The expression of regret is part of a strategy to ensure that India maintains a 'hands-off' policy on ethnic violence in Sri Lanka.
A DNA ANALYSIS
NEW DELHI: LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham’s expression of regret for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination is part of a strategy to ensure that India maintains a “hands-off” policy on the escalating ethnic violence in Sri Lanka. It comes at a time when India has announced that it will supply a radar to the Sri Lankan government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two days ago also assured Colombo of India’s support in bringing peace to the troubled island.
India’s moves are clearly worrying the LTTE, which would like New Delhi to either stay neutral or better still, put pressure on Colombo to be more serious about finding a solution to the conflict.
“The LTTE knows that India is the only country that can deter the Sri Lankan government if the conflict escalates,” said South Asia expert SD Muni of the Observer Research Foundation. “They are obviously trying to soften India so that it pushes Colombo to work for a consensus on the devolution of powers (to the Tamil areas in Sri Lanka).”
The radar that India proposes to give Sri Lanka would help Colombo keep track of the LTTE’s efforts to construct an airbase. India has also been supplying the Sri Lankan government with intelligence information on LTTE movements. However, India has been careful to refrain from playing a more pro-active role, having learnt a bitter lesson from the IPKF misadventure in the late eighties.
India has persisted with this policy despite mounting pressure from Colombo to intervene. Instead, it has been privately advising the Sri Lankan government to seek a resolution of the conflict with the Tamil ethnic minority while simultaneously giving political support to Colombo.
Muni felt that the LTTE’s soft noises, as expressed by Balasingham, are unlikely to change India’s policy or stop the supply of the radar. “India has maintained that the radar is defensive equipment. I think India will help Sri Lanka similar defend itself. But it will not supply lethal weapons or any kind of arms that can be used for offensive tactics,” he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}