Leaping tiger or cowering mouse
Sunday, 10 March 2013
In the almost four years that have passed since the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, the Colombo government has worked relentlessly to consolidate Sinhala dominance over the Tamil speaking regions. During this time, India’s tentative policy of appeasement and meek diplomacy in the hopes of crafting a political solution on the island has, in no uncertain terms, failed dismally. This timid approach has only seen Sri Lanka’s brazen defiance swell, with the state continuing to act audaciously in the face of creeping international pressure, safe in the knowledge that India’s placation will continue. International action on Sri Lanka is however, slowly beginning to mobilise and if India is serious about becoming a globally recognised power, it must take a leading role in reigning in its unruly neighbour. If not, as pressure on Sri Lanka continues to mount, India risks being an ineffectual bystander, side-lined in its own backyard.
India’s diffident approach to Sri Lanka post-2009 has visibly and embarrassingly unravelled in the face of Sri Lanka’s petulant defiance. Hesitancy in pressing Sri Lanka to make any sort of progress towards accountability or a political solution has left Sinhala chauvinism unchecked, allowing it to thrive and run amok. Human rights and rule of law on the island have continued to deteriorate, with sustained attacks on Tamils and a concrete political solution to the ethnic conflict, more elusive than ever.
Despite India’s claim to regional power status, Sri Lanka has been adept at defying it at almost every turn with Sinhala Buddhism retaining its long standing anti-Indian chauvinism and hostility. On the economic front Sri Lanka has worked to marginalise Indian access to the island. The much lauded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is stalled and Colombo regularly initiates a host of other provocative measures, such as deporting Indian traders. In addition, Indian offers to develop Palali airport, that would have facilitated and enhanced trade and cultural links between the Tamil North-East and South India, have been forthrightly rejected.
Meanwhile, India continues to be politically humiliated in a very public and high profile way. Despite Colombo’s repeated assurances to India on its willingness to share power with the Tamils, President Rajapakse declared in his independence day speech this February that such measures were ‘not practical’ for Sri Lanka. Colombo’s repeated and public defiance of Indian demands, accompanied by the Sri Lankan Navy’s unceasing attacks on Indian fishermen, makes it patently clear that the policy of appeasing Sri Lanka has singularly backfired.
Yet, inexplicably, the placation has continued, with India providing military training to Sri Lankan troops and engaging in war games with the island. This policy has done nothing more than to empower a brazen Sri Lankan state, strengthening ethnic chauvinism on the island. Moreover, Sri Lanka confidently expects continued Indian support on the international front, apparently secure that Delhi’s policy of appeasement will continue indefinitely.
As Sri Lanka attempts to resist steadily rising international pressure, it will doubtless turn to India for support. But it should now be clear that without co-ordinated international efforts to check Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism, India cannot hope to realise any of its objectives on the island. A highly militarised, authoritarian, Sinhala chauvinist state is fundamentally incompatible with Indian interests, and intrinsically unstable, both internally and externally. India must drive action on Sri Lanka and work actively to dismantle the dominance of Sinhala chauvinism. If, however, India continues with its tentative and faltering approach, it risks watching wistfully from the side-lines as important shifts inevitably occur, as was the case in Burma.
In order to realise its global aspirations, India must steer rather than stall assertive action on Sri Lanka. This would demonstrate not only India’s regional capacity, but also signal the fortitude and resolution needed to become an influential player on the global stage. With open ambitions for permanent membership of the Security Council, India can no longer shy away from taking bold determined steps in the international arena. In the words of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, India must act decisively on the Sri Lanka issue if it is to be a ‘leaping tiger’ rather than a ‘cowering mouse.’
Are Central and State Governments and Intelligence Agencies Conspiring?
Sunday, 10 March 2013
The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) would like to bring the following developments to the attention of the people of India, particularly the people of Tamil Nadu, and would request them to be watchful of any quirky turns:
[1] The Tamil Nadu police went to the home of a friend yesterday (March 9, 2013) morning and inquired his parents about his activities. The officers asked them if their son had any connections with the Maoists groups from the northern district of Cuddalore.
[2] Dinakaran, a Tamil newspaper, published an unsigned article with undue prominence on Page 5 of its March 9, 2013 edition under the title “Country Bombs Getting Ready in Koodankulam Area.” The story complains that country bombs are being prepared in Idinthakarai and Koothankuzhi villages and the police have not taken any steps to stop this menace. We doubt that some local vested interests may be behind this vitriolic attack on the struggling people to malign our name and popularity and to instigate police action against our peaceful people.
[3] A dubious young man from our area has been sending a Tamil SMS “Vettri allathu veeramaranam (Victory or Valiant Death)” in the name of S. P. Udayakumar to give the impression that we are losing patience and getting desperate with our struggle.
[4] The Madurai Passport Officer has been sending letters to S. P. Udayakumar asking him why his passport cannot be impounded or revoked as there is a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him. It is pertinent to note that the Tirunelveli police have been denying NOC (no objection certificate) to many people in our villages to obtain a passport claiming that they all face criminal charges. However, the Tirunelveli police are issuing NOC to some select people who are recommended by Mr. M. Xavier Francis Besky, a DSP-rank officer hailing from Idinthakarai village. This is done intentionally to divide the cohesive Idinthakarai community that has been leading our struggle.
All these underhanded efforts of the central and state governments and their police and intelligence agencies make us wonder if they are hatching dangerous conspiracies and schemes against the struggling people. All these things show how desperate the above actors have become in dealing with honest, hard-working and peaceful people of this country.
We request our people in all the villages to be vigilant against any intruders coming into our villages and planting explosive devices or leaving such dangerous things around. We would like to assure the fellow citizens of India that we are not a violent or extremist group that is bent to hurt or harm or kill anybody. We are nonviolent sons and daughters of the soil who want to protect the right to life and livelihood of the ordinary people of India, to safeguard the natural resources of this country for our progeny, and to resist the sale of India to the profiteering corporations of the United States, Russia, France and other such imperial countries.
The Struggle Committee
The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)
