India is an ENEMY and not a FRIEND
Posted on March 25th, 2014
Malin Abeyatunge
For the second time in succession, India has voted against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC for the resolution brought by USA and its allies against Sri Lanka. Let our President at least now realize that India is not a friend and for that matter Pakistan is a sincere friend. Of course, she has never been a friend who trained LTTE, the most notorious and brutal terrorists outfit in the world LTTE to set against Sri Lanka. We reminisce the true courage President Mahinda Rajapaksa had at the last stages of the war against LTTE terrorist without bowing down America, UK, France and other western allies to stop the war but continued until LTTE was completely annihilated. Of course, our Defence Secretary Gotabaya ‘s unstinted and unvarying support facilitated Presidents task to go ahead with the war. But unfortunately, since of late we see the gigantic courage President had gradually diminishing over the years specially in relation with India. Too much of appeasement on India is very visible. President Rajapaksa has become na¯ve (though still locally popular) and unable to stop Indianising Sri Lanka. Over the years, the GoSL has been tying diplomatically to be a friend but Indian Government has prostituted our friendliness into timidity and acting as an arch enemy and playing a double game. It’s high time Sri Lanka understood that India is not a friend and took constructive steps to show our strength. For the second time, India showed that they have no faith the way Sri Lanka is heading. If so then why the hell are they trying to bring more and more investments to Sri Lanka if the condition is not conducive to good governance. Sri Lanka is already Indianised.
What moral right that India has to blame Sri Lanka for human rights violation when half a billion Indians are deprived of basic human needs like shelter, water and sanitation. It was reported that half a billion people don’t have toilet facilities. (reminds me of the reality film “Slum Dog Millionaire). When few of the richest in India live in luxury, the poorest of the poor live together with cows, water buffaloes, goats pigs and dogs in way side shanties. This is common scene in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar state. I suppose other states are no different other than Haryana State. Should we remind India of the human rights violations in Jammu-Kashmir borders?
It’s time we treated India as a foe and not a friend. We need to take some bold decisions mentioned herein to make India realize that we are no more a scapegoat for their internal Tamil Nadu politics.
- Close the Indian consular office in Jaffna immediately;
- Stop accepting dangling carrots from India for our development. Surely Sri Lanka can survive without their self motivated help;
- Stop any future Indian investments flow into Sri Lanka and ask the current investors like IOC, Palali airport construction etc to pack up and leave the country;
- Boycott all Indian imports including food items and import from other countries even at a price.
- Stop importing Tamil Nadu films;
- Stop visa over the counter to Indians who travel to Sri Lanka (many of them are not genuine tourists but who cross the borders from Tamil Nadu (TN) to seek Kallathoni work( working illegally). Make obtaining visa difficult and hard and follow the Indian immigration agonizing practice in granting Visa to Sri Lankan even to the pilgrims who go on pilgrimage); (adding insult to injury, India has allowed visa over the counter to majority countries excepting a few countries including Sri Lanka since this letter was written)
- Stop import of Maruti cars and instead encourage Japanese small cars by reducing import duty;
- Ask the Centre Government to take action against Tamil Nadu who harass and assault Buddhist pilgrims including Buddhist priests and Catholic pilgrims who visit Chenai;
- Lastly all steps should be taken by the GoSL to stop India taking over our economy gradually.
The above letter which was published in Lankaweb on 23 March 2013 stands currency even today. For the third time, India has proved to us that she is not a friend of Sri Lanka as we think but a born enemy by agreeing to support the US sponsored Resolution against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming UNHRC Sessions. It’s high time the present Government treated her as our number one enemy in the neighbourhood.
Malin Abeyatunge
March 25th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
“Let our President at least now realize that India is not a friend and for that matter Pakistan is a sincere friend”
Our President is not an idiot. He knows this fact, so are the 18 million citizens + 2 million Kallathonis , but he has no guts to declare this truth, despite being a Buddhist promising ” Musaawada Veramani Sikkapadam Samaadiyami” every day. He opts to LIE instead, betraying both Buddism and Sri Lanka.
