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G. PARTHASARATHI SAYS INDIA’S NEW SRI LANKA POLICY WHICH IS DUBBED NARAYAN DOCTRINE IS UNTENABLE AND UNDIPLOMATIC

By Walter Jayawardhana

One of India’s leading former diplomats who has dealt in Indo-Lankan matters in the past has called India’s new Sri Lankan policy undiplomatic and untenable and bluntly questioned the Manmohan Singh government under what international treaty Sri Lanka is obliged to buy weapons only from India.

Former Indian diplomat G.Parthasarathi attacked Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayan for his new policy of bullying Sri Lanka dubbing it as “Narayan Doctrine” and said while India is growling at Sri Lanka, an extremely friendly neighbor, demanding it should buy its weapons only from India while it will decide what Sri Lanka would receive, it is groveling before China which is threatening to take over India’s Arunchal Pradesh.

The career diplomat who has been involved in the Indo-Sri Lanka relations heavily in the past thinks that India is threatening its tiny neighbor Sri Lanka while acting humbly before the mighty neighbor China as if to win a favor has led others to label India as a regional bully.

“Mr Narayanan’s statement is untenable apart from being undiplomatic. Under what treaty obligations, bilateral or international, is Sri Lanka required to acquire weapons exclusively from India ? If we are the “big power” in the region, which demands that our neighbours must follow the newly enunciated “Narayanan Doctrine” on arms acquisitions, has he forgotten that our own IPKF was compelled to use offensive helicopter gun- ships and tanks to deal with the LTTE? What right have we to ask Sri Lanka not to use similar offensive capabilities when the LTTE is much better equipped today than earlier?” asked Parthasarathi in an article published in the Indian daily, The Tribune.
“Finally, why should Sri Lanka,” asked Parstasarathi, “undermine the effectiveness of its armed forces by buying weapons exclusively from India if it can get better weapons from elsewhere? It has taken India years to persuade even anti-Indian parties like the JVP that India stands fully committed to their country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Sri Lanka is a neighbour with whom India enjoys extremely good relations. Mr Naryanan’s comments have provoked outrage and anti-Indian sentiments in Sri Lanka . The Pakistanis have proclaimed that these comments are yet another manifestation of India ’s “hegemonistic” designs. By making unwarranted comments described as “growling” by outsiders, India has eroded its capability to influence Sri Lanka on the credible devolution of powers to Tamils.”

Parthasarathi quoted an unnamed friend of his as saying, “ “Like all bullies India growls at its smaller neighbours like Sri Lanka and grovels before its large neighbour, China.”

He further said, “My friend was outraged by Mr Narayanan’s response to a question on India ’s reaction to Sri Lanka ’s arms purchases from Pakistan or China . The NSA had responded: “We are the big power in the region. Let us make this very clear. We strongly believe that whatever requirements the Sri Lankan government has, they should come to us. And we will give them what we think is necessary. We do not favour their going to China , Pakistan or any other country. We will not provide the Sri Lankan government with offensive capability. That is our position.”
Parthasarathi has pointed out that in contrast when China claims Arunchal Pradesh New Delhi has failed to respond. And has got cold feet.

He said, “In contrast to India “growling” at Sri Lanka , how have we handled our relations with China recently? Just on the eve of President Hu Jintao’s visit to India , China ’s envoy to India , Sun Yuxi, proclaimed: “In our position the whole State of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. And Tawang is one of the places in it. We are claiming all of that. That is our position.

“New Delhi developed cold feet and avoided a formal protest. China has subsequently firmly endorsed its envoy’s claims by denying a visa to an IAS officer from Arunachal Pradesh, claiming that since he belongs to a part of China , he does not need a visa to accompany over 100 of his colleagues being sent to China on an official “training” visit. China had earlier refused to issue visas to the then Arunachal Chief Minister Gegong Apang and to the Speaker of the Arunachal Assembly.”

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