Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Sri Lanka

There's been little to no comment on the Sri Lanka election in the Indian blogosphere. Odd, since the outcome is clearly worth noting.

With nationalist hawks in power now, the ill-fated "peace" talks of the past few years are now silenced. At one level, India ought to be pleased -- these were talks aimed at power-sharing with a terrorist (who once had an Indian PM killed, hence can never be forgiven), and facilitated by Norway (what locus standi do they have in India's sphere of influence?).

But, a Tamil friend from Jaffna has a different take. He believes that while LTTE may not be geo-politically savvy, they know Sri Lankan politics quite well. Indeed, the hawks have come to power precisely because Tamils boycotted the polls (the underlying assumption is that this was LTTE's doing). This is the outcome because the LTTE wanted it so. Nitin agrees.

This leaves us somewhat perplexed. How can both India and LTTE seek the same outcome? Who among the two will regret our present joy at the election results?

In the meanwhile, Sri Lanka's stock market is in a free fall.

5 comments:

doubtinggaurav said...

PR,

Sri- Lanka is an affair everyone in India wants to forget, remember IPKF

Regards

Anonymous said...

Sorry to nitpick but they assasinated a FORMER Indian PM. While this phrase does not make it sound better it takes away the implication that Indian PM/heads are easy prey.

Primary Red said...

Points taken.

Best regards.

Badri Seshadri said...

It is clear to me what LTTE wanted. They got it. Now, we have to wait for what Prabhakaran has to say on 27th November (coming Sunday) - on the anniversary commemorating their slain soldiers (LTTE's Heroes' Day), to details his next steps.

As far India, I am completely disappointed with her policies. Over the last 13 years India has been paralysed by the human bomb, and has not made her stand public.

It is not India's job to comment on elections in a neighbouring country, and to support one party ahead of another party. But India has stakes in peace in the neighbourhood.

My deep suspicion - about which I have already written in my Tamil blog - is that LTTE will announce unilateral secession, creating a new state of Tamil Eelam. This will force the hands of Rajapakse's government to wage war on Prabhakaran.

Prabhakaran can always claim that he is justified since he cannot get a honourable peace from Rajapakse, and by electing him, from the Sri Lankan majority themselves.

India will be completely caught offguard since India cannot accept the new state of Tamil Eelam.

Badri Seshadri said...

Readers of this post may also be interested in reading Col. Hariharan's viewpoint at SAAG.

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