Not the time for politics

(December 05, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Tamilnadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi led a delegation of leaders from DPA and a few other small parties to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister to persuade the Centre to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to declare a ceasefire and start negotiating with the LTTE for a peaceful solution.

When the Centre is extremely occupied with the major issue of India’s future relationship with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack, it is rather thoughtless of the Tamilnadu Chief Minister to take away a precious day of the Prime Minster to concentrate on an issue, which need not be a priority for India now.

India has become so vulnerable that terror attacks can happen any time and anywhere. At a time when the central government and the opposition are breaking their heads to arrive at a consensus on the vital issue of future dealings with Pakistan against which India has incontrovertible evidences of masterminding the Mumbai terror attack, the Tamilnadu Chief Minister could have postponed his visit on grounds of national interest. But instead he has led his own political interest to override any other consideration.

The volatile situation in the subcontinent has been the focus of the international community and delegates from western countries have been visiting India and Pakistan to mediate between the two countries. Though the Prime Minister has been attending to the core issue, it is the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is handling things deftly in Delhi and Mumbai.

Mukherjee is also involved in backroom politics to pick a man to head the Mumbai government in the aftermath of Vilasrao Deshmukh’s resignation. In this context, the Prime Minister’s acceptance to send Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka, though he has not mentioned the date of the visit, looks dangerous and dubious. It is clear that the pressure of the important ally DMK has compelled the Prime Minister to agree to send Pranab to Sri Lanka.

Why Karunanidhi is putting so much of pressure on the centre is anybody’s guess! The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has been forthright in conveying to India umpteen times that he would not declare ceasefire unless the LTTE surrenders with its arms.

But that looks unlikely given the LTTE’s known intransigence. Moreover, the Sri Lankan Army seems to be on its final assault and it has neared the last LTTE bastion Killinochi. In this kind of a scenario, it is most unlikely that Sri Lanka would declare a ceasefire. Even if Pranab goes to Colombo and pressurise Rajapakse, his certain refusal will only shame India and it is the last thing India needs now.

As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, it is fighting against internationally proclaimed terrorists (they are banned in India too) and India has no business in interfering there. In many ways the defeat of LTTE will be good for India too. It doesn’t mean that India is not concerned about the welfare of the Tamil community. There are other ‘genuine’ organisations and leaders representing Tamils in Sri Lanka, who are ready to have a peaceful negotiation with the Sri Lankan government and Colombo is also willing to have talks with them.

So, with the exit of LTTE, India facilitate the talks between them and make Sri Lanka to fall in line to agree to the solutions as envisaged by the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord and accept a federal form of governance, with the required necessary amendments in its Constitution.

Also, the Tamilnadu delegation cannot be called an all-party delegation as it sans the main opposition AIADMK, MDMK, DMDK and even the BJP and the CPIM. As there is no consensus within Tamilnadu, the centre need not attach much importance to this delegation’s attempt to save LTTE in the name of ceasefire and peace talks. In fact, in the present given situation, India must take a leaf out of Sri Lanka’s book and fight the Jihadis within India and in POK like how Sri Lanka is fighting the LTTE. Now, for India, the top most priority is the security of its own people and stopping of Jihadis infiltrating from Pakistan and Bangladesh into its territory. The Eelam issue, which has been festering for more than two decades, can wait. Tamilnadu must also understand it.

( Editorial of an evening daily published from Chennai, India )- Sri Lanka Guardian