Desicritics Category: Politics: Sri Lanka

This is Not Cricket

temporal — Tue, 3 Mar 2009 22:19:19 EST

The Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked in Lahore yesterday by terrorists. SSS terms this a "shift". I think it is a "deterioration" or "escalation" of lawlessness. If Pakistan is to retain its independence this tide will not be curbed easily by a solitary act (like the restoration of the judiciary) nor by the efforts of one individual or one institution. Both Zardari led government and the Army under Kayani have appeared ineffective to stem this.

More pertinent is to view Tuesday's attack in the context of the peace deals in the Swat Valley and the tribal areas .. Prior to the signing of the deals, the matter of the release of militants who did not belong to the Swat area was raised, that is, non-Pashtun militants... However, after deciding on the level of compensation packages for the families of militants killed or injured by the security forces and other matters related to Swat and the tribal areas, the matter of non-Pashtun militants was deferred and the peace agreements were signed. In effect, non-Pashtun militants have been ignored and the attack in Lahore could be a bloody message to the government that the "Punjabi militants" have the capacity to cripple urban centers at any time and place of their choosing. Syed Saleem Shahzad

So what should the ordinary citizen do? Packing up and leaving is NOT an option. Burying their heads in the sand? More prayers to Allah? Joining the orthodox fringe? Or if not joining, then fighting them for their rights?

If the citizenry continues to be uninvolved, then by default the grounds will be left for a battle royale between forces of status quo and those of orthodoxy.

There is no dearth of external players who want to nudge and support these dark forces.

The Saudi Wahabi sponsorship of the fringe groups in Pakistan is hushed up or swept under the rug. Their role should be examined more closely. They have supported the orthodox fringe in the past (Afghanistan-Mujahideen nexus) and continue to do so to date.

Right now, collectively, (media, bloggers, political parties and government) all search for escape goats elsewhere - primarily the focus of their diatribes (not in any order) is the US Administration, the Talibans, the Indians (Raw...if you hear Hamid Gul croaking after the CID report was released) and the euphemistically termed Agencies.

But the blame game should be exposed for its fallacies.

If the ordinary citizen remains detached and uninvolved, then the march into disarray would continue unabated till it reaches the edge of the precipice - a rather uncomfortable and disturbing thought for all the players in the region.

And the world.

Terrorists Attack Sri Lankan Team In Pakistan

Deepti Lamba — Tue, 3 Mar 2009 00:22:32 EST

Twelve masked gunmen in Lahore targeted the Sri Lankan cricket team which was on its way for a match at Gaddafi stadium. Samaraweera was shot in the leg.

Chaminda Vaas was seen taken on a stretcher. Thilan Tharusha, Paranavithana, Kumar Sangakara and Ajanta Medes are also injured. However the Punjab Governor said the Sri Lankan players are safe in terms of not being in critical condition.

Visual footage was taken of terrorists opening fire. Five police men were killed and weapons including a rocket launcher have been found at the scene of crime.

According to Pakistani police there were twelve gun men and their operation seemed similar to the 26/11 attack. The assailants attacked with guns and hand grenades.

The terrorists are still at large and one may have been shot down.

Is the World Ready for Prabhakaran's Death?

Vinod Joseph — Sun, 1 Mar 2009 01:52:35 EST

Warning: Speculation, Not Fact

31 March 2009

The Sri Lankan army has finally captured the last few square kilometres of jungle in Mullaitivu controlled by the LTTE. Vellupillai Prabhakaran, the all-powerful head of the LTTE, has been found dead in his bunker, pink froth around his lips, an empty potassium cyanide capsule on the floor near him. Dozens of surviving LTTE cadres have thrown down their weapons and melted into the civilian population that has been streaming out of the jungle, after having been kept hostage and used as human shields by the LTTE for many months. Some of the LTTE fighters who couldn’t take off their uniforms fast enough have been taken prisoner by the Sri Lankan army. A few die-hard LTTE men and women seem to have escaped from the dragnet with the intention of continuing their fight. It is believed that both Pottu Amman and Prabhakaran's eldest son Charles Anthony Seelan have survived, but it is not clear who will be the numero uno in the 'Prabhakaran-less' LTTE.

