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The Indian factor in Sri Lankan politics.
Why should we woo India so much?
Sudath Gunasekara. Former
Secretary to Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike and President Mahanuwara Senior
Citizens Movement. (Writing from USA. 9.10.2006).
The Indian factor in recent Sri Lankan politics has become extremely
critical and now it has grown beyond all proportions. It is definitely
important and useful too to maintain cordial diplomatic relations with
our neighbor India. There is no doubt about it. But this should never
be done at the expense of our independence and sovereignty and self
- respect.
In contemporary Sri Lankan politics wooing and begging India in domestic
politics despite all the unfriendly moves she has taken particularly
in the past and the arrogant and undiplomatic attitude she continue
to display appears to have come to stay permanently as a fashion. So
much so, most Sri Lankans have begun to wonder whether this country
has already got reduced to the level of another regional state of the
Sub-continent.
Although India is our big neighbor, politically we are two different
independent and sovereign countries. In this context the difference
is only a matter of geographical size. Size does not matter when it
comes to independence of sovereign states. What really matters is their
independence. But unfortunately our successive governments, especially
since 1956 appear to have given disproportionate and undue importance
to the role of India in domestic politics of Sri Lanka.
Having cordial relations with our neighbor is one thing but to behave
like a naive and timid lamb before India, "I think is ridiculous
and disgraceful to our independence and sovereignty. It was Rudyard
Kipling who once said," Oh 'East is East, and West is west, and
never the twain shall meet. "Similarly we must remember, "India
is India but Sri Lanka is Sri Lanka and never the two shall meet"
In addition to the legend that Vijaya found the Sinhala Nation in the
6th century BC, that has established the most solid foundation for Indo
- Sri Lankan relations, it is also true that we have been immensely
influenced by its culture and religion. Buddhism among all other things
was the greatest gift we have received from her. Nevertheless the political
relationships between the two countries, particularly South India, through
out history had been one of constant strife arising from conflicts of
interests.
The first recorded event was the Rama invasion in the prehistoric period
and second, the arrival of Vijaya in the 6th century BC. This was followed
by a long chain of destructive invasions, beginning with Sena Guttika
and Elara (2"' century BC) culminating in the 12th century Kalinga
Maga Chola devastation which completely routed the Dry Zone civilization
and destroyed the Sri Lanka State, from which situation we have not
been able to fully recover up to date as a vibrant and powerful nation
as it had been in the past.
The next group of Indians who came to Sri Lanka was not invaders. Instead
they were brought as indentured labour by the British to work on plantations
opened up in the central hills in our motherland. They started to come
in 1830s and this time they came in tens of thousands. Although most
of them have now got Sri Lankan citizenship they still consider India
as their motherland. (Had our leaders used their head and demanded the
British that they return us vacant possession of our motherland they
took over in 1815 or at least followed a policy similar to what Burma
did at independence by asking the Indians to either get fully Burmanized,
if they want to stay in Burma, or go back to India if they do not want
to do so. But unfortunately we did not have statesmen of that stature
and vision or a single patriotic Civil Servant of wisdom, to advice
the rulers to take such far-reaching patriotic measures.
The so-called Liberating Tamil Tigers of dreamland of EELAM (LTTE)
belong to those South Indian Tamils who migrated from South India from
time to time under different circumstances either as invaders, mercenaries,
illicit immigrants or traders. Historically they were not accepted as
a segment of the people of this country until 13th century. Although
they lived in isolated pockets along the coast in the north and the
east they were never permanent settlers inside the country. All authentic
evidence has firmly established that this country had been the Land
of the Sinhalese at least from the 6th century BC.
The LTTE is a group of savage fascist rather Nazis Sri Lankan Tamil
terrorists who are engaged in an armed struggle against the legally
elected government of the country. Therefore it is purely an internal
problem of the Sri Lankan government. As such neither India nor any
other country has any business to interfere with our domestic politics.
Any such interference has to be condemned outright as a blatant violation
of accepted international law. It also constitutes an unethical and
illegal interference with internal matters of a sovereign nation.
But ironically India today appears to think that it has a god given
right to interfere with Sri Lankan internal politics. They appear to
think that this is a vassal nindagama of theirs. Under Indira's regime
India trained LTTE terrorists within the Indian soils to wage war against
the Sri Lankan government, It Funded them in millions and billions,
dropped dhal to Jaffna, got the old JR to subscribe to the 13th amendment
to the constitution under duress and finally laid the foundation for
dividing this country by joining the Northern and the Eastern Provinces.
We still remember how arrogantly the Indian Ambassador Dixit was throwing
his weight about those days as if he was the viceroy of the Regional
State of India, reducing old JR to the level of a helpless hostage.
Greatly disturbed by the events that were taking place at that time
I wrote a letter to Rajiv Gandhi the then Indian Prime Minster on 4th
July 1985 stating as to why he should not support the LTE. I quote below
few sections from that letter to show our readers how relevant were,
what I said 21 years ago. This letter was signed by the then Mahanayaka
Thero of Asgiriya Chapter the Most Venerable Palipana Chandananda Thero
for diplomatic reasons. But unfortunately, apart from responding positively
to the content of that letter of the Prelate, we did not get even an
acknowledgment.
