Tamil chauvinism must be prevented from taking an anti-India form
It is repugnant, but legitimate, for political groups in India to support the LTTE. It is repugnant, but legitimate for them to engage in lawful political activism to promote their cause. But it is wholly illegitimate and totally unacceptable for them to attack an Indian army convoy for any reason. So the ‘activists’ from of Periyar Dravida Kazhagam (PDK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) who attacked an Indian army convoy near Coimbatore must be dealt with utmost seriousness.
The attack itself is unusual and was quite likely to have been conducted after agents provocateurs spread rumours about the convoy carrying an arms shipment for the Sri Lankan army. Like the riot that occurred at the Madras High Court campus a few months ago, this attack suggests that an unholy nexus between Tamil chauvinist politicians and the LTTE’s supporters has not only been allowed to exist, but been given the license to carry out acts of violence against symbols of the Indian state. M Karunanidhi’s DMK government—which never made a secret of its sympathies—and the pusillanimous UPA government in New Delhi cannot escape responsibility for preventing the nexus from developing in an anti-India direction.
The Coimbatore incidents must not be repeated. The prosecution of those arrested for attacking the army trucks must carry on without ‘politicising’ it. This is possible if both the DMK and Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK agree that some lines ought not to be crossed. The chances of this happening appear slim—but without leadership and deft political management the Sri Lankan issue could destabilise Tamil Nadu for the next few years.
Control freaks don’t get to do any nation building.
If we consider Tamils as part of the Indian diaspora, we have no option but to present their voice to Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka doesn’t want a Bangladesh happen to them, they should pay heed to what India says (which is currently very friendly in its overtures to Colombo).
@Vakibs: So what stops Pakistanis from supporting the Kashmiris then, or for that matter the Muslims all over India? That train of thought is suicidal to our interests in Kashmir. Additionally if you consider the Sri Lankan Tamils as Indian diaspora, their claim of a separate nationhood as a distinct NATIVE group in the island suffers a blow thus allowing the Lankans to treat them as outsiders and thus validating the usage of brute force to beat them into submission.
The fact however remains that Tamil civilians are being dealt with savagely by the SLA. The best India can do at this point is try to pressure the SLA to stop operations as LTTE seems a spent force anyway. This should probably have been done a long time back if there was ever a will to do so.The LTTE stands isolated and it seems to be in everyone’s political interest to see it exterminated.
For all our rational pontification on blogs like these, the issue was and will be an emotive issue for the Tamils and will foster discontent in the Tamil populace in India if not dealt with properly by the Central government.
Thus the Indian Govt. truly is in a catch-22. But they cannot afford to fidget their hands doing nothing. They have to take a stand either way.
One other point I would like to make is that the suffering of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the recent war have not been given enough prime time space. SL has quite cleverly done a proper media black out. However some of the pictures I have seen is blood chilling. I have no doubt whatsoever in the fact that Tamils will be treated as a defeated population by the Sinhalese after this war. How do I know you ask? I have SL Tamil friends. The fact that the international community allows a country to massacre its own population is shameful to say the least.
Pradeep
Chennai
Genocides are good things. Condoms break.
Once the decimation of LTTE is complete, the Vaikos will go into oblivion. These disturbances are a momentary phase as they are scrambling for political relevance. India should well focus on security of Lankan Tamils
So, where are the left liberals who were vociferous in condemning Israel’s “atrocities” against the Hamaas in Gaza? Is Hamaas any less repugnant than LTTE? And, what’s India’s national interest in the conflict between two Abrahamic religions in a far away land, but not in the island across the creek in its backyard?
@ Rational Fool
Good point. Come to think of it the Left had nothing much to say about events in Pakistan or Bangladesh. Strange for a supposedly national party with strong views on Israel and the US…
Looks like they know whose votes to look for…
Who is responsible for the attack on Indian Army vehicles? Congress and its led Govt. They allowed Sri Lankan blood sucking govt to buthcer over 10000 Tamil civilians (lowest estimate of 6500 by UN) and maimed perhaps 50000. Why not the author of the article have sense of humanness to write articles in the killing and suffering of Tamils in SL? Its genuine in part of Tamils in TN to feel agrived against the govt. There are still time for India to wake and stop this Simhlee blood skuckers. Else, it will pay heavy price along with SL.
