India, a blundering necessity in Sri Lanka
By Kusal Perera Most recently, our Foreign Minister who was in India to formally invite the Indian PM Dr. Singh for the SAARC Summit, was reported to have told the Indian media that India should not interfere in Sri Lankan issues. India has been involved in Sri Lankan issues, very many times in the past too, beginning with the citizenship issue of Indian origin Tamil people resident here. The Northern Tamil issue came in lately. With the death of Rajiv Gandhi, that Indian intervention has accrued a new dimension, in that they now show an inclination of eliminating the LTTE, a condition that previously wasn’t there. But the LTTE does have political backing, not necessarily from mega politicians, but from different community groups and trades in Tamil Nadu that give them leverage in organising military backups. All of it may not be happening outside the scrutiny of the Indian Research and Analysis Wing. The Indian State is certainly influenced by RAW scrutiny, though with Tamil Nadu politics in mind. But then, what worth is it for India that’s on a fast track growth mode, to think of a society that is smaller than its small Haryana state which has a population of 22 million against 19 million Sri Lankans ? Worst is this 19 million as a whole society does not have any significant buying power either, for a foreign State to intervene on economic grounds. With an inflation that’s speeding at break neck speed and zoomed past 40 per cent in real life early this week and bank interest rates on borrowing jacked up to over 22 per cent in the midst of fuel price hikes, there is no sizeable Sri Lankan middle class that could keep affording the luxury of shopping at free will. This leaves the super percentage of wealthy consumers at around 20 that shares or rather grabs 47.3 per cent of the national wealth. What is 20 per cent of 19 million Sri Lankans as a market which is roughly 04 million, for any foreign attention? If it is this small market that matters, the Indian business men have already taken over that. What then is the Indian interest? It is not economic power per se. It is geo political supremacy per se. India has always lived with it and worked for it. Even during the more closed era when India was a gentle and exemplary member of the Non – Aligned Movement, Indian subtleties had Nepalese and Bhutanese monarchies behave the Indian way. India for sure is heading to be the super power in the South Asian region. It would compete with China to be a super power in Asia as well, in the next decade. Economically and culturally none in our region could match the Indians. They now buy over British companies as large as Jaguar and Land Rover, buy all big cricketing stars from any where in the world to play in their premier league cricket and their Bollywood stars are larger than Hollywood heroes. All that supremacy can only be sustained and dominated with political power, if military power is not the rule of the game. Thus it is geo-political supremacy in the region that makes Sri Lanka important to India. And it had always been the Tamil conflict that allowed India to plant its feet in Sri Lankan politics. But where did it start ? Let’s not forget that during the early stages of the conflict through 1950’s to 1970’s, or more precisely till the constitution of the Tamil political campaigns remained as very democratic campaigns and protests seeking a negotiated place in a unitary State, the Indian government did not see it as necessary to intervene in Sri Lankan politics. There are many reasons; the cumulative impact of which could be adduced as the total reason for such Indian behaviour. First, the democratic Tamil political leaders concentrated overwhelmingly to strike an accord with the Colombo regime in settling their political disputes and no outsider was necessary for that. Two, they did not include Tamil Nadu into their equation, as their perception of a Tamil society did not extend beyond VVT and PP to then Madras. Three, all Colombo regimes too were dependent more on the Sinhala polity to provide them with the extra clout to be in power and did not take democratic campaigns by the Tamil political leadership as a challenge that would require foreign support. Four, the Sinhala leadership in the South was more an introvert leadership, harking back on the past to live a closeted life and therefore its foreign policy remained non aligned, which meant it was more with the non-market, politically centralised countries that did not disturb the Indian palate. The change in Sri Lankan politics in 1977 led to many changes. A change over to a limitless free economy, shifted trade relations that were dominated by Soviet bloc countries to that of market driven countries in Europe, America and Asia. So did our foreign alignments, to suit that change. It was