There is pandemonium among LTTE supporters in Sri Lankan Tamil enclaves in London, Toronto, Paris and various other parts of the world. Many Sri Lankan Tamils who had till then been coerced into making regular contributions to the LTTE’s coffers have stopped making those payments. Fighting has broken out among gangs of LTTE supporters for control of the many millions of dollars, pounds and euros stashed away in multiple bank accounts. More importantly, a tussle is going on for control of the many corner shops, petrol stations, motels and restaurants owned by LTTE front men all over the world. Open street fights have broken out among LTTE supporters in places like East Ham in London, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis and Metro Gard du Nord in Paris and Scarborough in Toronto.

The scale and magnitude of the fighting and theft has taken western law enforcement agencies by surprise. Even though the crackdown on LTTE’s fund raising activities started some years ago following the branding of the LTTE as a terrorist group, and has picked up speed in recent times, western police forces have never been too keen to dig deep into the Sri Lankan Tamil community for fear of hurting cultural sentiments, though it’s well known that LTTE supporters within the Sri Lankan Tamil community have forced members of this community in the UK, France and elsewhere to donate money to the LTTE’s coffers. LTTE supporters have also been involved in various other money making scams.

31 December 2009

The Sri Lankan government is yet to make good its promise to devolve power. Even though Prabhakaran is no more, small groups of LTTE have continued to resist from their jungle hideouts. Since the devolution of power is yet to take place, Sri Lankan Tamils continue to sympathise with the LTTE and its off shoots.

So far there have been three suicide attacks in Colombo and tourists continue to stay away from Sri Lanka.

30 June 2010

Shanmugalingam Sivashanker, also known as Pottu Amman, former head of the LTTE’s intelligence wing has broken off from the LTTE which is now led by Charles Anthony Seelan, Prabhakaran’s eldest son and formed his own group, which he said will be true to the ideals promoted by V. Prabhakaran. Pottu Amman has denounced Charles Anthony Seelan as a traitor who is not committed to Tamil Eelam and is misusing donations made by overseas Sri Lankan Tamils. There have been minor skirmishes between the two groups.

20 February 2011

Following intense pressure from various western countries and India, the Sri Lankan government agreed to convert itself to a federal system where Tamil dominated areas will have considerable autonomy. However, Tamils in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka have demanded that the East be kept separate from the North since Tamils from Northern Sri Lanka ‘discriminate’ against Tamils from the East. Colonel Karuna, the ex-LTTE leader from the Eastern Province, has threatened to take up arms once again if Tamils from the East are forced to be subservient to those from the North.

Back to the Present

I’m sure none of us would want to see the possibilities detailed above to materialise. It is not too late to take remedial action. Western law enforcement agencies ought to prepare themselves for the infighting that is bound to break out immediately if Prabhakaran were to die or be captured and the iron discipline he wields over the LTTE disappears. LTTE supporters in the west have accumulated vast amounts of money and control many businesses and properties. A detailed dossier of LTTE front men and front organisations and LTTE controlled businesses must be prepared. Any property of business or bank account that is derived from terrorism or terrorist activity can be confiscated by the government. However, I would call upon the governments of Western European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and any other country where LTTE front men hold assets, to donate the proceeds of those properties for the rebuilding of Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka.

India and all western governments ought to insist that the devolution of power to Tamil dominated provinces of Sri Lanka take place immediately rather than later. Both financial aid and military assistance to the Sri Lankan government should be tied to such devolution of power. If the Sri Lankan government fails to make good its promise in this respect, peace will continue to elude Sri Lanka.

A Genocide Sri Lanka is Proud to Talk About on Camera

Vijay Sappani — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:22:50 EST

This is a Shocking Video. The Sri Lankan defence minister who in the past has attacked media personal for writing against the government human rights violations, threatened to throw out diplomats, BBC, CNN for reporting the facts about the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka has now gone on camera to say that " attacking hospitals that are in rebel area are fine and they are legitimate targets even if they full of civilians"

Now how do you expect the Tamil civilians to cross over to the Government side when the racist Sinhalese openly vow to annihilate the Tamil race on camera. How do you expect the LTTE to lay down their arms and sit down for talks with the SriLankan government, when they say it is OK to target hospitals full of injured civilians from the government shelling.

It is these very same racists who called Allan Rock a 'white Tiger' because he exposed human rights violations by the government during his trip to that country when he was with UN.