Yes, Malin’s all 9 recommendations MUST be implemented without delay.
March 25th, 2014 at 3:26 pm
It is only the president who says India is his friend. What a hypocit this MR is? Has he got an iota of brain to understand his constituency? He is not even half an idiot. Sonia woman is being hounded by Americans. Debragate is being cavity checked. That is the punishment by Americans. Modi fool cannot remember he was denied with american visa. A bloody Indian fool.
March 25th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
“President Rajapaksa has become naïve (though still locally popular) and unable to stop Indianising Sri Lanka.”
Thank you Malin for calling a SPADE A SPADE.
Fully agree with the 9 point action plan.
Look what MR has done yesterday.
1. He has told INTERNATIONAL NGOs he agrees to an INTERNATIONAL investigation.
2. At the same time he has said he doesn’t care about UNHRC BS to LOCALS.
Who is he trying to FOOL?
March 25th, 2014 at 4:27 pm
To be complete ” He has told INTERNATIONAL NGOs he agrees to an INTERNATIONAL investigation, provided it is done for the whole period of conflict”, not so bad as Lorenzo said but not a good statement still.
March 25th, 2014 at 7:57 pm
-Boycott all Indian imports including food items and import from other countries even at a price. That is the easiest protest Sri Lankans can do. To add
-Take a page from Mahatma Gandhi and burn Indian products in selected and approved places. Make sure the media covers it.
-Stop import of Maruti cars and instead encourage Japanese small cars by reducing import duty. Great Idea. If the Rajapakse government would permit a Japanese car manufacturer into Sri Lanka then Japanese cars can be manufactured in Sri Lanka where that technology could become domestic and also used for military vehicles. It would permanently cut the Indian car imports and enhance Sri Lanka’s manufacturing sector.
-Stop Tamil Nadu Films and force the closure of Tamil theaters across the country. If the Sri Lankan Tamils want to watch a Tamil film let them get a CD from Tamil Nadu and watch it in their homes.
-White wash any billboards that openly advertise Indian or American products across the country.
-The Government should build a naval base on the Katchacheevu island thereby rebuking Jayalalithaa’s call to reclaim that island.
-Make connections with the Buddhist Sanga in India, especially those made by the converted Dalits by Dr. Ambedkar
-Demand the closure of the UN office in Colombo
March 26th, 2014 at 5:38 am
All these conflicts with foreign countries will force Sri Lanka to be more and more SELF SUFFICIENT and more an more NATIONAL, which is the best thing that can happen. Make lemon aide out of lemons we get !
Some points to ponder :
* Our dealings re the Economy should NEVER sell out Lanka to any foreign country, including India.
* India herself is, off and on, controlled by outside forces.
* Watch out for Cold War politics brought into Sri Lanka and India as well. Destabilising and weakening countries to do outsiders will is the name of the game.
* Regional unity is necessary, with caution.
* Tamil Nadu is untrustworthy for both India and Sri Lanka.
March 26th, 2014 at 8:47 am
We are making a mistake if we give the impression that the entire Indian nation is an enemy of Sri Lanka, even though it is a fact that all Indian Governments since independence to date had not acted in a honourable manner to allow Sri Lanka to develop independently. Of those Indian Governments, the Indira Ghandi regime did the worst damage by creating the various terrorist groups to destroy the economy and ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka. The present regime of Manmohan Sing could be considered the weakest of all regimes, for capitulating to bogus demands of both the Tamilnadu and the USA. In fact this Indian regime has stooped to the extent of violating India’s own policy of not supporting country based UNHRC resolutions, possibly in exchange for a US assurance the investigation demanded would exclude the period when most of the Indian and LTTE diaspora crimes were committed.
Let us hope a future different Indian regime, after the next election, would take a different approach and assist Sri Lanka to progress independently as well as block hostile intentions of the USA and its stooge nations.
March 26th, 2014 at 11:33 am
BJP has said “NO” to Eelam (see head lines Daily News, Mar 26).