a shift in alliance, India and Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister did not much fancy. Hand in glove with that change and growing suspicion, came the political shift in handling the Tamil conflict. The Jayewardene regime which despotically centralised the already centralised State with an all powerful Executive Presidency, moved to tame Tamil politics with its own political power in the South that then was an enormous five sixth majority in parliament. This was a period, the emerging new generation of young Tamil political activists were questioning the ability of their elder democratic leaders. They were wary of negotiating with the Colombo based Sinhala leaders who had always taken the elder Tamil political leaders on a ride. Governments in the South never treated with respect the dialogues and agreements the Tamil political leadership honoured on their part. From the betrayal of the 1957 B-C pact to 1965 D-C Pact and then the 1972 Constitution through to Standardising of University Entrance, it was Southern leaders who stood against all Tamil compromises. The worst was the massacre of the DDC’s in 1981, after the Tamil political leadership agreed to a provincial administration, even after receiving a 99% mandate for a separate Tamil State. All that left no reason for this new generation to respect the legitimacy of the Sinhala State that by then had failed them for over 33 years. They therefore shunned the democratic path to encamp in Tamil Nadu to organise their military logistics in order to achieve a separate Tamil State. The first Indian intervention was possible with this paradigm shift in Tamil politics. India under Madam Gandhi tried to exploit this situation in early 1980’s to teach the Jayewardene regime a lesson for straying too far towards the US. Indians as a rule, did not appreciate any US presence in this part of our region. That was reason why they worked with the Soviet regime on defence. With the assumption that the Jayewardene regime was getting entrenched in US influence, Madam Gandhi provided Tamil groups with training, weapons and money to pressure President Jayewardene to turn around towards Indian assistance. History proves that Madam Gandhi and her advisors could not lessen US presence here by their decision. In fact US presence is now felt more after two and a half decades. Its more there in India too. [dailymirror.lk]
6 Comments
I believe the Part II from Kusal would shed light into the reason behind why the expert panel from India visiting SL right now. This part has been a spot on account of the Sinhala Leadership Failure to address Tamil Greivances. If Madam Ghandhi had an agenda to wrap a noose around jayawardene, what did JR do except going the war & communal violence path? Set his ministers Gamini Dissanayake to gang up to burn the Jaffna Library! Cyril Mathew spearheaded the July 83 pogrom. Lalith Athulathmudhali to bomb jaffna to smithereens.
Rajapakshe today, doing the same. We will have this war going on for another 20 years and still be worse off and no end to this conflict.
TMVP will be turned into LTTE Eastern Wing as soon as UNP gets into power. Rajapakshe or SLFP is not going to rule forever. As soon as this change happens, Pillayaan has to run for cover.
This shows that we Sinhalese are dumb and short sighted in placing faith on a child soldier for eastern redemption.
Thus, until we have a statesman with balls like tunku of Malaysia, this ethnic conflict will take innocent lives on a daily basis.
This article is an excellent antidote to counter Sinhala Supremacist paranoia, more than support the Tamil cause. The bankrupt Sinhala Political Establishment obsequiously following the military makes it mentally impossible to come up with a political solution, whatsoever. The four points adduced in the above article are clear proof that the Tamils wanted to make their case within the unitary state and make it work too. Even now the Supremacist paranoia has not fully gone away. It may not fully disappear ever.
But, it is interesting to read what they say sometime. Now they believe that Maoist take over of Nepal has made the American and the Indians politically dependent on Sri Lanka. This is like the Tyranasaurus Rex talking to each other facing extinction, at the end of Cretaceous period:
"Hey, Preethee, is that the asteroid that Sirisena was talking about portending the end of our civilisation."
"Naa, ane, Jothipala, me, me, me masdadon-gollo Diwali celebrate-karanawa up north in the Yacatan valley."
The Tamils have always wanted to keep Sri Lankan politics within the shores of Sri Lanka and in a democratic process too. It is most definitely the Sinhala Deshapremi paranoia that not only worked against the Tamils but also worked against the Sinhalese as well. Look at the way Sinhala polity suffering unspeakable indignities.
