Karunanidhi calls the shots
By Gamini Weerakoon
The Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran has arrived and left and Indo-Lanka relations appear to have returned to the quiescent state it has been for long years since the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Political observers note that while Sri Lankan political leaders keep going to New Delhi to meet Indian leaders even though there appears to be no compelling reasons, Indian leaders have been shy of visiting Colombo for whatever reasons. The last visit of an Indian leader was by Narasimha Rao, but even in this instance he had stayed only a few hours.
According to the Indian news magazine Frontline Shyam Saran’s visit was due to pressure being built both within India and from outside for India to play a more pro-active role, particularly after the collapse of the peace process. The more compelling reason would have been the influx of refugees from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu which would have resulted in the DMK Chief M.Karunanidhi applying pressure on the United People’s Alliance government to take up the issue.
Sri Lankan issue
The LTTE tried hard during the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections to focus on the Sri Lankan issue but the reluctance of the Sri Lankan government to enter into a full scale military conflict resulted in the LTTE strategy not being successful. However, when the government bombed LTTE camps in Sampur in the East it was enough of an excuse for the LTTE to claim that civilians had been attacked and there was a vast influx of ‘ refugees’ to Mannar,the intention being to cross over to South India.
The Indian media has not been commenting or reporting on the relations between the DMK government and the Central government in New Delhi on the Sri Lankan issue. However, the DMK appears to be exerting great pressure on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government on other issues. Last week it was reported that he had lodged strong protests to Manmohan Singh over the allocation of ministerial portfolios to his party. The DMK already has seven ministers in the Indian cabinet.
The issue that Sri Lankans have not been probing is whether Karunanidhi who had been a strong supporter of the LTTE is influencing the Indian government on the Sri Lankan issue and if so, to what extent.
Shyam Saran during his visit here had said that India has a responsible role to play and would not shy away from its obligations. But this role would only be complementary. This was sheer ‘diplomatese’ but weeks after his visit we do not see any positive role played by India on the Sri Lankan issue.
Blessings of New Delhi
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent visit to India was a significant event. Whether his visit was official or not is not certain but the fact that he met important Indian leaders such as Congress Leader Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and notable opposition leaders of the BJP indicate that it was with the blessings of New Delhi.
One line of thinking is that it is in accordance with the Sri Lanka policy of New Delhi to build up a Southern consensus. India wanted both parties - UNP and UPFA - to get together on the North-East conflict and an invitation might have been to persuade Wickremesinghe to be more cooperative with President Rajapakse’s government. The visit took place soon after the UNP announced that it was keeping out of the All Party Conference summoned by President Rajapakse.
It has been also reported that Sonia Gandhi had told Wickremesinghe that the way out would be to abide by the Indo-Lanka Agreement. If this has been correctly reported India would have to do much more than Sri Lanka to rejuvenate the 19 year old agreement which has been moribund for long years.
Palaly Airport
From the Sri Lankan point of view the question to be posed is whether the present government of India can help Sri Lanka by acting against the LTTE. Earlier, during the Premiership of Ranil Wickremesinghe a defence agreement between the two countries was being mooted but now we do not hear of it any more. A proposal under this agreement was to permit the use of Palaly Airport by the Indian forces. All that has gone underground.
It does appear that New Delhi’s Sri Lanka policy is being influenced to a very great degree by the DMK. This would be particularly so after the DMK won all the 40 seats on the Tamil Nadu Assembly and in Pondicherry. The Congress and the DMK are now cooperating in the administration of these two bodies. At the centre a DMK pull out could threaten the existence of the government of Sonia Gandhi.
Thus even though India may be acknowledged as a ‘ global power’ by America and will be committed to fight terrorism everywhere particularly in the South Asia region, where the LTTE is concerned it cannot move, if the DMK leader applies pressure on New Delhi.
That fact should be mulled over by those ardent advocates of ‘friendship with India’. [Sunday Leader]
