sri Lanka’s main problem comes from the Tamil minority Community which refuses to accept the hand of fraternity extended to them by the Sinhala majority Community and seeks a solution separated from the Sinhala Community. However much the Government seeks reconciliation with the Tamils, they refuse to cooperate, and have friendly ties to build a Nation together with the rest of the of the Communities.”
It goes on to point out the role of British to Canadian Tamils and where their allegiance should lie. This includes the Indian Tamils to the Sri Lankan Tamils. In each and every example it is a reaction to the reality that these Tamils do not buy the notion that they should mind their own business because they believe with the strongest feelings that they have a pivotal role in the destiny of the Sri Lankan Tamils
When President Rajapakse visited London he was met by Tamils from across Europe holding placards with LITE emblazoned on them. This is a terrorist group that is internationally recognized and has proved to be far more vicious than even the Al-Qaeda and yet Scotland Yard did not stop them.. Had the placards were written with the name of Al-Qaeda I am sure Scotland Yard would have taken those placards away and arrested the Demonstrators which leads me to believe that the aspirations of the British Tamils be they from Sri Lanka or India is also shared by the British government.
Finally supposing the Sri Lankan Tamils absolutely refuse to be part of the Sri Lankan nation and all efforts of platitude fail. Then what will Colombo do? what is left to do but impose the laws of the nation upon the Tamils and give them the choice to stay in Sri Lanka as Sri Lankans first and Tamil second or leave the nation where they can be Tamils first and whatever nation they adopt as second. It is obvious the Sri Lankan Tamils with the help of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora will not give in an inch unless they have to lose something really dear to them such as their right as Sri Lankans, their land, their standing where Tamil is now an official language to their religion. All of which can be taken away from them if they continue to harbor separatist policies.
one would assume such drastic actions would lead the UN to decide to divide Sri Lanka. That cannot happen since such decisions are made in the Security Council and both Russia and China will stop it. It is time that the Sinhalese Buddhist Sanga and Colombo realize the power they really have.
November 7th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
1. “Sri Lanka’s main problem comes from the Tamil minority Community which refuses to accept the hand of fraternity extended to them by the Sinhala majority Community and seeks a solution separated from the Sinhala Community. However much the Government seeks reconciliation with the Tamils, they refuse to cooperate, and have friendly ties to build a Nation together with the rest of the of the Communities.”
THIS IS THE TRUTH FOOLS CAN’T UNDERSTAND.
It gets WORSE.
2. Tamil community is the ONLY PROBLEM SL has against good relations with Endia and Canada!!! IF NOT for the Tamil community, SL would have GOOD RELATIONS with them.
3. SL’s GOOD NAME remains CLEAN IF NOT for Tamilians whose PERSONAL CONDUCT and anti-SL acts discredit SL.
Tamils are an INTERNAL BURDEN and an EXTERNAL BURDEN as well. Truth to be told. (There are FEW good Tamils who support Sinhela Buddhist Unitary SL ALWAYS.)
A person who does not support Unitary Buddhist Sinhela nation is NOT a person who loves SL. It does NOT mean only Sinhalese or Buddhist live here. It means EVERY MF can live here as long as they UPHOLD what is unique to SL.
Even native plants and animals have legal protection but Sinhala Buddhists who are NATIVE ONLY to SL have no such protection!!!
November 7th, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Let those two gutless, spineless puppets boycott the CHOGM. No one will miss them.We know who pull irstrings.
November 8th, 2013 at 7:10 am
Agree with Charles that Tamils all over the world must be loyal to the country that nurtures them, viz in Lanka, they must be loyal to Lanka, Tamils in UK to UK, Tamils in Cananda to Canada, and so forth.
We agree with Mr BW.
To awaken the Tamils of Sri Lanka to their true responsibilities as citizens of Lanka enjoying free benefits, ACTIVATE the
6-A. It is troubling and puzzling that the 6-A has not been ACTIVATED. Successive GsoSL must take the blame for this.
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More comments :
No thanks to the Colonial British & Dutch for having brought one and half million Tamil folk of low caste to Sri Lanka to work the tea & tobacco plantations, and left behind also the ‘divide & rule’ muck. Thus the Tamil folk of Lanka, who have yet to forget all Caste matters, are bent on erasing their Caste wars via Lanka. Why must Sri Lanka pay the price for Tamil Caste Wars when Lanka and her people had nothing to do with this self created misery of Caste ?
