India blasts rivals’ role in Sri Lanka
By Siddharth Srivastava
India is not happy with the important military role it says China and Pakistan played in the Sri Lanka`s government decisive offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Top government officials in New Delhi have told Asia Times Online that India believes Colombo stockpiled arms and even sought help from military commanders from China and Pakistan before the offensive that decimated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and eventually killed Tiger chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran in May.
Chinese and Pakistani arms and direction were the clinching factor in the military`s victory, top official sources have told ATol.
**With Chinas increasing role and presence in Nepal and Pakistan, and Pakistans in Bangladesh, New Delhi is looking at recalibrating its passive diplomatic approach towards Sri Lanka,** said one senior official, who wished to remain anonymous.
While its main tussle for influence in the South Asia region is with China, Indias immediate concern is Pakistan due to the countrys role in the past of launching clandestine terror activities, as has happened in Bangladesh, the official added.
Sources say that India has been concerned about Pakistans reported supply to the Sri Lankan government of al-Khalids (Pakistans main battle tank), training for fighter pilots, and advanced rocket launchers.
China has also reportedly increased its military relationship with Sri Lanka since 2007. In April that year, Sri Lanka signed a secret US$38 million pact to purchase Chinese ammunition and ordnance for its army and navy, Janes Defense Weekly has reported. **China also gave Sri Lanka six F-7 jets in 2008, supposedly free of charge,** according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, to counter the Czech-made Zlin-142s that made up the LTTEs small air force.
India fears that Beijing, with the help of Pakistan and possibly Sri Lanka, plans to encircle its influence in the Indian Ocean. It is concerned about a deep-water port being built with Chinese help in Hambantota, on Sri Lankas south coast, and has long objected to Chinese involvement in the Gwadar port in Pakistans Balochistan province.
National Security Advisor M K Narayanan said in 2007: We [India] are a big power in the region. We dont want the Sri Lankan government to go to Pakistan or China. Whatever may be their requirement, the Sri Lankan government should come to us.``
But the Sri Lankan army chief said in a recent interview that Colombo had to seek out China and Pakistan for arm as India was reluctant to sell it any for use against the LTTE. New Delhi has not been keen to supply offensive arms to Sri Lanka due to domestic political considerations in the south Indian state Tamil Nadu.
Tamil political groups have resisted any supply of arms to Colombo, so New Delhi offered it only defensive capabilities such as radars, despite some sections of the government seeking greater Indian involvement in the conflict.
Sympathy towards Sri Lankan Tamils has remained high in Tamil Nadu due to cultural and linguistic affinities. The state`s incumbent chief minister, M K Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), went on a brief hunger strike in April in protest of the civilian casualty toll from the Sri Lankan army offensive.
India has thus been guarded in its reactions to the recent end of the Sri Lankan conflict, choosing to focus on humanitarian aspects. The Foreign Ministry said in May, India will work with the people and government of Sri Lanka to provide relief to those affected, and to rapidly rehabilitate all those who have been displaced.
India will have to calibrate its strategies carefully in the wake of the involvement of other regional players in the elimination of the LTTE. Some observers also say that India, with its major stake in Sri Lanka`s peace process, needs to play a bigger role in pressurizing Colombo to move in the direction of federalism and autonomy for Tamil areas.
Given the close links between the populations of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, the former will need to use its regional presence to ensure that the minority Tamil interests are protected in its neighborhood.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the plight of the Tamils was much larger than the LTTE, and that he hoped Sri Lanka would show imagination and courage in meeting the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Tamil people.
The LTTE exploited ethnic strife between the majority and minority communities in Sri Lanka. If the genuine grievances of the Tamil minority are not met, another group could soon do the same.
*Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at [EMAIL=“[email protected]”][email protected] *
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KF11Df01.html
I’m not sure how credible this news is. But if it’s just a portion of the Indian Govt. being upset over Sri Lanka’s victory against LTTE, then i say more power to Sri Lanka for fighting the offensive and putting up a tough fight to root out the terrorist outfit. Even more power to China and Pakistan for arming Sri Lanka with everything it needed to get the job done. May the strategic partnership prosper and grow.