Indian alarm as major Sri Lankan battle looms

[metalfalcon]

INDIA is preparing to send its foreign minister to Sri Lanka to deliver a stern warning to the Colombo Government amid reports that one of the most crucial battles in the 25-year war against the Tamil Tigers is imminent.

No date has been set for the visit by Pranab Mukherjee as concerns mount among India's Tamil population that the Sri Lankan army has over-run the Tigers' last major defences south of their headquarters.

India is seeking to halt the Sri Lankan army as it closes in on the rebel stronghold amid fears a major humanitarian tragedy is in the making.

In a series of tense telephone calls with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has in effect warned the Sri Lankan army to hold back and avoid creating a new wave of refugees from the fighting.

Mr Singh's warning has been spurred by the growing outcry against the Sri Lankan offensive among the 60 million Tamils in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, who sympathise with their kinfolk in Sri Lanka. However, analysts believe Mr Singh is unlikely to succeed, despite his clout in the region.

Sri Lanka's powerful Defence Minister, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who is the President's brother, said yesterday the Tamil Tigers were on the verge of defeat and suffering huge casualties, and that they were trying to "rope in" India in a last-gasp attempt to get the offensive halted.

"It is very clear the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is at a decisive stage. And no-one can stop them getting defeated. So they are trying their maximum to get Tamil Nadu to pressure the Indian Government to pressure the Sri Lankan Government," Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said.

Nearly 40 MPs from India's ruling national coalition Government, including six ministers, have handed in resignations to protest at the Sri Lankan army's offensive against the rebels, and have demanded action by the New Delhi Government to force Colombo to halt the action.

Reports yesterday suggested that Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who comes from south India, could quit.

New Delhi is making it clear it is not planning any sort of military intervention in Sri Lanka similar to that which preceded former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination by the LTTE. However, it is determined that the Sri Lankan Government understands there can be no military solution to the conflict in the island nation.

New Delhi fears that if Colombo is allowed to achieve the sort of military victory that now looks likely, it will spell the end of political reforms designed to accommodate the ambitions of the Tamil community.

The reports yesterday claimed the Sri Lankan army's 57th division had pierced the Tamil Tiger defences south of the rebel headquarters at Kilinochchi, and said 19 of their fortified bunkers had been overrun.


Indian alarm as major Sri Lankan battle looms - Worldnews.com

 

[metalfalcon]

Pakistan is helping Srilankan Govt to fight Against Tamils By providing them weapons and training while on the other hand India is trying to help Tamil tigers...

 

[p2prada]

Pakistan is helping Srilankan Govt to fight Against Tamils By providing them weapons and training while on the other hand India is trying to help Tamil tigers...

India trains 800 officers of the Srilankan army every year.

 

[Black Stone]

So what is India's position on this?. Are they supporting the government or the cats or staying neutral?.

 

[Nihat]

Indian UPA led govt. just wants to complete 5 more months and make it a full 5 yr. term , it's the southern allies who want safety for Tamils and they have been threatening to withdraw support from the central Govt. if ti does not interfere in Sri Lanka. Hence the Govt. has made certain statements for the sake of it about finding a political solution and not a military one.

I would not think that there is any real intention to interfere , it's just delaying tactics and Internal Politics . Lanka should pay little heed to all this and continue operations against LTTE

 

[su-47]

Indian UPA led govt. just wants to complete 5 more months and make it a full 5 yr. term , it's the southern allies who want safety for Tamils and they have been threatening to withdraw support from the central Govt. if ti does not interfere in Sri Lanka. Hence the Govt. has made certain statements for the sake of it about finding a political solution and not a military one.

I would not think that there is any real intention to interfere , it's just delaying tactics and Internal Politics . Lanka should pay little heed to all this and continue operations against LTTE

i agree. the people of Tamil Nadu support the tamilians of sri lanka, not the tamil tigers. even most tamilians in sri lanka hate tamil tigers, who do more harm to the tamilians than the sri lankan army. the tamil tigers are now a terrorist group full of hatred for sinhalese, not of caring for tamilians. tamil tigers are recognised as a terrorist group in india, and are hated for assassination of rajiv gandhi, and for the killing of hundreds of indian soldiers from IPKF.

if anyone in tamil nadu supports LTTE, they are traitors, for LTTE wants to annex tamil nadu from india to create tamil eelam. any patriotic indian tamilian will oppose LTTE.

i think Manmohan singh was expressing his concern for tamil civillians, not LTTE i hope the sri lankan military crushes LTTE. i just hope civilain casualities are minimal in the military operation.