Also, no thanks to the Tamil Diaspora, which was created through trumped up 1983 Riots. It now looks as the west is not interested in taking in more Tamil refugees. Lack of a little gratitude for free education, health care etc. for Tamil folk (same as for others), has left the rest of Lanka exasperated. There must be some reciprocation from Tamils everywhere for all the efforts at Reconciliation etc. too. All that has happened is more disrepute for Lankans via CH-4, etc. We are sad to note that only a few Tamil folk are genuinely for peace and reconciliation.
Besides, giving a part of Lanka as Eelam will never erase Caste woes. The Caste matter has to be sorted out in Tamil Nadu, where it all began, some 3,000 yrs ago.
November 8th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Bravo! ALL THOSE who want to visit Sri Lanka during CHOGM for political purposes to help Stir the Media Witches Brew demonizing Sri Lanka …. should be politely told there are “Logistics Problems” that would interfere with the orderly conduct of the CHOGM, which is Sri Lanka’s Priority.
As I had said earlier, the CHOGM will become NOT AN ASSET but a LIABILITY for Sri Lanka, as will the Chairmanship of the Group in the next TWO YEARS for MR.
Instead of REVOKING the 13th Amendment, and DISMANTLING the Provincial Council System and Consolidating Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty, the GOSL orchestrated the PC Elections empowering the Ungrateful Unrepentant Racists of the TNA.
The Chorus of Criticism at the CHOGM, and IF MR is Elected Chairman, the NEXT TWO YEARS of Obstructionism to his Chairmanship, will demonstrate the MAGNITUDE of that MONUMENTAL FOLLY!
Meanwhile, will the GOSL try to FURTHER APPEASE the CRITICS over the NEXT TWO YEARS, by yielding MORE CONCESSIONS to the Eelamists? Time will TELL! My heart grieves for my Mother Lanka!
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Sri Lanka denies rejection of visas to IBAHRI delegation
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 08, Colombo: Sri Lanka today categorically rejected a claim by a group of human right lawyers of International Bar Association that their delegation was denied entry into the country and called the claim is an attempt to “sully the image” of Sri Lanka.
Issuing a statement the External Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka today said a statement by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) that Sri Lanka revoked the visa to its delegation to attend a conference ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is a gross misinterpretation of facts.
The IBAHRI said that Sri Lanka had granted visa earlier in August for the delegation to attend the conference but revoked the visa last month.
The IBAHRI delegation sought visa to travel to Colombo, to participate in the conference co-hosted by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the IBAHRI entitled ‘Making Commonwealth Values a Reality: the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession’ from 13 � 15 November 2013.
Explaining the procedure, the External Affairs Ministry said two weeks after the application for visa in mid-August 2013 by two applicants from the IBAHRI, the Sri Lanka High Commission in London was informed two weeks later that visa cannot be granted as requested since the organizers of the conference had not followed the due process of obtaining approval from the Ministry with regard to hosting of seminars/conferences with international participation.
The Ministry said a request for concurrence should set out briefly the objectives of the event, a list of participating States/Organizations and any assistance required to be given from the Ministry of External Affairs by way of facilitating visas, protocol assistance etc.
The Ministry said it had made it clear that since the Seminar had been scheduled to be held during the CHOGM 2013 week in Colombo, all the required resources will be fully utilized during this period and the Ministry will have logistics problems, especially in providing security to international participants and non-availability of hotels and accommodation facilities.
According to the lawyers’ organization, the high-level delegation was to include the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul, and the first UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Param Cumaraswamy. More than 200 lawyers and diplomats were registered to attend the event.
The Ministry has further informed to the Sri Lanka High Commission in London that a decision has been made to embargo the scheduling of visits and such events, during the period 20th October – 20th November 2013.
“It is therefore evident that the requirement of visas to visit Sri Lanka did not arise, as there was no necessity, since the event could not be scheduled due to the stated circumstances. It is abundantly clear that the organizers had the option of rescheduling their event outside this timeframe,” the Ministry further explained.
November 8th, 2013 at 1:53 pm
Please PM Man Mohan Singh …. DO NOT COME to Sri Lanka for the CHOGM …. stay in India and party with the Racists of Tamil Nadu.
That will give the pusillanimous GOSL the necessary INCENTIVE to DITCH India and REDUCE its influence and presence in Sri Lanka at ALL LEVELS, REVOKE the 13th Amendment, DISMANTLE the Provincial Council System, RESTORE Sri Lanka’s National Sovereignty, and STENGTHEN its National Security against communal disintegration.
PLEASE Mr. Singh …. DON’T COME to Sri Lanka … and keep your officials/diplomats in India as well!
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Indian PM unlikely to attend CHOGM in Sri Lanka – report
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 08, Colombo: India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, facing strong opposition within his own party as well as from the Tamil political parties, is unlikely to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka next week, Indian media reports speculated.