A genocide SriLanka is proud to talk about on camera from Senthu on Vimeo.

Stephen Harper's Government Has Let Down the Tamils

Uyrin Vali — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:28:37 EST

Tamil Canadians have and continue to observe that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has been rather slow to take notice of Sri Lanka’s on-going conflict. Not only that, but the Tamil Canadians are watching with such agony as their loved ones are slowly being eliminated by the Sri Lankan government and the Canadian government is oblivious to it. The Sri Lankan government has rejected the call for a ceasefire even after UN and EU have made such request.

Just in the past weeks, three hospitals that were deemed to have been safe were bombed by the Sri Lankan government, and the Defence Minister Gotabhaya in an interview for SkyNews has stated that hospitals are “legitimate military targets”.

Bombing hospitals is a war crime under Geneva Convention in which Sri Lanka is a signatory. Over and over, the Sri Lankan government has taken part in what is known as closed door killings. They take random people and bury them under unmarked graves after ruthlessly killing them. Such killings are taking place in the Vanni Region in the past few weeks. This is evident in the fact that many of the displaced individuals do not seem to know the whereabouts of some of their loved ones.

The Sri Lankan government is not allowing journalists and other media personnel entering war zones and reporting from there, thus making it very hard for the international community to know about what is actually happening on the war fields. Independent monitors are not allowed in the war zone to observe human rights violations and to enforce the safety of the Tamil people.

The headquarters of ICRC in Sri Lanka was attacked by a mob in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka. This also raises a valid question of how credible the Sri Lankan government is in protecting the international aid organizations that are known for their unbiased stance in situations like these. The welfare villages initiated by the Sri Lankan government are nothing but mere 'concentration camps' under disguise that is holding over 30,000 Tamil people without freedom of movement.

Going back in history, the welfare villages in disguise are a direct analogy to Hitler’s concentration camps for the Jews. Moreover, the Sri Lankan government allocated safe zones in which the Tamil civilians were encouraged to move into in order to avoid the bombs and artillery shelling. What is more brutal is the use of cluster bombs by the Sri Lankan army. These bombs are currently prohibited from use, but are being heavily used by the Sri Lankan army. As a result, tens and hundreds of Tamil civilians are being killed on a daily basis in these safety zones.

Why is it that the Canadian government is not taking a speedy action to all this atrocity? After having seen the emergency debate, there was little hope that something will be done to save the lives of those innocent Tamil people in Sri Lanka. However, seeing that nothing has been done to urge the Sri Lankan government to lay down their arms, I want to know if the Canadian government has given up on this cause.

It is of the opinion of many of the Tamil Canadians that the Canadian government is not taking into consideration that many of our loved ones are in danger. Canada is not taking the necessary action to assure its citizens of its reputation as a peace keeping country. The announcement to send $3 million to the displaced Tamil people in Sri Lanka looked positive. However, many analysts believe that $3 million aid money is to calm the angry Tamil Canadians and a ploy to silence them from telling the world about the truth (i.e. the genocide of the Tamils of Sri Lanka).

In Canada, the Canadian citizens with Tamil origins are constantly faced with repression and intimidation by Canadian security agencies and the Sri Lankan government. In a country where freedom of speech is greatly emphasized, it is astonishing to note that these citizens are not allowed to speak out for their loved ones from Sri Lanka. Canadian security agencies have a way of bringing down fear upon these individuals and silence them. During the many peaceful events that are attended by thousands of citizens of Tamil origin, the Canadian security agencies do not forget to make their mark there.

They are seen everywhere photographing these individuals and treating them like some wanted criminals. In the recent past, the Canadian police raided a Tamil cultural centre that is prominent for promoting the Tamil language and culture to young children. The raid took place while these young children were present at the centre. It is very hard to imagine the trauma that these young children must have gone through. It is very sad to note that many individuals of Tamil origin who have no connection whatsoever to terrorism are targeted by Canadian security agencies for supporting exactly that.

The decision by the Canadian government to add the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to its “terror list” has left the Tamil community in Canada with a bad reputation. Although this decision was made by the Canadian government, it was fully backed up by the Sri Lankan government. It is a very interesting fact that Canada had banned the LTTE during the peace talk period back in year 2006. It was the banning of the LTTE that has brought all Tamil people to this dire situation. By banning the LTTE, Canada had indirectly given the go ahead message to the Sri Lankan government for further killings. This shows that Canada has played a destructive role in trying to initiate peace within Sri Lanka than a constructive role.

