The Indian intervention on 29th July 1987 The“17th Invasion of Sri Lanka by India in the Island’s 2500 Year History.â€ÂÂÂ
Posted on July 28th, 2013
Ranjith Soysa (Spokesperson) SPURƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc)
Harking back, one can concludeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 29th July 1987 was one of the darkest days in the history of Sri Lanka as it was the day on which India invaded Sri Lanka and forced the then Sri Lankan government to sign the infamous ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Indo – Lanka AccordƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Prior to that dark day, the Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi and Minister Natwar Singh had warned Sri Lanka of dire consequences if the Sri Lankan military action against the terrorist LTTE was not called off.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s foreign minister sent a message to the UN Secretary General advising that Sri Lanka was facing an imminent threat to its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Sri Lankan President called the violation of Sri Lankan air space by India ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the 17th invasion of Sri Lanka by India in her 2500 years of historyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka was left in the lurch by the world community at large except by a few nations in Asia and was forced to sign the Indo ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”Sri Lanka agreement on 29th July 1978 as per the conditions stipulated by India. The agreement did not receive the consent of the people of Sri Lanka nor the approval of its democratically elected Government but was signed during a 48 hour curfew period.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India forced Sri Lanka to merge its Northern and Eastern provinces in order to create a Tamil majority area legitimising the myth that the area covered the traditional homeland of the Sri Lankan Tamils.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As a consequence, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was introduced on the 14th November 1987.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Further, the agreement attempted to reduce Sri Lanka to a satellite state of India by negating Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sovereign right to make decisions with regards to the Trincomalee harbour and forcing Sri Lanka to accept ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India to be the de-facto partner in developing the tank farm there.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Indo Lanka agreement promised to usher in a period of peace in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However the Indian intervention resulted in one of the most violent and brutal periods in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s history ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with two insurrections, namely the LTTE against the Indian peace keepers and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the JVPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s against the Sri Lankan forces occurring simultaneously. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ironically, having trained and armed a number of Tamil Terrorist groups, India was also forced to fight the most ruthless of them all, the LTTE.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The people of Sri Lanka would not have forgotten that Vartharaja Perumal, the head of the Indian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”puppet administrationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the merged North & East, unilaterally declared a state of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil Eelam and fled to India.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Indian military intervention under the guise of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”peace keepingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ served no purpose other than its own objective of introducing hegemony over its island neighbour.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In time, the IPKF came to be known to Tamil Sri Lankans as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Indian People Killing ForceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Among the many atrocities attributed to the IPKF were the massacre of 68 Tamils including doctors, nurses and patients at the Jaffna Hospital in October 1987 as well as numerous cases of rape and plunder of the very people they claimed to have come to protect.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Looking back, the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement failed to meet its objectives and India failed miserably to deliver her undertakings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Like the vast majority of Sri Lankans, we too are looking forward to the day when President Mahinda Rajapakse backed by the elected representatives of the people annuls this infamous agreement and restores theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sovereign rights of Sri Lanka.
July 28th, 2013 at 1:40 pm
So Endia invaded us 16 times BEFORE 1987 in the past!
That is why I EMPHASISED we could do NOTHING to stop Endia invading us in 1987.
1983 had NOTHING to do with it.
It is just that Endia invades SL from time to time with CLUMSY EXCUSES which they create.
Now the frequency of invasions will increase because Endia is ONE COUNTRY unlike in the past.
July 28th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
But, in every invasion Endia learned lessons. They were defeated and forced to leave with the tail between legs.
Method used to defeat them is immaterial.
This is why we should never fear Endia – the Rape Country, Endia – the Open Toilet.
July 30th, 2013 at 8:31 am
Looking at what the USA is doing around the world in other countries, we are back to the days when might was considered right. India has too gone on that track and forgotten all norms of decency and is now continuing with the role of the Colonial powers who favoured the Tamils they imported from India to work on plantations in the North East and Central regions of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has to find a way to resist Indian passive aggression, through the Indian forced 13th amendment and work for the advancement of all ethnic groups, instead of Tamils only.
July 30th, 2013 at 11:13 am
S. G is correct, In every Invasion Sakkili Endia was taught a GOOD LESSON- SUICIDE BOMBING RAJIV THE VERY CREATOR LTTE THE TRAITOR TO SRI LANKA!!!
They will never learn alesson as THEY R A BUNCH OF ILLETERATES!!!