Pradeep,
you can’t add/mix the Kashmiri-Pakistani context, while comparing the Srilankan Tamil context with creation of Bangladesh. Reason, like the tamil refugees, there are no kashmiri refugees in Pakistan. Moreover, India neither annexed Bangladesh nor planning to annex northern parts of Srilanka, while Pakistan did (indirectly) annex the occupied Kashmir (with its puppet government there).
Said the above, you can’t stop Pakistan govt comparing. That’s were the real problem comes in for Indian Govt.
@ Invalid – I beg to differ. The point I was trying to make is the fact that one country A validates its action against country B hinged on the assumption that its perceived brethren in country B are being persecuted. The international argument against this would be that the current borders are sacrosanct and each country has to solve its problems internally. I agree with your observation regarding the refugees though.
Tamils attacked a convoy of trucks that they believed were carrying arms bound to Colombo. In deed, Sri Lanka has made no secret of the direct military and financial assistance it receives from New Delhi. Many Tamils see the current war as a joint Indo-Sinhala effort. For each death, they hold the Indian administration as responsible as the Sinhalese. Are they upset that India didn’t enforce a ceasefire? Perhaps a little. Certainly, they are most angry about the unfettered supply of military equipment to the Sinhalese.
Pradeep,
Did you miss the Russia-Georgia conflict?
Russia went to war to secure “independence” for South Osetia. Yet, a similar secessionist movement in Chechnya or North Osetia would be “terrorist” of the most vile nature.
If India wants to be a regional power, it has to move beyond linear foreign policy formulation. More importantly, perhaps, it has to shed the egotisms of dynastic politics.
LTTE is a banned organization, so no, it’s not acceptable for any Indian to support LTTE
if it were otherwise, then banned is meaningless
@sundar
do you think that india is the sole supplier of arms to sri lanka. in fact, india has to a large extent stopped military combat equiptment exports to sri lanka for some time those radars can be classified as a defensive equipments.
That’s why sri lankan army has gone to pakistan and china for its equipment supply and training.
I remember talking to a sri lankan army officer who proudly recounted that he had gone for training to all the three countries – india, pakistan and china. No guesses for the order of the training.
In fact, pakistani army and air force had really been helping the sri lankan air force pilots in training. remember the controversy over the pakistan ambassador’s activities in sri lanka after his convoy was attacked.
Where do you think all heavy ammunition and equipment been acquired from…
Why are the embassies of pakistan or china not being targetted anywhere by the sri lankan tamil demonstrators.
anyway.. humanitarian aid for the displaced tamil refugees should certainly be the top priorty, there is no argument over that.
But, at the same time, I cannot cry any tears over the demise of LTTE. The fate of the Tamil refugees or the cause is not synonmous with LTTE, especially as they can found guilty of fratricide – murdering a long line of tamil leaders who lost their lives just coz they didnt agree with him.
The Indian Tamil’s are the real culprit, their support to the LTTE & it’s nefarious activities, when the going was good, turning a blind eye when the psychopath Prabhakaran was on a killing spree of sane SL Tamil politicians & similiar genuinely concerned voices, disregarding the atrocities committed by the LTTE on the very people of whom it claimed to be saviours & so on & so forth… now why cry over spilt milk,
Even now instead of being considerate of the plight of the ordinary SL tamil’s, the Vaiko kind of species are more hurt at the humiliation of the defeat of ‘machoism’ represented by Prabhakaran with which they really identify & not the ordinary tamil.
Since this is the election time they will (politicians) either neglect this issue or politicise it.
There is a close connection between the peoples of coastel Tamil Nadu and across the palk bay with a lot many families marrying into each other.Any situation like the preent one is bound to flare up emotions and the central government has played its part in alienating the public.