Do Sinhalese need to suffer such indignities? Absolutely not! - I think they deserve a lot better. As your article above rightly implies Deshapremis have been the deadliest enemies of that little island.
"It was southern leaders whose stood against all Tamil compromises." Your words should be cast in stone.
Thanks for many such wonderful articles written in a very incisive manner. It is not only the Tamils who benefit from such honest analyses, it is the Sinhala Political Establishment as well, as they are totally unable to think politically.
Foreign Minister Bogollogama and the Ministry have contradicted - more than once last week - he ever accused India of "interfering" in Lankan affairs.
President Rajapakse, his 2 brothers and almost everyone else who matter here have been pleading - privately and publicly- with India to "help Sri Lanka overcome our problem" India has often responded with the advise that we should come out with a home-grown solution.
We were never serious in doing just that - despite several assurances to the Indian side. The visit of the Indian trio of powerful officials yesterday - the Press speculates here - is to, inter alia, ask GoSL to come out with deadlines for a solution. Perera foolishly assumes the Lankan problem "begins with the Citizenship issue of 1948" and this comment requires no answer because it is so infantile.
"Tamil people resident here"??? What on earth is that? Grab the nearest History book and do a quick study
of the history of Lankan Tamils and you will learn they have been here as long as anyone else. Ever heard of Prof Indrapalan who became Indrapala and now back as Indrapala?
"Indian businessmen have already taken over that" meaning " remaining balance" is position and language used by the JVP and JHU to hoodwink their ill-educated electorate. According to Madam CBK last week in the presence of Mangala Samaraweera, Ranil W and a few hundred people this grouping "is less than 5% of the voters"
All investments into the country is governed by the BoI (know what or who it is??) and they go through all aspects of foreign investment proposals - notably if the proposed business will be in Lanka's interest (economic and Political etc) if it meets with our environmental criteria and many other.
The suspect English in the article is suggestive perhaps it was originally written in English and translated - alas somewhat poorly.
Very good article. As a good ecconomist he is pointing the reason for the present ecconomic hardship, then he is giving the reasons for the Tamils'freedom fighting.
Actually for the Sinhalese everything is going on according to their schedule and if they tolerate these hardship for few more years the whole country will be theirs. Sir Pon Arunachalam is the person who formed the first political party 'The Ceylon National Congress'in order to fight for Ceylonization of public servises.The clever Sinhalese leaders who joined the party created a secret plan for Sinhalization of the whole country.
The Great Sinhalese leader D.S.Senenayake proposed and initiated the Gal oya project in order to occupy with Sinhalese nearly one third of East and removed the citizenship of the Central province Tamils. The Neru's and Indra's governments were refucing to Talk about the Indian origin Tamils'issue and when a puppet government of Lal Bahadoor Sasdiree came Mrs.Srimao Bandaranayake made use of the opportunity to sign a pact to repatiate about 60% of the Upcountry Tamils. So whether it is D.S.Senanayake of U.N.P. or Srimao Bandaranayake of S.L.F.P. following the same agenda. JR initiated another mayor irrigation projest (Maduru oya) to Sinhalize the Batticaloa district and Pirabakaran helped him to clear the Tamils from the Nothern Trincomalle district by his land mines and paved the way for JR to Sinhalize those areas too.
Then Pirabakaran helped Mahinda to clear the Southern Trincomalle district and now almost Trinco has become a Tamil free land. So my Sinhalese brothers everything is going on according to the schedule of our Great National Heros and be ready to sacrifice few more years as Wimal Weeravansa says and the whole country will be phicically ours in few more years.
India always looks at its self-interest than the interest of Sri Lanka.
When the island faces political and military instability India gains economically.
India know to manipulate them to achieve their ends.
Indian attitude towards Sri Lankan conflict requires firmly Sri Lankan's Strong diplomacy. Sri Lanka, as in very much need of military cooperation with India, can gain maximum bargaining in their negotiations by putting oil exploration pact, support of international community, cordial relations with China, and reiteratition of India's benificial role in combating terrorism, at the negotiations table.
This, I believe, shall bring positive results for Sri Lanka.