TAMIL NATIONAL FORUM
Selected Writings - Sara Ananthan
International Affairs - things are often not
what they seem to be
4 July 2006
I read 2 July 2006
tamilnation.org
– Reflections, with interest especially the statement - “…It
must be remembered that in international affairs things are often
not what they seem to be…” On this subject the article
Perfide Indiae by Vimukthi Yapa in the Sunday Leader on
April 11, 2004 has much relevance even today. In this well
researched article Mr. Vimukthi Yapa has clearly listed out the
“Amoral role played out by New Delhi in this festering ethnic
conflict of Sri Lanka from it’s inception…” This is a relevant
excerpt from this article on that subject.
“…It is immediately not clear whether Sen was acting on his
own or with the approval of the Indian government. In any event
it was a raw deal Sri Lanka was being dished out. That
Wickremesinghe fell victim to Sen's machinations is now water
under the bridge: politicians are expected to be street smart,
and the former Prime Minister should have been aware that it is
not only the proverbial white man who speaks with forked tongue.
What is more worrying now is Sen's clearly well-timed statement
to the media after the meeting with Kadirgamar that India has
'some ideas' on how it can be directly involved in Sri Lanka's
peace process. If that failed to send a chill down the spine of
every patriotic citizen, red blood does not flow in the veins of
the citizenry.
Armed conflict
It does not take us to tell the public that the armed conflict
in Sri Lanka is entirely of India's making. Throughout the
1980s, India armed the LTTE. New Delhi's notorious espionage
agency, RAW, operated special training camps for the Sri Lankan
rebels in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Memories have not
faded of the invasion of Sri Lankan airspace by the Indian Air
Force in 1987; of the food drops over Jaffna; the Indian
warships ominously and menacingly anchored in full view of the
President's office in Colombo; and above all, of the arrogant
vice-regal air adopted by the then Indian High Commissioner to
Sri Lanka, the notorious Mani Dixit. Neither have memories faded
of the way in which Rajiv Gandhi wrested the odious Indo-Lanka
accord from J. R. Jayewardene, forcing the merger of the north
and east, precipitating the invasion by the so-called Indian
Peacekeeping Force (IPKF), giving rise to the JVP rebellion in
the south and in the end getting himself clobbered on the
occiput for his trouble.
Many Sri Lankans also believe there was a RAW hand in the
assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali and having generated
sufficient hostility among the populace against President
Ranasinghe Premadasa, moved for his kill.
Indian perfidy
The issues that Sen now seeks to address by playing "a more
direct role" in Sri Lanka are entirely of India's making, and is
living testimony to India's perfidy. Sri Lanka has to come to
grips with the fact that RAW moves in mysterious ways its
wonders to perform. In the wake of the 1987 invasion, it was the
JVP that took on India, leading a boycott of Indian goods. It
was as a result of this that we today have 'big onions' and not
Bombay onions; that we have 'red dhal' and not 'Mysore dhal.'
And even as the JVP ruthlessly attacked Indian interests in Sri
Lanka, RAW was at work: when Somawansa Amarasinghe had to flee
the country to escape being brought to justice, it was RAW that
smuggled him out via India. Amarasinghe on his triumphant return
to Sri Lanka in 2001 was to thank India for that bit of support
in his first public address.
Now, Sen has once more started flexing Indian muscles. A more
direct role, forsooth! It is thanks to the direct role that
India played that we are in this mess in the first place. If it
is the annexation of Sri Lanka that Sen wants, as a servile
state of the Indian empire, then let him say so and be done with
it. What India seems to be committed to is the total subjugation
of Sri Lanka. Even as Sri Lanka extended visa-free entry to
Indians, it is a crying shame to see Sri Lankans queuing for
hours on end, in the hot sun outside the Indian High Commission,
to get visas to go on pilgrimage to Buddhagaya. And even as
India's economy grows at near 10 per cent annually (for which,
praise be!), New Delhi's reading of the Free Trade Agreement we
have signed with it has seen an entirely lopsided trade balance
emerge in India's favour.
Taking sides
Now, finally, Sen has chosen to take sides within the LTTE
itself, pouring aid to Karuna's breakaway faction in the east.
