NDTV reports that Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who is to visit India later this week was quoted telling media reporters that he wants India to mediate in the peace process with Tamils as they were having problems with the Norwegians.
Importantly, India also has a large Tamil population, and a number of Tamil parties are major coalition partners in the Congress led Govt which took charge in India. Tamil Parties in India, like by the DMK, PMK and the MDMK have been traditional bashers of the Sinhala majority in Sri Lanka, and have often called for an invasion of Sri Lanka.
India had invaded Sri Lanka which fast turned into our Vietnam with both the Sinhalas and the Tamils (whose lives our troops went in to save) turning against us. Sicne then, successive Indian govts have adopted a hands off policy, offering nothng more than financial assistance.
Now with the Sri Lankan FM demand that India take a greater role in Sri Lanka, the pressure will mount on Manmohan Singh to take a more pro-active stand over Sri Lanka, and the Tamil parties are sure to create a ruckus.
Your thoughts? Should India mediate or send in troops?
I vote against doing so. India must renew financial assistance to the Sri Lanka Govt and support autonomy for Tamils, but within the framework of the Sri Lankan constitution, but must keep away from any military commitment.
-Roy
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
RE: Srilankan Foreign Minister Asks India To Mediate
Any Indian involvement must be contingent on:
a) complete disengagement of Norway, UK, US or any other western nation from the Sri Lankan peace process. Complete denial of any role to China, including as a source of arms.
b) Long term (e.g. 50-100 year) guaranteed access to Trincomalee port for India.
c) No direct Indian military involvement in the conflict.
d) Indian participation in any trial and conviction of top LTTE cadre who are captured, particularly Prabhakaran.
Just my opinion.
India had invaded Sri Lanka ...
You mean Jayawardene signed a treaty to get us to invade his country ?
a) complete disengagement of Norway, UK, US or any other western nation from the Sri Lankan peace process. Complete denial of any role to China, including as a source of arms.
b) Long term (e.g. 50-100 year) guaranteed access to Trincomalee port for India.
c) No direct Indian military involvement in the conflict.
d) Indian participation in any trial and conviction of top LTTE cadre who are captured, particularly Prabhakaran.
Just my opinion.
India had invaded Sri Lanka ...
You mean Jayawardene signed a treaty to get us to invade his country ? -
- cannibalz3
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RE: Srilankan Foreign Minister Asks India To Mediate
Does India not have a strongly held position or opinion on what should happen between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lanka? I know very little about the situation, but my understanding is that Norway is trying hard to gain a reputation as a peace-building, and as a neighboring country does India not have a lot at stake upon who has power over what? Hardly seems impartial, but please enlighten me.
RE: Srilankan Foreign Minister Asks India To Mediate
India had invaded Sri Lanka
Unless you are referring to Hanuman's monkey army en route to rescue Sita, I think you may have your wires slightly crossed on this one!
Unless you are referring to Hanuman's monkey army en route to rescue Sita, I think you may have your wires slightly crossed on this one!
RE: Srilankan Foreign Minister Asks India To Mediate
BarfBag: On this issue atleast, I agree with you in totality.
Well sending over 30000 troops and 4 dozen armed Mi-25 helicopters is nothing short of an invasion!! And the occupation that followed defied logic! Why were we even there, who were we fighting? Were we there to protect the Tamils? If so how did we end up fighting them?
We may call it a "Peace Keeping Force" but as one BBC journalist who covered the war very famously said, "the sight of dozens of IAF Hind Gunships hovering 400 feet above the ground is a powerful signal to its neighbours that you cannot afford to antagonise the regional superpower anymore".
-Roy
Well sending over 30000 troops and 4 dozen armed Mi-25 helicopters is nothing short of an invasion!! And the occupation that followed defied logic! Why were we even there, who were we fighting? Were we there to protect the Tamils? If so how did we end up fighting them?
We may call it a "Peace Keeping Force" but as one BBC journalist who covered the war very famously said, "the sight of dozens of IAF Hind Gunships hovering 400 feet above the ground is a powerful signal to its neighbours that you cannot afford to antagonise the regional superpower anymore".
-Roy