This is the concluding pat of our series. If you have mastered the blogs posted here, you should be able to answer any question in both the IR paper as well as in General studies: Current Affairs International.
We shall next take up in the next series India’s relations with Pakistan, West Asia and Central Asia.
The Chinese have made rapid strides and are consolidating in the south, too, in Sri Lanka. But it is another aspect here that shows the hollowness of India’s influence. Says a source: “Our 1987 accord with Sri Lanka is in a shambles.The country’s north and east have been divided, whereas they ought to have been united. The war ended three years ago, but where have the Tamils reached?”
Tamils in Sri Lanka live in abysmal conditions, in bombed out places. Livelihood issues remain significantly unaddressed, the area formerly occupied by the LTTE in deep downturn, housing projects moving at less than a snail’s pace. The only rapid construction activity in these areas is the sound of the Chinese busy building army cantonments. While Chinese projects, from Hambantota Port to Colombo South Harbour Project race ahead, Indian projects languish. Is there a pattern? Or is it just India’s inability to push the agenda significantly? Commentators note that even the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which was supposed to be the cornerstone of India’s economic policy with Sri Lanka, has been successfully stymied, even as New Delhi watched helplessly.
A very high level source once summed up Sri Lanka policy to this reporter. He said, “New Delhi is sensitive to the fact that minus the LTTE the Sinhalas will walk all over the place. Complete victory of one side is not in our interests.” As New Delhi keeps bailing out Sri Lanka in various fora, large Sri Lankan footprints are visible all over India’s Lanka policy for all to see. The footprints are very clearly visible from Chennai, although Delhi is another matter altogether.
“Our 1987 accord with Sri Lanka is in a shambles.The country’s north and east have been divided, whereas they ought to have been united. The war ended three years ago, but where have the Tamils reached?” How far is this view justified?
This view finds some justification because the present Lankan government is not showing much enthusiasm to fully implement the provisions of 13th amendment plus that would have put the Tamils on par with Sinhalas vis-a-vis political rights. Also, there is talk of revising the 1987 accord being heard.
Further, the policies pursued by Rajapaksa are akin to those by Modi- appealing to communal/ethnic sentiments and encouraging majoritarianism. Muslims in Gujarat and Lankan Tamils are in similar predicament!
The only rapid construction activity in these areas is the sound of the Chinese busy building army cantonments. While Chinese projects, from Hambantota Port to Colombo South Harbour Project race ahead, Indian projects languish. Is there a pattern? Can the SAARC do anything about this? Why is the Opposition in India keeping quiet?
SAARC has now got China as an observer-courtesy Pakistan. Now, India is not pressing Sri Lanka on the issue of human rights violation in LTTE war because she fears Sri Lanka will drift closer to China.
Perhaps SAARC has outlived its period of utility? India’s efforts such as Gujral doctrine et al have consistently gone wrong…why not do a re-think and nurture bilateral relation with each of the States of south Asia, to the level of amicability as with Bhutan and Maldives?
For his we need new blood. The present generation has become wooden. I was reading the biography of Sonia , by Rani Singh. I as shell shocked when I read that Rajiv Gandhi had only one asst.untrained sub inspector as his personal security when he was assassinated. Was it fair? How do the NDA leaders who were in power explain this. Rajiv was under threat by the LTTE and yet he had gone to the Lion’s den!. I think that I will vote for a donkey but for none of e NDA partners. They need to hang themselves; not their heads , in shame.
Sir (and also others): do you think that regionalism is now outdated? Is SAARC outmoded due to divergence of national interests of its members-entering of China?