BETA

Much to the astonishment of Tamils all over the world, the April 29 IANS (Indo-Asian News Service) of Delhi came out with the news that, “Sri Lanka's peace process has been spiked for now, India wants to help civilians hit by the escalating conflict. India's thinking is expected to take concrete shape soon as New Delhi takes a fresh look at the various cards it can play in a seemingly bleak situation where both protagonists seem determined to fight it out”
With the Norwegian-brokered February 2002 ceasefire agreement (CFA) between Colombo and the LTTE barely breathing, the one question that nags Indian policy planners is: what next?
Behind-the-scene Role
Now it has come to light that New Delhi did play a key but behind-the-scene role in the framing of CFA five years ago when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled India. Further, India also contributed to the setting up of the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), whose members were to oversee truce violations. Along with CFA, the SLMM too is in shambles now.
“While New Delhi remains committed to Sri Lanka's territorial unity, it is equally firm that only a political solution acceptable to broad sections among the Tamils can bring about an ultimate negotiated settlement”, say the Indian strategic planners They remain convinced that there can be no military solution to the Sri Lankan conflagration, which has taken a menacing shape since late 2005 leaving thousands dead and many thousands homeless
As for Norway, it is staying put as peace broker despite a snub from Colombo. And so India remains supportive of the role Norway has played, knowing well that the situation has reached a point where the international actors have ceased to play a determining role in Sri Lanka's limping peace process.
 Civilians' Suffering
The suffering of the civilians, overwhelmingly Tamils, is a major concern here. This is one of the areas on which India remains in regular touch with Sri Lankan authorities. It was the then foreign secretary Shyam Saran who in August 2005 declared during a trip to Sri Lanka: 'The welfare and well-being of the people in the northeast is very close to India's heart.'
India has not been openly harsh on the Sri Lanka government for all the horrible human rights violations and the collapse of the criminal investigations machinery. This task is left to the International NGO’s and others.This may be an act of Indian diplomacy.
Delhi did play a key but behind-the-scene role in the framing of CFA five years ago when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled India. Further, India also contributed to the setting up of the Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), whose members were to oversee truce violations.
At this juncture it is nothing other than appropriate to remind ourselves yet again of something which our leader Veluppillai Pirabakaran said some 14 years before.
“We are fully aware that the world is not rotating on the axis of human justice. Every country in this world advances its own interests. It is the economic and trade interests that determine the order of the present world, not the moral law of justice nor the rights of people. International relations and diplomacy between countries are determined by such interests. Therefore we cannot expect an immediate recognition of the moral legitimacy of our cause by the international community. The world is constantly changing and there will be unexpected changes. At a particular conjuncture the international situation might change favourably to us. At that time, the conscience will be conducive to the call of our just course. In reality, the success of our struggle depends on us, not on the world. Our success depends on our efforts, on our own strength, on our own determination.”
(To be continued.)
B.Raman’s Views on LTTE; A Clarification
In a genuine attempt to answer his critics B.Raman, the former head of RA&W, Retired Cabinet Secretary of Government of India, presently Director of Institute of Tropical Studies has this to say. (Ref. Paper No.2218 of 27.04.07, www.saag.org)
“I have been consistent in my views that:
(a)     The Sri Lankan Government has been trying for a dictated peace. This should not be accepted by India and other members of the International community.
(b)     The Sri Lankan Tamils need the LTTE to protect them from the Sinhalese extremists, but it should be the LTTE minus Prabakaran and others involved in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
(c)     India should not have anything to do with LTTE so long as it is led by Rajiv’s assassins. If it removes them, the Govt. of India should give it its full backing.
(d)     The LTTE should not be allowed to have its own air and sea capabilities under any circumstance. If it gets away with them, we can’t control our own terrorist organisations tomorrow.”
(To be continued.)