SHIV SHANKAR MENON HAS ARRIVED IN COLOMBO WITH A DEMANDING ROD IN HIS HAND SAYS THE HINDU
Onlanka News – by Walter Jayawardhana
The Hindu said the Indian National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon who has arrived in Sri Lanka in a special aircraft , who will unequivocally convey to the Sri Lankan leadership the path that India will traverse towards achieving a genuine political solution in Sri Lanka, has the most unenviable task of getting a message across to the Sri Lankan leadership — ‘Time’s up. Act now’
The Hindu in a report while indicating the relationship between the two countries has strained said, “He will meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and others on Friday, ahead of heading back in one of the shortest visits by a visiting Indian official in recent times.”
Menon arrived here late on Thursday night to discuss issues arising out of Sri Lanka’s reluctance to fulfill its promises, more than three years after the crushing defeat of the Tamil Tigers, the Hindu said.
The newspaper quoted Menon having said earlier , “Our goal is an arrangement; the 13th Amendment is their amendment, not our amendment…we did the India-Sri Lanka agreement and gave them an enabling environment in which to implement their own amendment. Now if they think they want to do better than the 13th Amendment let them do it…They want to do it different, that’s for them. They all [all parties] must feel comfortable with it,”.
Written by R.K,Radhakrishnan the following is the full text of the report:
“He will meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and others on Friday, ahead of heading back in one of the shortest visits by a visiting Indian official in recent times. Mr Menon, who arrived in a special aircraft, is accompanied by the Joint Secretary (BSM) Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
In the previous visits during and after the Eelam War IV, the first of which he undertook as Foreign Secretary, Mr Menon had outlined the Indian expectations, and had encouraged Sri Lanka to travel the path of genuine reconciliation post-war. Nothing of that sort happened in the manner India hoped it would. Rather, Sri Lanka has taken a completely different path, and has firmly focused on policing the State better, apart from embarking on a series of infrastructure development measures in the North.
The Northern Province continues to be the only one without an elected council. The reason the government spelt out on Thursday, was that demining was yet to be completed in the North. Even without completing demining, the government did find it comfortable to hold the local body elections – which the Tamil National Alliance, the only credible representative of the people of the North, swept.
In his two previous visits, Mr Menon, a former High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, had clearly stated the Indian position on various issues. In his last visit, asked if India was adamant on the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, Mr Menon has said, “Our goal is an arrangement; the 13th Amendment is their amendment, not our amendment…we did the India-Sri Lanka agreement and gave them an enabling environment in which to implement their own amendment. Now if they think they want to do better than the 13th Amendment let them do it…They want to do it different, that’s for them. They all [all parties] must feel comfortable with it,”.
Between Mr Menon’s last visit and the current visit, the Indian External Affairs Minister, S M Krishna, and an Indian joint Parliamentary delegation led by Sushma Swaraj, had met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. After discussions with Mr Rajapaksa, both Mr Krishna and Ms Swaraj said that Mr Rajapaksa had promised a political solution going beyond the 13th Amendment. A few days after the conclusion of the visits, the local press insisted that the 13th Amendment was not discussed with Ms Swaraj; and no promises were made to Mr Krishna.
But the most important issue that has affected Indo-Sri Lankan relations is the Indian vote for the United States–backed resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, asking Sri Lanka, among other things, to implement recommendations of a post-war commission that it had set up. Sri Lanka has been smarting under what it sees as the “Indian betrayal” and has been trying to win new friends across the world. The vote has hardened the anti-India feeling in the establishment. Local newspapers reports said that Indian overtures to help Sri Lanka in refurbishing its only oil refinery, and rebuild an airport have been turned down.
Mr Menon’s visit comes at a juncture when the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has found time to meet bilaterally all allies in the region, barring Mr Rajapaksa. He has had three “on-the-sidelines” meeting so far in the past year with Mr Rajapaksa. Also, Mr Rajapaksa’s invitation to Dr Singh to visit Sri Lanka has been in the deep freezer for over a year.
Mr Menon, who will unequivocally convey to the Sri Lankan leadership the path that India will traverse towards achieving a genuine political solution in Sri Lanka, has the most unenviable task of getting a message across to the Sri Lankan leadership — ‘Time’s up. Act now’
Dissolving three provincial councils just a day ahead of Mr Menon’s arrival in Colombo, Mr Rajapaksa has already given India the answer, It is election time, and hence no concessions can be made”.
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Big brother bullying the younger brother! The law of the jungle? Has India joined in the interference in the internal affairs of a sovereigin nation?
Clearly uncalled for and unethical conduct by a “super” power which has its own teeming problems including terrorism.
Is it a feeling of jealousy that prompts India, Sri Lanka being the only nation in the world to eradicate terrorism
Remeber India had to pay the extreme penalty of losinga revered leader,Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi to terrorism.
Now for internal political expediency India is dancing to the demands of Tamil Nadu leaders.
How devastating can politics become?
This is clearly political manipulation of the Delhi leadeship to appease Tamil Nadu.
The Congress definitley requires the support of Tamil Nadu if it is to retain Governmemnt.
Most rich Indians and educated Indians believe Congress is the only party that can lead India towards prosperity in a democartic and social manner. Hence Congress must be returned to Government.
