Even they are not convinced that Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian parties take up their cause for anything other than their own competitive political gains
If the pressure being brought to bear by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and other Tamil political parties and groups on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to take a strong stand against Sri Lanka in the Human Rights Council (HRC) is aimed at helping the Tamil minority in that country, it is unlikely to achieve that objective.
In fact, it is quite likely to have the opposite effect of painting Sri Lankan Tamils as a fifth column for Tamil nationalist or Eelamist designs emanating from Tamil Nadu, and increasing the political polarisation in that country.
This is not to say that the Rajapaksa government is blameless in the way it has treated the violations of human rights against Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan forces and of international laws of conduct by soldiers in combat. Its cavalier attitude to reports of civilian casualties during the war, and towards post-war ethnic reconciliation also does it no credit.
Where Sri Lanka erred
It would have been the easiest thing for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be magnanimous in victory. Admitting in 2009 that Tamil civilians had been killed in the fighting; apologising for those killings; immediately investigating reports of violations by the Sri Lankan Army of the No Fire Zone and probing the cases of missing people. This would have been the most politically graceful, as well as effortless, way forward.
Mr. Rajapaksa could have even gone as far as make a national apology for the 1983 anti-Tamil riots, the turning point of the conflict in Sri Lanka, and he would have gone down in history as a different sort of leader, as a statesman. Instead, he allowed narrow triumphalism to set the national agenda, to the point where resolving the Tamil question is now seen by Sinhala nationalists as unnecessary. Since the end of the war, revisionists have ensured that the Sinhalese majority thinks of the conflict only as a series of atrocities committed by the LTTE, and the LTTE as a group created by India, while the Sri Lankan military remains stationed all across northern Sri Lanka, as if in readiness for another war.
Devolution
The government’s decision to set up a parliamentary committee to find a political solution to Tamil aspirations is hardly adequate, especially as reports by previous committees have been unceremoniously shelved. From the pronouncements of those close to Mr. Rajapaksa, the future of what little devolution now exists in Sri Lanka is uncertain. By the time the much-delayed elections to the Tamil-dominated Northern Province are held, as stated by him in September this year, it is not clear how much power will be devolved.
The protests
So it will not be wrong to say that Sri Lanka’s obstinate reluctance to deal with its national question is squarely to blame for the churning in Tamil Nadu today. But protests in Tamil Nadu by political parties and students are hardly going to push Colombo to take the right steps. Indeed, all this only makes it easier for the Sri Lankan government to dismiss any Indian effort to make it do the right thing as inspired by the “Tamil Nadu factor,” and therefore, not take it seriously.
Even Sri Lankan Tamils are not convinced that Dravidian political parties take up their cause for anything other than their own political gains. The half-day Marina hunger strike by DMK leader M. Karunanidhi in the closing stages of the war against the LTTE in 2009, still evokes much derisive laughter among Sri Lankan Tamils, and has also gone down as a lasting symbol of the cynical use that Tamil Nadu parties make of the Eelam Tamil cause.
Sri Lankan Tamils also know more than anyone else that such shows by Tamil Nadu politicians only heighten the siege mentality of the Sinhalese, who have always regarded Tamil Nadu with suspicion, and the island’s once secessionist Tamil politics and militancy as not just influenced, but directed by Tamil leaders in the southern Indian state.
View on resolutions
Any move by New Delhi to strengthen the U.S-sponsored resolution before the HRC at the behest of the DMK is hardly going to persuade Sri Lanka to do what is right and just. If the Rajapaksa regime did not feel pushed by the 2012 resolution, in many ways the real wake-up call, it is hardly worried by the 2013 one.
As India did not so long ago, Sri Lanka views resolutions against it in the HRC as driven by lobbies with agendas against the country, especially when sponsored by a country accused of rights violations across the globe, and is able to find enough political support within for this view. In any case, the HRC resolutions are not binding.