Today Tamil Canadians are helpless and look to the Canadian government to see how many lives will be taken away before it takes an active role in protecting their loved ones back in Sri Lanka.

Dining with the Terrorists - Phil Rees in Sri Lanka

Vijay Sappani — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:44:38 EST

Award winning journalist Phil Rees is popularly known for his series called dining with the terrorists. Phil has made a recent video on the situation in Sri Lanka . The video is 10 minutes long and gives a good historical perspective of how consecutive Sinhalese governments have handled rebellion by the Sinhalese and Tamils. It has an interview with the current president Mahinda Rajapaksa now and in 1988 when he is clearly seen to be sympathetic to the Sinhalese JVP rebels fighting against the then Sri Lankan government. He is also clearly anti-India, when he hails India as his best friend today.

It also has an interview with Suresh Premachandran, a Tamil MP in Sri Lanka who gave up arms decades back to choose the democratic path. He is clearly frustrated with the process and wants to give it up, which is sad.

We want to convince the Tamil rebels and the Sri Lankan government to get to the negotiation table and resolve their grievances without violence and more deaths in that island nation, but when we see people who gave up violence to choose the democratic path wanting to go back, it is very sad.

Canada can and should play a role in Sri Lanka in convincing both the warring groups to find a political solution outside the battle ground in the best interest of the civilians. Canada should appoint a special envoy and form a non partisan group of advisers on the Sri Lankan issue to work with UN, the Tokyo Co- chairs and India to bring a permanent peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The Crisis in Sri Lanka: Canada's Role

Vijay Sappani — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:52:23 EST

As Sri Lankan military forces try to overrun the last remaining strongholds of the LTTE rebel group (better known as the Tamil Tigers), how should Canada respond?

Canada once had a low-profile relationship with Sri Lanka. But that changed after the country's 1983 pogrom, when thousands of Tamils and Muslims were killed. More than 250,000 Sri Lankan Tamils have come to Canada as refugees since then, making Canada home to the largest Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in the world. Meanwhile, the Tigers -- who once controlled large swathes of the island nation -- have engaged in an on-again, off-again war with the Sri Lankan government. Understanding the history of this conflict is critical if Canada is to help develop a solution for the conflict.

Following its independence from Britain in 1948 (at which time the country was still known as Ceylon), Sri Lanka's Sinhalese-dominated government introduced several laws to institutionalize discrimination against the minority Tamil population. In 1972, Buddhism was made the primary religion of the state, and discriminatory laws were passed against religious minorities (most Tamils are Hindu). Sinhalese rioters during this period attacked temples and churches, killing hundreds. That led to the formation of many small Tamil militant groups, one of which was the Tamil Tigers.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the West paid only modest attention to Sri Lanka's internal conflict. But since 9/11, the country is seen in a different light. The Tigers -- a conventional military force that has perpetrated acts of terror -- have been banned in 31 countries, including Canada.

The Tigers and the Sri Lankan government have had several rounds of peace talks, but the guns remained truly silent only for a short while. In 2002, the two sides entered into peace talks brokered by Norway, with both parties agreeing to the establishment of an autonomous Tamil region in the northern part of the country. Unfortunately, both groups violated the terms of the agreement, and Sri Lanka finally called off the talks in January, 2008.

Since then, Sri Lanka's army has scored many battlefield victories. But ultimately, there can be no military solution to the conflict: Even if the Tigers lose all their bases, Sri Lanka's government will not be able to defeat the Tigers as a guerrilla force. In the meantime, civilians continue to be caught in the crossfire between a racist government and a rebel force that is militarily outgunned and shunned internationally.

If a negotiated political solution is to come about, the Tigers must clarify their acceptance of a Tamil nation within a united Sri Lanka, and commit to disarm. For its part, the government of Sri Lanka must agree to treat the country's Tamils in a more humane and equitable fashion. The current stage of the conflict -- in which an alarming number of civilians have died at the hands of government forces -- only reinforces Tamil concerns in this regard.