If the West takes some initiatives on division of Sri Lanka similar to what ws done in Sudan, India is bound to fully support such a move.
So it is best to respond positively to India’s needs and work together in partnership. Classifying all interests as “internal affirs” and brushing things under the carpet will only hasten the division of our land.
LTTE already had their “demanding rod” screwed on India some time ago. We all remember that. Therefore Menon can screw this rod on his own back before he returns in his “special air craft”.
What a bunch of shameless jokers! India managed to produce a row of similar ideots starting from Indira Gandhi who created the LTTE rod that was screwed back on India. Then Rajiv who was killed by LTTE. Now current Indian stupids are kissing the assess of US. India never learn the lesson. These ideots are pushing Sri lanka more towards China.
If India gives-in so much to racist South Indian and Sri lankan Tamil politician ideots, they will seperate South India just like Bangla Desh and Pakisthan.
Just look back. After so many decades of federalism in India, did they get rid of South Indian sepererist demands? No. Indian stupids never realise this.
I generally disagree with Manjula acca on blog 3.
I cannot comment on para 1; India was one of the worst enemies of the LTT. India provided logistical and political support to Sri Lanka to eradicate the LTT.
Para 2: There’s no proof Rajiv Gandhi was killed by LTT. More than 100 books have been published on the Rajiv Gandhi assasination. Ther are many questions unanswered. Manjula acca, “idiot” is spelt “idiot” and not “ideot”.
Para 3: There’s never been a call to separate Tamil Nadu from the Indian Union in the history of India. All Indians are proud of their flag and are extremely patriotic.
Para 4: Comments on para 3 apply to para 4.
Manjula acca, I beseech you to research matters carefully prior to making rash comments.
I totally disagree with Mudalge’s comments in blog 4. He is batting for the SL Tamil extremists in denying historical facts.
Indira Gandhi created, funded, trained and armed LTTE terrorist outfit to destroy SL economy and development from outpacing India. Rajiv continued his mother’s policy with his support and dalliance with LTTE. He ultimately paid the price for his stupidity.
India is our WORST ENEMY. India treats SL as their colony to be imposed on. India is interfering in our internal and even foreign policies. We care two hoots about Congress needing Tamil Nadu support to form a govt. All we demand is STOP INTERFERING AND LEANING ON SL. I deplore people who still call India, ‘Big Bro’. I’d rather we call India our WORST ENEMY. Call a ‘Spade a Spade’.
Our best friend is China. I am glad MR has hitched SL to the rising star, China. We are developing like China on fast track. We should go a step further to have special defence pacts with China against India and the imperial West. Let us have also defence pacts with Russia.
I hope China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, SL and other countries in the Freeworld form an Alliance, similar to NATO to counter world dominance by imperial West led by Yankee USA.
Chumpa Mudalige,
Your name suggests that you are the wife of the multi-passport and multi-name holding maxist guy once called Gunaratnam who stage-managed his own disappearence (with an unmarried woman) recently in Sri lanka and now hiding in Australia in a different name.
However, your advise to me to do more research falls back on you.
If Rajiv Ghandi was not killed by LTTE, I guess, you are calling Indian legal system is the worst in the world and Indian judges are the worst stupids because they life sentensed LTTE activists just for that. LTTE became a banned organisation in India after that. I’ll leave it at that and any reader can see what your agenda is in supporting and white-washing LTTE. More than 100 books in the contrary does not count at all since publishing fiction books is not banned in India.
On the matter of Tamilnadu, just for example, you said “There has never been a call to seperate Tamil Nadu from India”. Wrong, just do some research yourself, one link of many hundreds available in the web is “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._N._Annadurai”.
I have few extracts from that wikipedia page for you below.
“……During his days in Dravida Kazhagam, Annadurai had supported Periyar’s call for an independent Dravida Nadu. The claim for such an independent state stayed alive in the initial days of DMK. ……….“ We must contest more elections, win more seats and that way, win the confidence of the people; and when it is hot, we can strike and strike hard…….
…………….. In 1962, Annadurai said in the Rajya Sabha that Dravidians want the right of self-determination … We want a separate country for southern India……..
…………….Nevertheless, the Sino-Indian war brought about changes in the Indian constitution. The Sixteenth Amendment (most popularly known as the Anti-Secessionist Amendment) banned any party with sectarian principles from participating in elections. ……
……To make the Dravidian state a separate state was our ideal. A situation has arisen where we can neither talk nor write about this ideal. Of course we can destroy the party by undertaking to violate the prohibition. But once the party itself is destroyed there will not be any scope for the ideal to exist or spread. That is why we had to give up the ideal.”
Chumpa, that is how India effectively quietened the call for seperate state in Tamilnadu, by passing laws that no party can go for elections if their objective is to seperate from India. It doesn’t mean Tamilnadu gave up their goal. They cannot openly talk, that is all. This is exactly what should happen in Sri lanka too. TNA recently said their constitution still says their goal is to seperate from Sri lanka. They must be banned in contesting elections, just like in India.
Thankfully, N.D. has given a good explanation of the rest of the matter for you to understand.
Many thanks for spell checking, which I am very lazy to do. May be this post also has some spelling errors. I like to leave it for you to check.