How then to get Sri Lanka to take the right steps towards national reconciliation? The answer lies in India, but it is located in New Delhi, not in Chennai. On Tuesday, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi took the extraordinary step at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, of expressing her party’s concern for Sri Lankan Tamils.
“The plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka is close to our hearts. Our support for equal rights and equal protection of the laws to them has been unwavering since the days of Indiraji and Rajivji.
“We are most pained at the manner in which their legitimate political rights continue to be denied to them. We are anguished by reports of unspeakable atrocities on innocent civilians and children, especially during the last days of the conflict in 2009,” she said.
This should have been New Delhi’s line from the start, one that it should have used in hard-edged, but quiet diplomacy with Sri Lanka.
But it allowed itself to be scared by the “China card,” real or not, being waved at it by Sri Lanka, and by our own strategic thinkers. New Delhi does itself and Sri Lankan Tamils a big disfavour by shaking the dust off its Sri Lanka policy from March to March, HRC session to HRC session, crisis to crisis for the UPA coalition from its Tamil Nadu partner, instead of framing one that is confident, non-reactive and long term.
Mrs Gandhi’s statement on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue was the strongest from any Indian leader in more than two decades. And it is all the more remarkable for one who has suffered personal loss at the hands of the LTTE. Unfortunately, it will not carry the moral edge that it should, likely as it is to be seen as nothing more than a plunge by the Congress leader into Tamil Nadu’s competitive Eelamist politics, a move to save her party from a total eclipse in the State, made under the assumption that this is an issue that will sway voters one year from now.
nirupama.s@thehindu.co.in
Keywords: Sri Lankan Tamils issue, UPA government, DMK, UNHRC, TN students protest, DMK pull out, UPA government, Congress-DMK ties, AIADMK
A well balanced article!! The fact remains that the Sri Lankan Tamils
will have to work with their countrymen to resolve the decades old
conflict amicably. The protests by the political parties and the
public in Tamil Nadu only serve to further alienate the Sri Lankan
Tamils from their own countrymen. Those protesting also need to look
at the interests of India as a whole rather than that of the Tamil
speaking people only. Political rhetoric and grandstanding will get
them nowhere. A peaceful and logical dialogue involving the Sri Lankan
Tamils and Sinhalese is the only way forward. The Government of India
should set the ground for such a process while taking care not to
involve itself too much in the matters of a sovereign nation.
@Vineeth: Justice is the same anywhere, be it Sri Lanka or Kashmir. It is useless to hinge on to Kashmir against the interest of it's interest. A sense of false pride is the reason so many die across the country. As Indians we must understand the meaning of freedom more than anybody else. Hold a referendum and let the people decide where they want to be. That way we can take a moral high ground and show the way to Sri Lanka. Without that, there is no point in we asking Sri Lanka what is the right thing to do.
sincere and thoughtful writing. let this TN ppl should know any attack
on SL tourist will direct implication on SL tamils living there. First
of all this protest will not bring any cheers to SL tamils this is
totally political make over of few in TN. Exactly I agreed to author
none of SL tamils living in Canada believes TN politicians they all
know its a vote bank politics. They regards little on Vaiko and
Nedumaran nothing beyond. Pressuring center on foreign policies is
totally wrong and unwarranted,blaming of Soniaji or Cong on each
aspect on SL issue is very wrong. Incase if BJP in power what will
they do in this situation nothing beyond adopted by this Govt. Let
this leaders or followers or those students clarify will they allow
some country to intersect your internal matters. Will these guys will
allow third party reconciliation on J&K issue,so how can India can go
beyond?.Creating political unwanted political pressure not needed at
this hour,let it be any govt in center.
In the eminently readable article there is no mention of the
insensitive and outrageous action of the Srilankan Government in
constructing a war memorial in Jaffna which is adding insult to
injury. Many also advocate hands off approach in the matter by
Government of India on the ground that any harping on human right
violation on the part of Srilanka may rebound on us in view of our own
records in the matter. I found this line of argument in an editorial
in the much respected Kannada daily Prajavani of today. Apart from the
appropriateness of glossing over human right violation by the media of
a country on the specious ground of the same rebounding on its host
country we also have not constructed war memorials on our effectively
dealing with armed insurgencies. In fact we tolerate militants being
treated as martyrs in Punjab.
