Sri Lanka: Towards a solution?

(January 27, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit to meet the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

It is not clear what his agenda is, but it is only a fair guess to say that he will make utterances, advocate a political solution, which could bring everlasting peace for the decades old ethnic problem.

The political class in Tamilnadu is on a boil on the issue as they have staked themselves high on the matter. The leaders of PMK and the VCK have publicly aired their dissatisfaction over Chief Minister’s failure to pressure the Centre. So, in this kind of a scenario, Pranab’s visit to Sri Lanka has come as a blessing in disguise for the Chief Minister.

Unexpectedly, the Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa has bowled a ‘googly’ to Karunanidhi requesting him to impress upon the LTTE to refrain from using the innocent Tamil civilians as ‘shields’ and allow them to get away from the war zone to other areas of safety. He has also requested Karunanidhi to ensure the surrender of arms by the LTTE in order to effect the ceasefire as demanded by the Tamilnadu politicians.

Interestingly he has also requested Jayalalithaa to visit Lanka, along with a team of other leaders and representatives, for having a first hand impression and understand the actual position of the Tamil civilians. He assured that Northern Sri Lanka, like Eastern Lanka, would also come under focus of the government for civilian settlement and development, the moment the LTTE is vanquished.

The reports coming from Sri Lanka seem to confirm the setbacks faced by the LTTE, which is running short of manpower. The desperate LTTE is forced plant mines, blowing up tank-bunds apart from using civilians as shields, which is corroborated by the sudden rise in the civilian casualties.

Though the LTTE’s political wing leader Nadesan claims that Prabakaran is fighting in the warfront, shoulder to shoulder with other tigers, the reports more or less confirm that he has been hiding inside the jungle. Other Tamil leaders like Karuna and Douglas Devananda have ruled out the ‘escape’ of Prabakaran out of Sri Lanka.

Considering the claim of Sri Lankan Military that the war is 95% over, it is most unlikely that Sri Lanka would accept for a ceasefire, especially when it is about to taste the fruits of victory. India for its part cannot go beyond certain limit in asking Sri Lanka to opt for a ceasefire.

In fact, it cannot directly ask Sri Lanka to ensure ceasefire, but it can certainly request for the safety and security of civilian Tamils and for the timely delivery of relief materials to them.

India cannot possibly provide a riposte to Rajapaksa’s claim that ceasefire cannot be ensured without the LTTE’s surrender of arms.

Even amilnadu politicians, who have been crying themselves hoarse demanding a ceasefire, have no courage to demand the same from the LTTE. Tamilnadu politicians must forget the LTTE and focus on other Sri Lankan Tamil leaders like Anandasangaree, Douglas Devananda and host of others including Karuna Amman. This would also encourage Indian government to freely negotiate with Sri Lanka and arrive at a peaceful solution ensuring equal rights to Sri Lankan Tamils.

(Editorial: The News Today, an evening daily news paper based in Chennai) - Sri Lanka Guardian