The LTTE is a fascist terrorist outfit of misguided Sri Lankan Tamils
comprising a fraction of the Tamil population who have taken to arms
against the legally elected government of Sri Lanka with the object
of establishing an State of Eelam, in the North and East of Sri Lanka
covering 1/3 the total land area and 2/3 the coastal belt of the Island,
that belonged to the Sinhala Kingdom from the beginning of history,
extending from Puttalam in the west through Jaffa Trincomalee - Batticaloa
to Kataragama in the deep South East. This they have named as the Traditional
Home Land of their imaginary EELAM (that included South India as well
in the distant past). Thereafter they plan to extend it to cover the
whole Island. It is a foregone conclusion that there was never a Tamil
Kingdom in Sri Lanka either in Jaffna or anywhere else in known history
(except for the four year period of patricide Sankili the usurper from1556
- 1560 AD).
Having established EELAM in Sri Lanka they expect to extend it to cover
whole of India and then to Mauritius, Maldives, parts of East Africa,
Malaysia and finally to Fiji Islands to from their lost world Federation
of Tamil EELAM which they claim to be the first civilization on earth
from where all the old world civilization like Syrian, Assyrian, Mesopotamian
and Mohenjodaro - Harappa emerged.
Hon. Prime Minister, you may see this as daydreaming by a group of
Tamils but the vicious thinking behind that dream should not be underestimated
and ignored as a fairy tale. We Sri Lankans who know these vicious and
ruthless terrorists murderers, the carriers of the Chola emblem, and
their mind better than all the Indians do, are convinced that they will
collaborate with you only to achieve their objectives.
The day they complete their objective or the day you say no, they will
definitely turn around you. Also you should not forget the fact that
today they are the worst and the most dangerous terrorist outfit in
the whole world claiming the largest number of trained suicide bombers.
Perhaps they are the most savage and dangerous fascist/Nazis gang known
to us since Hitler's and Nazis regimes. They have very close connections
practically with all the terrorists the world over like the Naxalites,
PLO, IRA, Libyans, Hamas, and Al Kaida.
The first step of their attack on India will begin with the unilateral
declaration of EELAM in the North and the East of Sri Lanka. After completing
the capture of the Sri Lankan State next they will invade South India
and thereafter the whole of India.
Hon. Prime Minster, yesterday it was a Sheik fanatic who brutally gunned
down your beloved mother. Tomorrow could not it be a Tamil Terrorist
suicide bomber of Tamil EELAM who will gun you down as a mark of gratitude
for all the help you have so generously and lavishly lent them. So even
if you are not seriously concerned about the future of an independent
Sri Lanka and decides not to help the government of Sri Lanka to overcome
this terrorist menace, at least in your own interest and the interest
of India, we request you to take the following steps very early.
1. Stop all assistance to this terrorist group and ban its operation
within the Indian soils.
2. Direct the State of Tamilnadu to stop all such assistance to LTTE.
3. Leave us alone so that we will deal with them the same way we have
done for the past 2,200 years.
4. Please stop entertaining Sri Lankan Tamils on Indian soils and tell
them that they are not your concern any longer as they belong to Sri
Lanka and they should therefore settle their problems with the government
of the country where they live in future.
In the event of you and your government failing to listen and comply
with this just and fair request we make on behalf of all Sri Lankans,
we would like to remind you that one day you would be the first Indian
target of these brutal killers. Thereafter you and your mother will
go down in history as the Indian leaders of the 20th century who destroyed
the 2500 year old, proud Sinhala Buddhist civilization of this Island
nation and will be held responsible for all the crimes committed by
these Nazi/fascist EELAM killers thereafter.
We are also aware of the antagonism you harbour against the present
government of Sri Lanka, which is more a personal issue. It is something
that does not fall within the limits of statesmanship and honourable
diplomacy. It actually transcends beyond all of them. But the course
of action you are currently following, we warn you, will finally end
up in cutting your own nose to respite your face.
It may also be noted that the present crisis in Sri Lanka is not a
conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese or Sinhala-Buddhist and
Tamil Hindu as world media has highlighted. As I see it, it is an outcome
of an externally manipulated international conspiracy by the Catholic
Church to divide and destabilize the state of Sri Lanka. For example,
the architect of this separatist movement, the late S.J.V. Chelvanayagam
himself, was a born Christian who migrated to this country from Malaysia
at the age of 11 years.
Contrary to the generally held notion that the Sinhala majority is
against the Tamils, it is unfortunate that your government does not
realize that the LTTE is the biggest enemy of the Hindu Tamil people.
They are only a group of savage murderers who have taken to arms to
eliminate everyone including even those Tamils who hold different views.
The devastation they have done over the past years and continuing to
do even now against the country in general and Tamils in particular
in the north and east of Sri Lanka is enough testimony to prove this
argument.