The international community must convince the Sri Lankan government and Tigers alike to arrive at a permanent resolution through peaceful negotiations. Canada could play an especially important role. In fact, our federal system (which could be a model for Sri Lanka) and our large Tamil diaspora makes us a credible candidate to lead the peace talks

The question is: Do we have an appetite to see the world beyond Iraq and Afghanistan? If so, this could be Canada's moment.

Meeting The Congressman For The Sri Lanka LTTE Crisis

Kalugu — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:21:20 EST

Well finally I have met a US Congressman - I mean a personal meeting with a politician for the first time in my life.

Living in the relatively remote Midwest region of USA with a very small Indian community, the inaction of the Indian government over the human sufferings in Sri Lanka has been a factor of frustration for quite some time now, not just for me but for quite a few family friends here. Watching the human suffering and the brutality of the Sri Lankan forces for several weeks has finally thrust me to swing into action. Consultation with friends lead us to conclude that meeting the district Congressman and presenting the evidences for human rights violations would be the most logical step.

After launching a swift online signature campaign with area residents of Indian origin, we started working with the congressman's office to get an appointment. We were hoping to have a personal meeting at the Congressman's office so that we can show the videos and images that have bothered us much. However the scheduler/Office Manager of the Congressman informed me that the Congressman is busy until a month or so and asked if I would be interested in meeting him at an event in two days. I was aware that the US Senate foreign relations committee is planning to discuss the Sri Lanka crisis in a week and thought the timing would be perfect.

With a decent number of signatures by several area Indians (Not just Tamils, but the entire Indian community signed it displaying a sign of solidarity) and the disturbing videos and images burned to a CD, six of us were all set to meet the Congressman.

We were quite apprehensive about discussing the issue openly since the Tamil rebels are still proscribed in the USA. We all agreed that we will not make any references to the rebels in our discussion but focus on the excesses committed by the Sri Lankan forces.

The meeting was to take place at the Health Care field hearing scheduled at the downtown church. We arrived early and were waiting for the District Director & Staff Agent who was supposed to brief us about the standard procedures of meeting the Congressman and facilitate the meeting.

The Staff Agent arrived and was indeed very helpful and appreciated us for bringing the issue to the Congressman's attention. He also appreciated us for having run the signature campaign. After listening to the information we provided, the Staff Agent collected the file folder with the signed petition and the CD's and informed us that we will be able to meet the Congressman prior or after the event. He also advised us to forward the petition and evidences to other committee members, especially members on the foreign relations committee.

The Congressman arrived and was greeted by few public that were waiting to meet him just like us. The Congressman engaged in a long conversation with a lady who appeared to be in despair due to a loss of a family member. The Congressman was very polite and listened to her long story and hugged her to offer some solace. We knew then that we will have to sit through the meeting and will be able to meet the congressman only at the end of the event. Some of my friends decided to drive home and come back later, while three of us decided to stay.

We found the Health Care field hearing very informative. I was very impressed at the way the hearing was organized.

I started comparing the meeting with that of meetings involving Indians. Be it in India or the USA a meeting involving similar crowd would have been really noisy and full of confusion and chaos. I think we have to accept that confusion and chaos have become part of the Indian culture.

Americans sure have mastered the art of organizing events. Simple process's put in place by the organizers made the event progress in a smooth fashion. The Congressman was very polite and had a fair sense of humor and handled the questions well. A native Indian member who was full of humor asked the Congressman if he needed a job, referring to the acute shortage of doctors and paramedics in his clinic operating in the nearby Indian reservation. The Congressman also did not hesitate to ask for assistance from the folks in the crowd when he was not sure of some statistics.

Finally the meeting got over and we got the opportunity to talk to the Congressman. When I introduced myself and my friends, I mentioned that our roots are in India and we wanted to highlight the crisis in the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka. The congressman immediately said "I have a Tamil Tiger in my office". Looking at our blank reaction, he continued "That was a Joke...". He was making a reference to a Sri Lankan Tamil who works in his office. The Congressman seemed to be very knowledgeable about the happenings in Sri Lanka (obviously).

We informed about the evidences we have compiled and requested the Congressman to take up the issue appropriately and help bring justice to the people. The Congressman said before ending the conversation that he would like to one day visit Sri Lanka and have a vacation there.

That day may be too far away with the approach taken by most involved parties that have a stake in the region.

We all left home with a sense of relief that we have done the right thing. We do not know if the Congressman will be able to stop the terror faced by the people in the war zone, but we are happy based on what is mentioned in Bagavath Geethai - "Do your duty, Do not expect returns".