The Prime Minister and the Congress Party core group headed by party president Sonia Gandhi had deliberated the pros and cons of PM’s participation in the summit for over an hour but the discussions had not produced any conclusive result.
However, high level sources of the party have told Rediff that a visit by the PM is highly unlikely as the party has insisted that PM should skip the meeting that will start on November 15 in Colombo.
The Prime Minister is in a dilemma as some of his party members suggest Singh to attend the summit while Tamil members of the congress and Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu urge the PM to boycott the event in protest of Sri Lanka’s alleged treatment of Tamils.
Some sections of the Indian government is of the view that a non-participation by Indian PM yielding into the political pressure from Tamil parties would result in India losing the leverage it has on Sri Lanka and drive the island nation’s government more towards China and Pakistan.
The Congress Party has said that it will support whatever decision the Prime Minister will take. The party is expected to communicate its decision to the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs which will meet on Saturday. A decision on India’s participation in the Commonwealth Summit will be announced after the meeting.
November 9th, 2013 at 12:31 pm
Bravo! NOW the GOSL can REDUCE Indian political, economic and military involvement in Sri Lanka, REVOKE the 13th Amendment, and DISMANTLE the Provincial Council System. Lets us GET OUT OF India’s DEADLY SUFFOCATING EMBRACE … NOW!
Also, Mr. Kurshid and the rest of the Indian delegation should stay at home in India as well … They are missing Man Mohan Singh’s Party with the Tamil Nadu Racists!
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Indian Foreign Minister to lead delegation at CHOGM in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 09, New Delhi: India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will lead the Indian delegation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Sri Lanka next week, Indian media reported today.
Indian media reports quoting government sources said the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided to skip the event in the light of the strong opposition within his own Congress party as well as from the Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu.
The PM’s decision to skip the event will be conveyed to the Sri Lankan government tomorrow, sources said.
“The Prime Minister is likely to write to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa by tomorrow regarding his decision,” India’s PTI news agency said quoting government sources.
However, there Indian government or the Congress party has not made an official announcement on the Prime Minister’s decision yet.
The Prime Minister and the Congress Party core group headed by party president Sonia Gandhi had deliberated the pros and cons of PM’s participation in the summit for over an hour yesterday but the discussions had not produced any conclusive result.
Some sections of the Indian government were of the view that non-participation by Indian PM yielding into the political pressure from Tamil parties would result in India losing the leverage it has on Sri Lanka and drive the island nation’s government more towards China and Pakistan.
November 10th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
We Sri Lankans have to UNDERSTAND that these “Diplomatic Errors” are not isolated rare events; they ARE, and WILL BE, a CONSTANT RECURRING FEATURE stemming from the IRREFUTABLE FACT that Tamil Nadu is MORE IMPORTANT to India than Sri Lanka.
As such, India will ALWAYS be more SUSCEPTIBLE to BLACKMAIL by Tamil Nadu and WILL ACT against Sri Lanka’s National Interests, EVERYTIME. No amount of APOLOGIES and EXCUSES by the GOSL to sustain the relationship with India can change that IMMUTABLE REALITY.
So, what should the GOSL do? The ANSWER is AS OBVIOUS as it is SIMPLE: Initiate a DIVORCE from India NOW before the Indian Octopus ENMESHES Sri Lanka in its Suffocating Deadly EMBRACE and hands over Sri Lanka for Tamil Nadu to do with as it wishes.
REDUCE involvement by India in Sri Lanka’s affairs AT ALL LEVELS: Diplomatic/Political, Economic, Military and Reconstruction/Rehabilitation work.
Eliminate Indian Embassies in Hambantota and Jaffna, and allow only the Embassy in Colombo to exist, take back the Palaly airport and Trincomalee oil storage tanks, discourage ALL Indian investments in Sri Lanka, Levy high taxes on typically shoddy Indian products to discourage Indian imports, initiate import-substitution production on agricultural products (eg. dhal, onions, films etc), STOP military cooperation with India from which we cannot get arms and equipment anyway because of TN opposition, INCREASE military cooperation with China and Pakistan,
INITIATE production of military equipment (small arms and ammunition, artillery, missile firing armored vehicles, IED resistant armored vehicles, robotic mine clearing systems, airborne surveillance and mine-detection drones, all types of airforce, naval and army missiles, small naval vessels upto frigates in size, transport vessels, radar systems to fill our own needs and to sell to other friendly nations to grow a PROITABLE self-sustaining military industry. The MODEL for the development of this military production industry should be Israel.
GET India out of reconstruction/rehabilitation work in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. India is slowly but surely wedding itself to the Tamil community there, to cement its hold on those areas just as it pushes for devolution of greater powers to the TNA and its cohorts.
