March 18, 2012
India has for decades dealt with difficult neighbours to the north and west. With Sri Lanka, the relationship has been one of exceptional warmth with the people, but ties with state actors in the island nation can hardly be said to have been without complications.
The continued shortsightedness of Colombo in dealing with the country’s Tamil minority on terms of a shared citizenship even after the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 has the effect of causing a turbulence in relations between India and Sri Lanka on a regular basis. One such episode is currently unfolding with a resolution moved against Colombo in the UN Human Rights Commission by the United States.
There is strong opinion in Tamil Nadu that India should support the American resolution which calls for a censure of President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government. In Parliament last week, the Tamil parties — and even some leaders of non-Tamil parties — were vociferous in demanding fair and equitable treatment of Sri Lanka’s Tamils by their government, and also condemnation of the Rajapakse administration on human rights grounds.
The strong feelings in South India are understandable. The sentiment is indeed shared by the country as a whole. A video surfacing on a British television channel recently purportedly showed the cold-blooded murder of LTTE supremo Vellupillai Prabhakaran’s 12-year-old son by Sri Lankan soldiers after the LTTE’s defeat and Prabhakaran’s death. While the video’s authenticity may be questioned by some, such documentary evidence on the last phase of the fighting with the LTTE indicates to many that Sri Lankan troops exceeded the established codes of war. This has been conveyed to Colombo by New Delhi with urgings that the Rajapakse government move quickly to win over the island’s Tamil minority. Alas, Colombo has made only the right noises but has done too little.
India is not in the habit of supporting country-specific resolutions at UNHRC, and this has nothing to do with the Sri Lankan Tamil question. Traditionally, a censure on human rights — which often paves the way for wider political attacks — has been the US way of penalising nations with which its terms are not cordial. Nevertheless, Indian diplomacy would have to innovate ways to let Colombo know that it cannot get away without honouring commitments for long. Sri Lanka’s geographical position in the Indian Ocean and its physical proximity means a great deal to India. But in all relations, what is best on balance will have to be considered.
Source : Deccan Chronicle
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