What if the LTTE Had Won The War?

Suresh Naig — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:05:10 EST

If one believes the vociferous proponents of LTTE belonging to sundry political parties of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Eelam on the terms of LTTE would be a paradise on earth. Though we all know it remains as a distant dream, there is nothing wrong in visualising a Tamil Eelam where the LTTE would be the authority and its supremo Velupillai Prabakaran would be the supreme authority.

On forming a separate nation, Tamil Eelam carved out of northern Sri Lanka, LTTE would change its name to PET an acronym for Party of Eelam Tamils, conveying to everyone that PET is the only Tamil political party in the nation. All other political parties in the new nation would be given a choice to amalgamate into PET democratically. No doubt all parties would follow it, for it will not be a choice but a dictum and as usual it would be celebrated by the cronies of Prabakaran in Tamil Nadu.

Prabakaran would reject the demand of his followers to assume the office of President in Eelam, more out of fear of facing the crowd, Press and opposition, which would again be celebrated with much fanfare in Tamil Nadu, comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi. The president of Tamil Eelam with independent powers to say “yes” to Prabakaran would assume office, with his ears stuck to the ground listening for orders from the bunker. The President would be assisted by a council of ministers, with adequate powers divested from them. First Independence Day of Tamil Eelam would be celebrated unfurling the flag of the nation, which would depict the smiling face of Prabakaran in the centre. The flag would be hoisted by Prabakaran, which would be witnessed by huge gathering of people in Jaffna, on a gigantic screen specially erected for the purpose. The flag would be hoisted by Prabakaran in an undisclosed location, followed by a speech. When the Press, presses for a press meet with Prabakaran, it would be arranged after much deliberation and elaborate security arrangements.

All the media persons would be advised to assemble in Jaffna, two days prior to the press meet. Media persons, mostly from Tamil Nadu would willingly subject themselves to the security drill, where every orifice of a person would be thoroughly searched, before clearance. When some media persons with self esteem object to this inhuman security drill, they will be politely shown the door and while exiting they would be booed by the persons, cleared for the press meet.

Before the broadcast of Press meet under strict surveillance of security persons, where every media person would be blindfolded before reaching the “undisclosed” location of the meet, the “Hero” of Tamil Eelam would invite the wrath of all the other media, depicting him as a coward, scared to meet the people and the Press. For most “Heroes”, ego is sacrosanct than principles, Prabakaran will realise that running a nation is too difficult than running a terrorist organisation. Running a nation has unwanted responsibility of accountability, where every dime and every corpse has to be accounted for, unlike a terrorist organisation. He would realise belatedly that a terrorist leader has absolute powers than responsibility, whereas a leader of a nation has curbed powers with more responsibility.

He would also realise that his heroism is still a saleable commodity in Tamil Nadu; he would opt to fill the void left by Veerappan in the vast jungles of Sathyamangalam, to liberate Tamil Nadu from the oppressive Indian Republic. Most of the political parties of Tamil Nadu would extend their support to him, because like Veerappan, it is always advantageous for them when Prabakaran is confined to a Jungle.

Two Intelligent Men

Vinod Joseph — Sat, 7 Feb 2009 10:11:55 EST

Avid blog-readers would have noticed the presence of two very intelligent men in the blogosphere for some time.

One of them, Mr. Bahukutumbi Raman (Mr. B. Raman for short), has been writing columns for various magazines (especially Outlook) for some years now. Mr. B. Raman used to be with the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s external intelligence agency, where he headed its counter-terrorism division for more than a decade till his retirement in 1994. Presently Mr. B. Raman is the Director of the Institute For Topical Studies in Chennai. Mr. B. Raman’s blog can be found here.

The other ‘intelligent’ gentleman is Colonel Hariharan. Col. Hariharan’s blog informs us that he is a retired military intelligence professional with nearly three decades of experience in South Asian countries. Colonel Hariharan tells us in this very touching post of the time he spent in Sri Lanka as part of the IPKF.

Colonel Hariharan’s blog can be found here.

Mr. B. Raman’s articles tend to be very factual, with an abundance of information of the sort that is not usually available to lay persons. In that sense, they are a delight to read. For example, this article on the situation in Tibet is filled with facts with very little of Mr. B. Raman’s own opinions. However, there are other posts which contain Mr. B. Raman’s opinions and views. For example, in this post, he says that there is an urgent need to tighten Sonia Gandhi’s security due to threats from the LTTE.