As much as a split in the LTTE's ranks is a consummation
devoutly to be wished, Sen's real agenda is hardly the Sri
Lankan national interest. Last week it became clear that the
Indian agenda is merely to split the TNA (rather than debilitate
the LTTE militarily), so that the five Eastern Province MPs
could help strengthen the alliance government in parliament.
It is no secret that every time elections are around the corner,
India throws millions of rupees at the chosen ones to help in
their campaigns thereby building up a host of healthy IOUs to
cash in on when the time is right. It is also no secret that Sen
had a closed door meeting with Arumugam Thondaman soon after the
elections and how the CWC leader moves in the weeks to come will
be an indication of the message he received from the Indian High
Commissioner.
Viceroy in Colombo
With elections looming in India, and New Delhi distracted by
domestic concerns, Sen has taken on Dixit's mantle as viceroy in
Colombo. Divide and rule seems to be the order of the day at
India House. Whether New Delhi is aware of Sen's machinations,
no one knows. One suspects that, eager to keep with his
vice-regal status and unknown to his masters, Sen has rather let
his ego get the better of him. How is it otherwise, that every
time he meets a senior politician (be it on either side of the
political divide), he confides to them conspiratorially that it
is he that New Delhi is grooming for leadership in Sri Lanka,
and for that "special relationship" in the future?
At risk of a cheap pun, we fully realise that by exposing Sen's
hidden agenda, we are touching a raw nerve. But the facts,
sadly, appear to be as we have recited, and India is sailing
dangerously close to a new phase of interference in Sri Lanka's
domestic affairs. It is time Sen realised that he does so at his
peril, for Sri Lankans as a nation are sick and tired of Indian
treachery. The time has come to show this double agent for what
he is, yet another in the long line of saboteurs who have passed
off as Indian High commissioners in Sri Lanka. Perfide Indiae,
indeed…”
In appreciation of this article which is very rare in the
contemporary Sri Lankan press ( as they are always steeped in
Sinhala Buddhists chauvinism rather than on national interest or the
interest of the whole community ) as it enlightens the ordinary
masses of Sri Lanka on the muddle created by the application of
statecraft and diplomacy by external powers which serve to prolong
this agony of ethnic conflict, I sent the following letter on 11
April 2004 to the Editor, the Sunday Leader but it was not
published.
The Editor
The Sunday Leader
Dear Sir,
Perfide Indiae by Mr. Vimukthi Yapa is a timely and well -
written article even at this late juncture. As Mr.Yapa has
pointed out that not only the leaders but also the public should
also be street smart to understand and react to the events that
are taking place now. We hope there will be more of this kind to
educate the ordinary masses. In this long list of (overtly
known) Indian sins there was one notable omission. It should be
remembered that the then chief minister of North & East
Varatharaja Perumal hoisted the Eelam flag at Trincomalee and
declared Tamil Eelam days before escaping to India on an Indian
naval ship. Perumal could not have done this if not for the
prior approval from his political masters. But the same India is
now shedding crocodile tears for the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.
Keen political observers will notice that religion and astrology
are also being used as weapon to hoodwink the ordinary public.
All kinds of divisions are encouraged to weaken the target
country. Just after the peace talk was started in Sri Lanka,
there were astrological predications emanating from various
sources in India that touted dire predictions of blood and gore
in store for poor Sri Lanka and other neighbouring countries but
the predictions always enthused that our great regional
neighbour would surpass even the sole super power in might and
glory. That was in the year 2002. In actual fact, it was just
the execution of another chapter from the (wily) Kautilyan
Principles.
It would be a great service if newspapers in Sri Lanka serialise
and publish the Kautilyan principles in all three languages so
that the ordinary people can be educated regarding these Indian
machinations.
Lanka was torched by Hanuman but we have our (un) educated
Modayas spending time and money to erect Hanuman temples and
perform Ghee Abshisheakam probably to get Lanka torched once
more!. No body question why India develops all these deadly
missiles instead of performing Yagas (Vedic sacrifices) for it’s
own protection. But various kinds of fabulous Yagas are touted
by Indian astrologers and god men for the protection of
unsuspecting public.