Talking about much publicized discrimination against Tamils it must
be clearly stated that today there is no minority in the whole, world
who enjoy better privileges than the Tamils of Sri Lanka. Freedom of
movement, living, working, education, and freedom of expression are
all guaranteed. They hold the highest position both in the public and
private sector. Posts like the IGP, Chief Justice, and Attorney General
had been and are being held by Tamils
More than half the Tamil population lives outside the north and the
east among the Sinhalese without any problem. They intermarry, dine
and wine together and work together with the Sinhalese. No one is subjected
to any disability on the ground that he is a Tamil or a Muslim. Here
all are equal before the law. If there are any restrictions on movement
of people etc, they are taken for the general security of the country
and such restrictions that apply to every one irrespective of whether
they are Tamils or Sinhalese. If not for the terrorist activities of
these terrorists the need for such restrictions would not have been
there at all.
Hon Prime Minster, lastly, we may also mention that we are the disciples
of Gautama Buddha, the greatest human being born to this world and the
unparallel champion of non-violence. This is the land of the Buddha.
We have offered it to him thrice and he has sanctified it with his visits,
sacred relicts and objects. This is also the land where, he has declared
that his doctrine will last for the next 5,000 years. Therefore although
we are a small country as compared with yours, it may be reminded that
any one and every one who try to destroy this Dharmadveepa, the land
of the Buddha - or its people- will finally have to pay their toll with
dividends by the operation of the miraculous powers of that great Dhamma.
Therefore we strongly appeal to you to desist all anti Sri Lankan moves
and at least not to interfere with our internal affairs. In the event
you decides not to extend a friendly hand to the government of Sri Lanka
for reasons best known to you and your government, we wish and hope
that wise council will prevail over you and sanity and statesmanship
will prevail over parochial domestic and regional politics and finally
the actions you take at this crucial hour of the history of this country
will enable Sri Lankans to admire you in the years to come along with
that list of illustrious sons of Bharathdesh like Lord Buddha, Asoka
the Great, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru your own Grand father.
Of course all these appeals fell on his deaf ears and Rajiv never paid
any heed to our requests or the warning made against possible threat
to even against his own life. The whole world now knows what happened
to Rajiv in 1991.Even the present governments of India; I must say are
not genuine on this issue they also continue to walk blindly on the
same disastrous rope. They have their own hidden and hypocritical agenda
of domestic and regional politics. Tamilnadu elections for them are
more important than the future of Sri Lanka. This is understandable.
The Indian interest in Sri Lankan politics I think arises from three
things. Firstly it is Indian domestic politics, the Tamilnadu issue.
Secondly, it is a game of geopolitics their attempt to establish as
the regional political power. The importance of Sri Lankan situation
in Indian politics emerges from the presence of a sizable Tamil population
in Sri Lanka who is of south Indian origin and who have their right
leg there. India unfortunately treats the Tamils of this country as
people of Indian origin, not realizing the fact that if we accept the
Vijayan legend, even Sinhalese are also of Indian origin. It may be
that there is no substantial Sinhala population unlike the Tamils in
India that counts in current Indian politics. Nevertheless, what India
should understand at least now is that this is a domestic problem of
Sri Lanka and therefore India should not interfere with the present
crisis and add fuel to fire.
Instead what they should do at this critical hour is to help the Sri
Lanka government to overcome the LTTE problem as it poses a greater
threat to India than even Sri Lanka in the long run. India also should
not treat us as a dependency or just another regional state of the subcontinent.
Indian interfering with our domestic politics and continued harassment
on the pretext that there are people of Indian origin living here in
fact tantamount to an invasion of the Sri Lainka soils. As much as Britain
has no right to interfere with domestic politics of America or Australia
alleging that people of British origin are living in those countries,
India also has no legal or moral right to finger in to our internal
matters. If India is not prepared to accept this position and continues
to exert undue influence and harass us, then we should treat India as
an enemy rather than a friend and turn to other friendly countries for
help in this hour of need.
India should never be a party to this issue even we go for negotiations
for the simple reason that India has a vested interest in a section
of the population in Sri Lanka as she has amply demonstrated, As such
she can never be impartial. Her personal interests always stand above
our interests or interests common to South East Asia. The Jayantha Dhanapala
issue is a very good example for this attitude of the Indian politics.
Also look at their constant cry asking us to do that and not to do that,
for example the de-merger of the east and the north.
Under these circumstances why should we continue to woo India so much
for advice and help when it is more than clear that she will never come
to our rescue and she is persistently supporting the Tamil Tigers' cause
in this country. The more we look for their help the more arrogant and
aggressive they will behave. Why should we beg so much when we know
that they always continue to play a double game, which is always detrimental
to the independence and the sovereignty of this country? Instead what
the government of Sri Lanka should do is to seek assistance from friendly
countries particularly Pakistan and China and put an end to this terrorist
menace to bring back sanity and make this country once again a peaceful
place where every one can live peacefully and happily. India should
also remember that Sri Lanka is the only friendly country she has on
her periphery at the moment.
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