Ira de Silva London, Canada

The Editor
The Island
Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Dear Sir:
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The very title of this article is indicative that the writer, Colonel Hariharan representing India, is only concerned about India. Sri Lanka has been crucified by India too many times in the past for Sri Lanka to only consider India’s concerns. It is incumbent on the President and Government of Sri Lanka to consider Sri Lanka first, India second.
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Who in Sri Lanka canƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  forget that it was because India considered only India’s concerns that theyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ transformed Prabhakaran and his band into murderous terrorists, provided them with bases in Tamil Nadu, political support via the rabid politicians in Tamil Nadu and last but not least the threat to invade Sri Lanka prior to forcing the Indo-Lanka Accord on the weak Jayawardene regime.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankans should never forget the rape, plunder, humiliation of the Sri Lankan forcesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ other acts of brutality of the Indian Peace Keeping Force -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the writer was part of that. Then came DixitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dictating and living his dream of being a “viceroy”. Will President Rajapakse be as weak as Jayawardene was?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  All Sri Lankans who supported him against the LTTE trust him not to betray the country.
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The writer believes that “as the war is over logically India should be expecting dividends from Rajapaksa for its support”. When is India going toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pay Sri Lanka “dividends” for it’s attempted destruction of the country? Given India’s role with the LTTE and it’s politicians in Tamil Nadu carrying on their rants against the country even now, how can there be anƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “increase in favourable Sinhalese attitude towards India” when it is a matter of security and independence of the country? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Does he expect the Sinhalese to commit suicide by placing their entire trust in India when over and over again India has demonstrated that Sri Lanka is expendable when it affects Indian politics?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When 40,000 Sri Lankan armed forces were facing elimination by the LTTE in the Jaffna peninsula, what was India’s attitude? They offered to transport them by ship so that the LTTE could overrun the Jaffna peninsula.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Colonel served in the intelligence unit in India. Was this his master plan?
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The writer claims that India’s expectations are equity for the Tamil minority – would he spell out what he means by “equity”. What is it that the Tamil minority does not have that the other communities in Sri Lanka have? These are vague statements that do not stand scrutiny. As for closer economic bonds, it would be in Sri Lanka’s best interest not to give in to India’s attempted “colonisation” with the spread of Indian consulates in the island.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The purpose of consulates is to serve the consular requirements ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ citizens in foreign countries. Does India plan to blanket the Jaffna peninsular with Indians, more to the point Indians from Tamil Nadu? As for Hambantota, how many Indians does India plan to re-settle there? Indians were brought to Sri Lanka by the British and the British left them for Sri Lanka to deal with, nowƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it appears the Indians are attempting to increase the Indian population once again. Illegal Indian immigrantsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ decades come to Sri Lanka forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ economic reasons, now it appears that the same is being attempted by India as an “expectation” after the war.
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If India has to “fulfilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ its responsibilities as a nation”, then the President and Government of Sri Lanka has to fulfil their responsibilities to the Sri Lankan nation and curtail the Indians overrunning the country. That would be fulfilling Dixit’s dream, now carried by N. Rao and the end result would be Eelam which remains the dream of India’s politicians in Tamil Nadu. India may have “always been opposed to independent Tamil Eelam” but that was so long as it was inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil Nadu, India. They have shown no qualms about TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Eelam in Sri Lanka. Is it any wonder thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India’s efforts in Sri Lanka “are still looked upon by manyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with suspicion”!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India has earned that suspicion and if Sri Lankans have any national pride they need to continue to view India with suspicion.
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The writer states that India hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “larger moral and social implications for Tamil society and its sensitivities. It should not be forgotten the Tamil society is only recently overcoming the sense of exclusivity and alienation that had bugged it since early days of IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s independence”. India has made sure that according to the Indian Constitution, Tamil Nadu will not be given independence. If India has moral and social implications for Tamil society, let them redress the exclusivity and alienation of the Tamils in Tamil Nadu, India. That is India’s right and obligation butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it is important to remind India that this jurisdiction does not extend beyond India’s borders because according to the colonel “IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s actions and their impact on Sri Lanka continue to be relevant to Tamil people everywhere”. If the Tamil people “everywhere” are India’s responsibility, why does India not ask them all to return home to IndiaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to live the Tamil dream in their homeland, Tamil Nadu, India.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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He states that the Tamils areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “smarting under the loss of face” after the defeat of Prabhakaran and his band of terrorists.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What does this mean?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It could be interpreted that the writer wanted the Tamil terrorists to continue to terrorise Sri Lankans so that the Indian dream of destabilizing the country and dictating to itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  should be the norm.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This attitude of the writer is further reinforced by his statement thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “President Rajapaksa had shown no hurry to address Tamil sensitivities on the issue of autonomy, perhaps because there is no Prabhakaran to threaten Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s unity”. He claims that President Rajapakse has largely chosen to ignore the need for “animation of the 13th amendment”. Once again, the Indian attitude to dictate to Sri Lanka is revealed. Why should Sri Lanka need to “animate the 13th amendment” which was the product of the Indo-Lanka accord that was forced on Sri Lanka when India did not live up to it’s part of the Accord?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It could be argued that the conditions India imposed on Sri Lanka are null and void because India violated the terms of the accord.
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As for CEPA, it is hoped that opposition to it will grow as it can be used by India to gain a stranglehold on the economy of Sri Lanka. There is rising unemployment in Sri Lanka so why should Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be faced with the prospect of thousands of Indians “invading” the country and taking jobs from the local people.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Indian politicians could not provide details of benefits to Sri Lanka which means thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ CEPA would be to Sri Lanka’s disadvantage. It is hoped that the President and Government of Sri Lanka realise that it isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ responsibleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for providing employment for Sri Lankans, notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Indians.
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Yours truly,
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Ira de Silva
London, Canada