Nirupama has stated what some of us from the Sri Lankan Tamil community had been saying for many months now.
President Rajapakse and his government are not going to bow to whatever resolutions UNHRC or even the UN General Assembly could pass on Sri Lanka. In the first place UNHRC resolutions are not binding. Secondly, international criminal law cannot be applied to Sri Lanka since it is not a signatory to the Rome Treaty that established ICC. The only other way is for the UN Security Council to pass a resolution requesting the ICC Presecutor to initiate investigations. This is not possible because veteo wielding China and Russia would definitely vote against any such resolution.
Sri Lanka will do nothing towards devolving power to the Tamils. Instead it will continue to change the demography of North East Sri Lanka to ensure that Tamils cannot claim that part of Sri Lanka as their traditional homeland. The more the protests in Tamil Nadu the more sufferings Tamils in SL will face
Damage done by Dravidian parties to Tamils of Sri Lanka is irreparable. The Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu used the Sri Lankan Tamils for their selfish deeds. Let the Tamil Nad's politicians keep themselves away from this issue in the interest of Sri Lankans Tamils!!
Can you please give me source of 200 000 killed tamils in sri lanka? . Please show me some evidence of it and not baseless posts on this board.
Your article is very clearly telling that the Dravidian parties take
this issue for their gain. To tell this we doesn't need this much big
article. Being a Tamilian myself, I am requesting all educated
diaspora of India, not to look in diplomatic way. Please look as the
minority people(Tamilians) in Sri lanka is struggling for their
equality and rights. What's wrong in that.
Yes, I agree the news item is a very thoughtful and meaningful one. As you have rightly pointed out the misgivings of the politicians especially the dravidan parties hailing from Tamilnadu, you have deliberately/conveniently forgotten the role of Media in this regard. The recent student agitations are praised both by Print Media and Electronic Media and giving wide coverage for nothing which is not going to be of any use for the Srilankan tamils still living in Mannar, etc. These mindless people still talking about the Eelam which is even the Hardcore North-east Srilankan tamil has forgotten. The role of the National Parties in India namely Congress and BJP should also be blamed for this happenings in Tamilnadu right now for their narrow minded vote bank politics. Both of them and even the communists in India also doing petty politics out of Srilankan Tamil issue and nothing else. God only save Srilankan Tamils from these politicians and Rajabhakse.
@P.Padmnaabhan, Do you realize that the very same arguments you make in favor of Tamil Eezham could very well be used by Kashmiris against India? Would you be willing to support their demand too? Supporting separatism in another country is a two-edged sword. By supporting Tamil Eezham, India would lose the moral high ground of national integrity we profess in Kashmir as well.
Madamji, What is that you want to convey by this. Please forget what has been done or what was not done yesterday. We cannot undo that. The best way is to think of what is to be done to prevent and take precaution. The six crore Tamils across the world wanted only one thing i.e. They plead the Union Government of India, US is bringing a Resolution in UN and please vote for it. In this there is no involvement of any Drividian Parties or other Political Parties. Their ambition is (FOR ANY INDIAN) The Resolution should be adopted and passed. If this is done, it will only portray the Culprit and nothing more. By this comment my only plea is we (human being)should not be afraid to call black sheep as black without waiting for the long drawn process of Law.
This article is absolutely right on the spot. Mrs Gandhi's statement should be appreciated, but it has come late. This statement should have come atleast immediately after the SriLankan War in 2009 Indecisiveness attitude of the Government and our bureaucratic leadership have put India in a tight spot in this issue. Now we can only pass our apologies to the Tamil Brethern dead and alive in Sri lanka and put our heads down in front of the international community as we couldn't stand up to our values.
