THE HINDU STRONGLY ADVOCATES NEW DELHI TO TAKE TAMIL NADU OUT OF LANKA POLICY
Posted on March 11th, 2013
by Walter Jayawardhana
Pointing out Tamil Eelam SupportersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Organization (TESO) founded in Chennai does not help at all to solve the problems of Sri Lanka Tamils IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s politically powerful the Hindu newspaper strongly advocated New Delhi in an editorial ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to craft a Lanka policy free of the opportunistic imprint of Tamil NaduƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s competitive politics , difficult though this may sound.
DMK supremo Karunanidhi initiated ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- TESO meetings have so far stopped short of advocating a separate state for Sri Lankan Tamils but the outfitƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s revival has itself allowed hardliners in Sri Lanka to argue that the grant of rights to the Tamils is a slippery slope to their secessionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚,the editorial charged.
The following is the full text of the editorial: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Domestic politics will tell on external affairs as much as fine principles and strategic interests. In the context of the draft resolution on human rights violations in Sri Lanka now before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, India will have to factor in domestic political exigencies alongside long-held principles and long-term interests while firming up its stand. Last year, India voted for a resolution asking Sri Lanka to investigate abuses by its military during the final phase of the war with the separatist LTTE. But it did so after making efforts to water down the resolution. Though appearing to have been taken under pressure from the DMK, IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s decision to vote against Sri Lanka last year was intended to tell President Mahinda Rajapaksa that his failure to move towards a settlement of the Tamil question could no longer be glossed over. If New Delhi went beyond its own norm of not voting for country-specific resolutions, it also hoped this would be no more than a one-time exception. However, with Sri Lanka having done precious little since last yearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s vote to address the rights abuses and push for reconciliation, India cannot be expected to dilute its stand now.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Ever since the war ended and allegations of large-scale atrocities began to surface, it has been obvious to friends of Sri Lanka that the only way Colombo can ride the tide of rights charges is by delivering the political package it had itself once promised. Speaking on the matter in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh steered clear of recent allegations that the Sri Lankan army killed LTTE supremo PrabakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 12-year-old son in cold blood and instead emphasised the need for Sri Lankan ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-national reconciliation.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ This was his way of showing the Rajapaksa government how it must deal with the upcoming resolution. Dr. SinghƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s dilemma is unenviable. His diplomats have told him IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 2012 vote did not push Colombo to do the right thing as some had hoped. On the other hand, Congress ally DMK wants a further toughening of stand. The party unwisely raised the stakes last year by reviving the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation. TESO meetings have so far stopped short of advocating a separate state for Sri Lankan Tamils but the outfitƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s revival has itself allowed hardliners in Sri Lanka to argue that the grant of rights to the Tamils is a slippery slope to their secession. Difficult though this may sound, New Delhi must craft a Lanka policy that includes a case for the islandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Tamils free of the opportunistic imprint of Tamil NaduƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s competitive politics. The more its policies towards Colombo are seen as the product of political pressure from the State, the less effective those policies will be.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
March 11th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
It will NOT happen.
BOTH IC and BJP need these appuaamy clowns to stay in power.
March 12th, 2013 at 5:26 am
Great wisdom from ‘The Hindu’.
However, India is caught in a bind. Keeping Tamil Nadu happy for the sake of the Indian Union of States is more important to India than genuinely helping Sri Lanka. As such, Lanka has to move Tamil Nadu out of the way till TN gets civilised re Caste/poverty matters and their neighbors. In earlier times, TN striving to be the lead South Indian lead state (for Dravida Separatism), was rejected as the lead state by the adjoining states Kerala, Karnataka & Andrapradesh. These adjoining states do not use the Tamil language as a major language. Why should Sri Lanka be bullied into doing so with only 11% (4+7) Tamil ?
Lanka should follow the example set by the other South Indian states, even though Lanka is not part of the Indian Union. At present, TN is behaving badly like an immature, egoistical, silly bully, stuck in ancient ways. TN has to learn to be outgoing, modern & civilised. Ancient mind sets will not work in the modern world. TN has the potential to grow – do it !
March 12th, 2013 at 7:37 am
SRI LANKAN GOVT SHOULD EXPOSE TAMILNADU BARBARIC , CRUEL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF LOW CAST PEOPLE.
CO.MPLAIN TO UN HR. OR DO WHAT EVER POSSIBLE . BOY COT T N AND DEAL WITH KERALA ,KARNATAKA ANDRA
TAMIL NADU IS RUINED BY UNEDUCATED FILM ACTORS . SRILANKAN VOTERS SHOULD LERN A LESSON FROM THIS COUNTRY AND BE CAREFUL NOT TO ELECT SUCH FOOLISH ACTORS .
RAYAPPU JOSEPH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PRIMINISTER IF VIJAYA K BECAME THE PRESIDENT
GAMPAHA VOTERS AND SABARAGAMUVA VOTERS MAY BE NOT UP TO THE STANDARD
March 12th, 2013 at 7:43 am
Sri Lanka should never import Tamil labor. We are importing big time trouble re Caste/poverty/status problems/psychological problems along with Tamil Labor.
Sri Lanka is too small a country to handle such massive problems. Also, kindness is construed as weakness by some.
March 15th, 2013 at 6:04 am
Re actors & actresses becoming politicos – it is just that the voting public are familiar with their faces through films ! The Democratic system demands that a person contesting elections be KNOWN to the public. That is why contestants have to have money in order to advertise themselves, and this fact ends up with contestants taking bribes even before they are elected. That is why family hegemony also prevails in politics – its the ‘known person’ factor.
It is best that ONLY people with some formal education who have served the public with proven honesty & integrity and proven ability enter politics, and that ought to be the minimal qualification to contest elections in Lanka.