SEVERELY REDUCE the ISSUANCE of Visas to Indians. This will promote retaliation by INdia against Buddhist Pilgrims, for example. SO BE IT … let us ignore the places of Buddhist worship in INdia, and concentrate on growing and developing those places in Sri Lanka. Country FIRST …. religious pilgrimages SECOND.
BUILD coastguard and Naval bases within EYESIGHT of each other ALL AROUND the island, exploiting and expanding the LTTE’s own naval bases, to protect Sri Lanka’s natural resources, stem the flood of illegal Indian immigrants, gun runners, smugglers, and terrorists crossing over at will. Furthermore, do not restore the Railway link between India and Sri Lanka, and allow DIRECT flights between India and Sri Lanka only through BIA in Colombo.
DISCOURAGE Indian business involvement in Sri Lanka. Give the Sampoor Power Plant project to another country, such as China, Japan, South Korea. Stop Indian banks, hos[ital chains, and oil exploration, production, refining and distribution compamies from doing business in Sri Lanka, discourage the importation of Indian built vehicles, machinery, wind turbines, power plants, construction materials, small tools etc into Sri Lanka with very high taxes. End involvement in Free Trade Agreements with India.
INCREASE the number of bases of ALL BRANCHES of the Armed forces in the North and East. SETTLE them and their EXTENDED FAMILIES in these areas, providing every administrative and financial assistance, with top quality schools, hospitals, banks and other infrastructure to Take ROOT, GROW and PROSPER.
ADOPT Ethnic Integration as National Policy with the OVERALL OBJECTIVE of REDUCING and ELIMINATING Communal Conflicts with the IMMEDIATE GOAL of Eliminating Ethnic Concentrations and Homogenizing the demographic distribution of communities throughout Sri Lanka. This will DEMOLISH the VERY BASIS of the Call for Eelam.
STRENGTHEN & ENFORCE the LAWS AGAINST TREASON. Anyone collaborating with foreign countries, organizations and individuals to undermine the nation should be prosecuted and severely punished to the fullest extent of the law. Inviting Foreign Nations to ACT AGAINST Sri Lanka, for whatever reason, should be declared and PUNISHED as TREASON.
STRENGTHEN and DEVELOP strong diplomatic, economic and military alliances with countries not wedded to INdia, including China, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Brazil etc.
These are AMONG the steps the GOSL should take to WEAN Sri Lanka AWAY from DOMINATION by INdia, which cannot act Impartially in Sri Lanka’s Interest.
India, as Sri Lanka’s 2nd largest trading partner, MUST be GRADUALLY REPLACED by other FRIENDLY nations
We CANNOT CHANGE India’s Internal Politics or its susceptibility to Tamil Nadu BLACKMAIL; We must QUARANTINE ourselves away from India and INOCULATE ourselves against Indian DISEASES!
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Diplomatic error
DeccanHerald.com
November 11, 2013
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision to keep away from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo this week is a serious diplomatic error.
After much dithering the government has decided that external affairs minister Salman Khurshid will lead the Indian delegation for the meet. This is against national interest and the best principles of foreign policy practised by governments in the past. The UPA government has been known as decision-shy or prone to wrong decisions during much of its recent tenure. The decision on the CHOGM summit shows this tellingly, and it will have a very negative impact on India’s relations with Lanka. The government has, as in the case of a number of other issues relating to economic, political or public policies, shown itself as lacking in authority, unsure of itself and vulnerable even to empty pressure.
The Tamil Nadu government, the state assembly and all political parties had demanded a complete boycott of the Commonwealth meet by India. Union ministers from the state also demanded that the Prime Minister stay away from the meet. It was inappropriate that they made the demand in public. If they felt strongly about the matter they could have written to the Prime Minister about it. Ironically, all the show of concern over the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka is sham. The postures are only meant for the elections. But they will not help too. Boycott or no boycott, the Congress cannot win a seat in Tamil Nadu without help. The DMK also will find the going tough however much it pleads the Sri Lankan Tamil cause.
That cause has in fact been badly served by the government’s decision. Continued full engagement with the Sri Lankan government would have given India the leverage to persuade Colombo to protect and promote the interests of Tamils. There is much more to be done through devolution of powers to the Tamil-dominated areas. India will now have less of such leverage with a Sri Lankan government unhappy with its decision. An estrangement with India will push it closer to China which is trying to increase its presence and influence in the island. This is not in the strategic interests of India. It is very wrong to allow the country’s foreign policy to be held hostage to the narrow political and electoral considerations of regional parties. A weak government is setting a bad precedent for future, and no one gains from it too.