Pierra,
I Strongly object your comment "TamilNadu should be ashamed for attacking Buddhist Monks" If TamilNadu should be ashamed for attacking only two Buddhist monks. Then Sri Lankans must be ashamed for Brutually Killing 2 Lakhs plus Innocent Tamilians.
As a person has pointed out here, it is an uncomfortable fact that we are guilty of training and arming the LTTE when it suited our interests. The only saving grace is that once we burned our hands during IPKF-LTTE conflicts and Rajiv Gandhi assassination, we realized our mistake and stayed away.
Supporting country-specific resolutions is a two-edged sword. If we support a resolution against SL, SL can very well pay back the favor by supporting a possible Pakistani resolution against us over Kashmir. Moreover, is shared ethnicity sufficient reason for interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign nation? If so, how is this any different from the attitudes of certain religious organizations who believe that they have the divine duty to fight for their coreligionists elsewhere even when it is against the interests of their own motherland? Aren't the over-zealous, hyper-emotional Tamil groups forgetting the greater interests of this country? They should keep in mind that Tamils of TN are just one of the many constituent peoples of the Indian nation. Tamils of SL are Sri Lankan citizens, and India should support only a political solution for their problems that is within the constitutional framework of a united Sri Lanka.
Kudos to Nirupama Subramanian for the excellent portrayal of real politics in Tamil Nadu.
I live in Singapore and follow closely events taking place in Tamil Nadu. For me, the Dravidian parties are simply useless and I doubt they actually care for Sri Lankan Tamils or for that matter even for the people they are supposed to serve. Their leaders, except for Annathurai and MGR, are craving for power and when they have it, to retain it by all foul means. They are downright corrupt. However, they are consummate politicians, clever in exploiting emotive issues that are close to the heart of the people. They can mesmerize millions of dim minds with their fiery speeches and even more fiery writings. In the 50’s it was the “all Tamil, no Hindi” crusade (which propelled them to power) and now the Sri Lankan Tamil issue with the two main parties going for each other’s throat – one to retain power and annihilate its rival and the other to re-capture power and annihilate the incumbent. How silly of the people to be taken in as suckers.
It is high time the Tamil electorate shake off the emotional attachment to these Dravidian parties. Next time go and vote for the other parties like the Congress and BJP, who may not be perfect but definitely far more preferable to ADMK and DMK. Better still go for the Indian Communists. By and large they are very ordinary, simple and principled with a strong passion and commitment to uplift the rural poor.
This is a real patronising type of comment. SL Tamils do have political reps and their call for accountability and good goverannce should be accommodated. India used and abused LTTE for its own interest and now buckling under a bankrupt policy.
Tamil Nadu and the people should be ashamed of what they did to the
buddhist monks and pilgrimages in the last few days. Being an Indian
tamil from Sri Lanka who lived in India after the riots in 1983, I
find this act of attacking priest shocking.
Such kind of acts by faction of the people in Tamil Nadu is only going
to cause more problems to the Tamils in Sri Lanka. What do college
students know about the reality in Sri Lanka. Saw in the news where
there were students in South India demonstrating, fasting etc.. What
do they know about whats happening in Sri Lanka.
The Indian government and the Tamil Nadu government should put a stop
to all such stupid behaviour. Teach them to respect people and
specially religious leaders....
This is a good positive article. As a Sinhalese my self, I full agree with you saying that President should have apologized and done a proper investigation . Its true that no war goes without Civilian casualties. But have you done the math of LTTE diaspora. They just have enough looted money to spend. Do you know in Sri Lanka no one worried about this resolution. The best approach for India is to pressure SL do more on Rights with Support of China. Because SL will listen to China
Time has created yet another opportunity to India to act in such a way it could bring a just and dignified solution to the problems faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka. India cannot walk away from it's responsibilities. If India is going to watch from the side lines the atrocities committed by the Rajapakse government against the Tamils in Sri lanka, it's going to commit another historical blunder.