Religion is being used to divide and keep the masses
occupied. That’s why, when millions of our brethren are still
displaced and languishing in refugee camps without food and
shelter, the erection of temples of various cues are widely
encouraged and even free idols are dispensed. One would have to
contrast this with the number of temples destroyed during the
occupation by IPKF.
One should not forget that the Buddhism was haunted out of
it’s own birth place, India and had to find sanctuary in various
other countries including Sri Lanka.
Lord Budda was a great reformist who himself was born a Hindu
like all Sri Lankan kings before the advent of Arahat Mahinda.
Budda was against Vedic sacrifices and rituals, which infuriated
the Brahmins. The Saivaisam that is currently practised in Sri
Lanka is a refined form of Hinduism, which is not a fanatical
form of Hinduism. But the Hinduism that is practised in the
Hindi belts (North India) is the fanatical version of Hinduism
that chased Lord Budda away. So it should be well heeded by the
Sri Lankan polity that are invoking the Indian intervention in
Sri Lanka are in fact planning for the demise of Budda Sasana in
Sri Lanka. It would be like providing shelter for the proverbial
camel. They will end up as the proverbial fool who cut his nose
to provide ill omen for his enemy. ( Chop own nose to spite
one's enemy - as it is considered ill omen to see someone
without nose)
It should be also noted that what ever sovereignty is left of
Sri Lankan state is only by the sacrifices of the valiant Tamils
who fought against this foreign invasion.
PS:
Our shortsighted political leaders of Sri Lanka adhered to
higher education in Sinhala and Tamil languages and ignored
English. In addition, they curtailed the university education so
that only a chosen few can enter and gain university degrees. In
addition, Tamil students were even further disadvantaged by the
standardisation and discriminatory employment prospects. But
contrast this with India where even a rickshaw wallah will tout
a couple of BA’s or BSC’s so much so that India is now being
touted as having the biggest pool of English educated talent
pool in the world. In fact, Information Technology or IT is now
known as Indian Technology in most parts of the world where they
have experienced IT. The lesson here is that a high
quality university education in English should be made available
to each and every one in Sri Lanka without any discrimination.
That is the only way Sri Lanka can escape reverse invasion by
lack of talent pool. In addition, geo political manoeuvres could
also be easily understood and neutralised by these educated
people.
In addition, on the subject of “ Pilgrimage to BuddhaGaya ” in
the above article, the following appeal -
Buddhists Plea to the UN by All India BuddhaGaya Mahabodhi Mahavihar
Action Committee
has some interesting points. This is an excerpt..
“ ..With great respect to the office of the United Nations
High Commission for Human Rights , may I invite your kind
attention towards the continued illegal occupation of the most
sacred and holiest place of the Buddhists and the Entire World,
the Mahabodhi Mahavihar at Buddha Gaya in the Bihar State of
India by high caste Hindu Brahmins.
..This is the place where the Siddharth Gautama, the Prince,
attained the Supreme Enlightenment and became the Buddha. This
vihara was erected by Emperor Ashoka 250 BC as a monument in the
memory of Lord Buddha. This is confirmed by Chinese Monk Fa-Hain
who visited Buddha Gaya in 409 AD and Huen Thsang in 637 AD. One
of the great Archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunnigham also visited
Buddha Gaya. It is beyond doubts that it is the sacred and
holiest place of Buddhists where Buddha attained Enlightenment.
Dr.Buchanan Hamilton a very well known archaeologist visited
Buddha Gaya vihar and he found that the vihara was in a hopeless
condition. Buddhism vanished from India due to onslaught by
Hindu Brahmins. The Vihara had been visited by thousands and
thousands of Buddhists from China, Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka
and other parts of the world.. ”
In the contemporary conflicts around the world, it appears that
faith and believes by ordinary mortals are also subtly exploited by
vested interests to hoodwink the ordinary masses from identifying
and addressing real issues which confront them and threaten the very
survival of those societies in this ever competitive world where
essential resources are always becoming scarce due to over
exploitation by affluent societies who are loathe to forgo their
unfair advantages they enjoy, instead whip up religious frenzy
amongst target groups to ferment discontent and anarchy in those
societies in order to achieve their ulterior statecraft outcomes as
was espoused by Kautilya's Arthasastra on War and Diplomacy in
Ancient India
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