A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Thursday, June 8, 2017
Security of India and Sri Lanka ‘indivisible’ ? — Part II
Even in relation to China isn’t India suffering with a misconception, at least as far as we see?
( June 8, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Conduct
of India from then onwards becomes consistent with its line of
thinking. When the Sri Lankan Forces were about to strike the final blow
on the LTTE in 1987, India again came up with their despicable and
crude intervention by sending their planes to intervene dropping food
ostensibly as ‘humanitarian aid’ from the air on the Jaffna Peninsula,
to intimidate President J.R. Jayewardene. India ten followed it up with
the infamous Indo-Sri Lanka Accord thrusting upon this country the
humiliating 13 th Amendment which neither side wanted and the white
elephant with which this country is inextricably involved since. The
only expression of public protest against this humiliating insult was
the irresponsible act of a Naval rating in the customary honour guard
given to Rajiv Gandhi, by trying to assault him with his rifle butt.
Immediately on the failure of the Indo-Lanka accord was the induction of
the IPKF who suffered ignominy in the hands of the LTTE and had to
leave this country failing to accomplish their mission. Finally it was
Rajiv Gandhi who had to pay with his life for folly of wrong Sri Lanka
policy of the arrogant Indian defence policy advisors and the RAW by
releasing the genie of
After this bitter lesson taught by their own creation, Tamil insurgency
growing into Terrorism, India kept away from this mess they created.
Making good use of this opportunity, Sri Lanka ultimately succeeded in
wiping out Terrorism in this country finally by crushing it
comprehensively, primarily of course by two countries who are not the
friends of India, and also with assistance of American Intelligence. One
lesson for India to learn from this expensive learning experience of
foreign policy is that it should leave Sri Lanka to leave to manage
their own affairs as done over two millennia. Although our two countries
are neighbours, we will be most productive if we leave ourselves alone
where Sri Lanka will enjoy its “splendid isolation.” Of course it is a
given that she should be careful not to give her any irritants and do
things that may be perceived as security threats.
Since the defeat of the LTTE by the Sri Lanka government, India appears
to have resumed her interference. Firstly, she grabbed two consular
offices in Jaffna and Hambantota, which are obviously ‘listening posts’.
They then took the contract to re-construct the Northern Railway line
which could have been done by Sri Lanka Railways. Now there is the talk
about constructing a bridge to connect the two countries across the gulf
of Mannar, for whose benefit? There is now a plan to take over more oil
tanks in Trinco, to build a railway line connecting Mannar with Trinco,
again for whose benefit? Then there is a talk of re-developing the road
network connecting Mannar with Jaffna and Trinco Is all this for the
benefit of the people of the Northern Province whose priorities are
different? Sri Lanka is now gifted with ambulances, unasked, when the
same facilities are scarce for the multitudes in India itself. Also now
offered an EFTA the need for which is resented by is rejected by Sri
Lanka professionals. Aren’t all these clear moves of uncalled for
interferences with this country where the government has become weak?
Judging by the conduct of Mr. Modi on this Wesak visit, one begins to
wonder whether India is looking to play that mutually destructive game
again. It is rather transparent that his visit was not a benign one
prompted by hat we call here as “Buddhaalambhana Peethi” the sentiments
with which we are assailed when we are on our pilgrimage to that
country. Judging by what he did and said here it was definitely
political. Apart from the obnoxious statement on “indivisible security”
what he said and did in did in Dickoya raises concern. It is rumoured
that that the whole drama there was planned and orchestrated by the RAW.
If the Plantation Tamils are citizens of this country, why should they
be waving the Indian flag instead of the Sri Lankan flag? Incidentally
who provided those Indian flags? The grapevine tells us that it was the
RAW agents. Mr. Modi is stated to have told them that they are the
‘Indian Diaspora’ here. Would he say that if he visited the one time
Indian immigrants now in Malaysia. Fiji or South Africa or for that
matter in the US or UK? Isn’t that mischievous, looking to create fresh
trouble now that last one was successfully thwarted after struggling for
over 30 years? Is that good neighbourly conduct? Why does India do this
to us? Isn’t it wrong advise which is not in the ultimate interest of
India itself?
One possible excuse may be the perception or the misperception that it
is to prevent ‘flirtation’ of Sri Lanka with China. This is a
misconception for the reason that Sri Lanka has most of the time has
first asked India whether she could meet Sri Lanka’s requirements. For
instance, during the ‘war’ days, Sri Lanka placed a list of armaments
that she required to be purchased. India turned it down for whatever
reasons. Then Sri Lanka approached her other two friends, Pakistan and
China. They readily obliged with good credit facilities and timely
delivery, together with trainers on how to handle some of them. When the
Terrorists developed the air strike capability, India gave some radar
equipment that was ineffective. It was then that Sri Lanka turned to
China who generously supplied the three dimensional monitoring
equipment. Similarly, the Hambantota Port project was first offered to
India who turned it down. It was then that China was approached, and now
it is a done. A friend in need is a friend indeed. So is Sri Lanka at
any fault? The only time she took a wrong step was when she permitted
for the Chinese submarines to berth in Colombo. If this is a wrong step
vis-à-vis India, how many wrongs have India done to Sri Lanka?
Even in relation to China isn’t India suffering with a misconception, at
least as far as we see? Even the last war that India and China fought
over 50 years ago was over a dispute on certain areas in the North East
of India which china rightly or wrongly believed to be theirs after the
British had left. Could one think today that China has any designs on
India threatening its security? China is country very much larger than
India both in land and population and struggling with related problems.
Would such a country have any designs on India which is burdened with
inextricable problems with an exploding population 90% of whom are
illiterate?
If it is trade that they are in conflict, are they vying for the same
markets or raw materials? Each has vast Human Resources. They have two
huge armies with nuclear power. Can either of them afford go to war with
each other when their primary target is growth? It is clear that China
is trying to ensure an uninterrupted passage way for their oil supply
and exports. Could they be faulted for this as an aggressive military
push. In our view, India is only behaving so at the behest of the US who
for whatever reason, is using them as a pawn in avain effort to keep
China at bay. In any case, placed in these circumstances, why should
India and Sri Lanka worry about each other instead of proceeding in
their own independent ways?
(Concluded)