"revisionists have ensured that the Sinhalese majority thinks of the conflict only as a series of atrocities committed by the LTTE, and the LTTE as a group created by India"
The Sinhala majority does not have to think about it; as a matter of fact, India created and trained the LTTE
This column gives a lot of cover for the Sri Lankan terrorism under Rajapaksa. It suggests that Sri Lanka will simply play the Chinese Card against India like Pakistan is doing now. Look where Pakistan has landed itself as a result of its hate India policy. Sri Lanka has already gone to the China column because it is incapable of nurturing democracy. I will say this: Let Sri Lanka do what is best for it, and if they like to serve the Chinese interests against India's, let us confront them also as enemies. I don't believe that they will like subjugation by the Chinese Masters as Pakistan is now. If Rajapaksa's true colors are exposed, the people of Sri Lanka will eventually discard him as a hot potato. So let us not worry about appeasing the Sri Lankan Simhaslese, let us support the legitimate demands of Tamilians in Sri Lanka.
Excellent Article hope the students who protest from Tamil Nadu read's this.
Mrs.Nirupama Subramaniam writes and quotes Mrs.Sonian Gandhi:"The
plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka is close to our hearts. Our support for
equal rights and equal protection of the laws to them has been
unwavering since the days of Indiraji and Rajivji" The question is who
is to define the rights of the tamils . Mrs.Sonian gandhi can not do
it. India must not do it. Because after 6 decades it is not at all an
issue of equal rigths and equal protection. Will the Hindu and
Mrs.N.Subramniyam say how at all equal rights and equal protection
between the majority Sinhalese and the minority tamils are possible
within a united Sri lanka? More than such equal rights and protection,
it is totally heartless s to suggest anything like lessons learnt t
and reconciliation! After all Mrs.Sonia gandhi could not patch up
with her second daughter in law Mrs,Menaka Gandhi and be one family!
Anything less than Thamizh Eezham for the eezhamite Tamils would be
totally immoral.
A whole load of speculation crammed into an 'editorial.' Fair play for
modern journalism.
This is stage drama with SL the common villain. This UN resolution is
meaningless and non binding. So is India's views. This has nothing to do
with the Sri Lankan Tamils. The United States has a completely different
agenda; for them its about punishing SL for being too close to China and
snapping ties between India and SL which dates back 2500 years. For Mrs
Soniya Gandhi and the Central Government its all about survival and saving
face. For those in Tamil Nadu, its all about buying more votes at the
expense of fuelling emotional sentiment among its uneducated natives.
Regardless of what the world thinks of Mahinda Rajapakse, more than 60% of
Sri Lankans back him. Sri lanka's opposition is in tatters led by Ranil
Wickremasinghe who has lost every election since 1994 bar the 2002
election. Ranil is seen by the majority Sinhalese Buddhists as an agent of
the West with a Christian agenda.
The Rajapakse family will rule SL for for another 20 years. India must
learn to live with it.
Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha, Sonia and Manmohan put together do not have the
statemanship wielded by Indira Gandhi or indeed MGR. Politics for survival seems to
be the order of the day. Sonia Gandhi's statement is as true as Karunanidhi's 3 hour
Marina fast. The plight of these unfortunate Tamils will be determined by time and
not by these lot.
I don't see any solution in any of this editorials and only pro Srilankan stance.
The leaders in Tamilnadu are just taking the Srilankan Tamil issue for their own
political gains. They are in a position to fuel Tamil people's ignorance and show the
Tamil people that they are protesting and working for Tamil cause. Tamil people in
Tamilnadu do not understand what the real problems are faced by Srilankan Tamils.
If Tamil people of Tamilnadu want to do anything good for Srilankan Tamils they
should put money in to making the Srilankan refugee camps in Tamilnadu livable.
The refugees from Srilanka are treated like animals in Tamilnadu refugee camps.
There is no sanitation whatsoever there. The Srilankan Tamils are not united and
they even don't know what they want and how to lead their life
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