Col. Hariharan’s posts are very different from Mr. B. Raman’s. They don’t contain as many facts, (other than what’s available in the public domain) and focus instead on conveying Col. Hariharan’s opinions on various issues. I can assure you that they are a delight to read. Here, you’ll find Col. Hariharan lamenting the fact that red tapism prevented the Defence Ministry from utilising its budget to the full, with the result that it had to surrender sixteen thousand crore rupees (that’s US dollars three hundred and twenty million) as unutilised money.

I think it is wonderful that Mr. B. Raman and Col. Hariharan have started blogging since their articles give lay persons access to expert analysis. So far, I think I have read every article written by each of these gentlemen. I don’t have any disagreement with anything that Col. Hariharan has written. I can’t say the same for Mr. B. Raman. In this article Mr. B. Raman argues that it would be in India's interest to help Sri Lanka destroy the LTTE's military capability, but not its political strength. Mr. B. Raman says that the current crop of LTTE cadres had no role in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. He argues that India should make a distinction between the ones involved in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and the others. This is in line with his view expressed in this post calling on the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora and the LTTE cadres to overthrow Prabhakaran.

I don’t agree with Mr. B. Raman’s views. The LTTE is not the only Tamil movement in the picture even now. Leaders like Douglas Devananda of the Eelam People's Democratic Party and S. Thondaiman of the Ceylon Workers Congress are around. The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal formed by Colonel Karuna is a political force in the East. Further, if Prabhakaran were to be captured or killed, the LTTE will cease to exist. The LTTE is centred on the cult of a supreme leader and without Prabhakaran, the LTTE cannot survive. I really don’t see why India should try and save the LTTE even if only as a political movement. Mr. B. Raman goes on to say in the same post that the ‘Indian political class never understands the importance of identifying and preserving our strategic assets in the neighbourhood. Jawaharlal Nehru let go our strategic assets in Tibet. I.K.Gujral, who was the Prime Minister in 1997, unwisely and in a moment of misplaced generosity let go our strategic assets in Pakistan. Manmohan Singh, the present Prime Minister, has let go our strategic assets in Nepal and Sri Lanka. It could be a great tragedy.’

What does Mr. B. Raman mean by ‘strategic assets’? Does he mean assets which give India the ability to cause trouble in a neighbouring country? For example, if the LTTE were to survive (on India’s patronage), greatly weakened, but with the potential to be re-armed, and Sri Lanka were to do something that is not to India’s liking, say, it were to cosy up to China, India could rattle sabres by threatening to re-arm the LTTE.

Is that what Mr. B. Raman has in mind? But it is exactly this attitude and approach that created the Sri Lankan mess in the first place! No country, however small or weak it may be, likes to be at the mercy of another country. India will not have a single friend in its neighbourhood if it follows this approach and tries to create ‘strategic assets’ in neighbouring countries! Mr. B. Raman says Nehru let go of India’s assets in Tibet. I don’t claim to have Mr. B. Raman’s expertise or knowledge, but I don’t think Nehru did anything of that sort. Under Nehru, India did not give much importance to defence and cut defence spending, as a result of which, we were unprepared for the Chinese assault in 1962.

I believe that during I.K. Gujral’s time, India stopped arming Baluchi militants. Were they a strategic asset for India? If India were still doing that, could India have used them as a stick to beat Pakistan with? Could we have told Pakistan, ‘you stop causing trouble in Kashmir, we will stop causing trouble in Baluchistan?’ I doubt if it would have worked, since the trouble in Kashmir is caused by militants outside Pakistan’s control. On the contrary, the enormous sympathy which Indian received after the Mumbai attacks wouldn’t have materialised if the international community believed that India was causing trouble in Baluchistan.

As for Nepal, the average Nepali doesn’t have much love for India since India continued to prop up the monarchy long after it lost the people’s support. India stopped supporting the monarchy only after its downfall became inevitable. It cannot be said that India voluntarily gave up its assets (the monarchy) in Nepal. Having said all that, I do hope that Mr. B. Raman continues to blog and write articles and express his views which are very interesting, whether one agrees with them or not.