 

[anand]

Pakistan is helping Srilankan Govt to fight Against Tamils By providing them weapons and training while on the other hand India is trying to help Tamil tigers...

No pressure from India on operations against LTTE: Lanka
Colombo, Oct 22: Acknowledging India's support in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Sri Lanka has said it is not feeling any heat from New Delhi due to its military campaign against the LTTE.

"There has been no such pressure," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told Parliament yesterday when asked whether pressure was being exerted on Colombo by New Delhi
on the operations against the Tiger rebels.

Leftist JVP member Vijitha Herath also sought to know whether Sri Lankan government was "prepared to succumb to Indian pressure and implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and enhance the powers of Provincial Councils."

In his reply, Bogollagama said "we are awaiting the proposals of the All-Party Representatives Committee in this regard."

The Minister categorically said the government has not faced any kind of external pressure from any quarter regarding the operations by the security forces against terrorism and to disarm the LTTE, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Stating that New Delhi has made its position on defeating terrorism very clear, Bogollagama added that "if there is a country that has helped Sri Lanka to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, it is India".

The minister said that during President Mahinda Rajapaksa's telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Sri Lankan leader briefed Singh on the island country's present course of action to defeat terrorism, disarm the LTTE and restore peace in the embattled north.

"An important matter which was discussed was the issue of civilians displaced due to the conflict," he said, adding Sri Lanka had a long history of effectively and efficiently dealing with internally displaced persons (IDPs).

For the last 15 to 16 years, the government has looked after Muslims in the IDP camps in Puttalam district in the east coast, Bogollagama explained.

Even after the A9 Highway road route near northern Jaffna was blocked, the government ensured that an estimated six lakh people in Jaffna peninsula were provided with food and essential supplies by sea, the minister said.

Sri Lanka has also earned international praise for the manner in which the government took care of the safety and well being of civilians during the Eastern Province clearing operations last year, the minister told the House.

He said Rajapaksa assured the Indian Prime Minister that the Sri Lankan government was taking all measures for the welfare and the safety of the civilians displaced, particularly in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.

The minister highlighted the strong bonds of friendship and trust that the Rajapaksa administration has forged with India, as a manifestation of the longstanding and historical ties between Sri Lanka and India, the statement said.

Bogollagama said both India and Sri Lanka were maintaining a sustained and cordial dialogue at a very high political level.

Referring to concerns expressed by politicians in Tamil Nadu, he said that in a democracy there was space for protests and room for expressing divergent views and opinions.

On the rally in Rameswaram on Sunday, Bogollagama said the action of the Tamil Nadu police demonstrated to the "LTTE activists and sympathisers" that India regards the rebels' outfit as a "terrorist organisation" which is banned in the country.

"This was manifested by the Tamil Nadu police removing the LTTE flags that were displayed," the release quoted the minister as claiming.


Zee News - No pressure from India on LTTE

 

[p2prada]

The earliest of the main aims of the LTTE was equality for the tamils vis a vis the sinhalies. This objective will be fulfilled after the tamils will be incorporated into the democratic process and will be protected as minorities, similar to the indian govt protection of minorities.
All's well that ends well.

 

[Awesome]

Colombo should go ahead with its plans and Pak should aid it in any way possible.

SL is a regional ally and we've both got similar problems from terrorists.

 

[Kasrkin]

The Indians could have chocked the LTTE with a half decent Naval blockade years ago if they wanted. But they dont want to help another country out against terrorists, now as a result the LTTE is the best armed and supplied terrorist organization in the world. I am very impressed that the SL Army has come so close to finishing them, they should keep at it no matter what the Indians say.

 

[Awesome]

The Indians could have chocked the LTTE with a half decent Naval blockade years ago if they wanted. But they dont want to help another country out against terrorists, now as a result the LTTE is the best armed and supplied terrorist organization in the world. I am very impressed that the SL Army has come so close to finishing them, they should keep at it no matter what the Indians say.

I think all other Indians, other than Tamils totally side with the SL government. However the Indian government has to bend over backwards for one state, Tamil Nadu, who threatens to raise holy hell if the Indian government doesn't do something to aid the Tamil Tigers.

This is the same of that.

India has a choice to make. Either listen to the entire nation or one state that is supporting terrorism.

 

[Nihat]

Not even one state - it's just one god dammit Leader - M. Karunanidhi , he's the pain in the *** and Govt. bends over because he is a key ally.

Hope next general elections we get a clean Govt. - No more coalitions please

 

[p2prada]

I think all other Indians, other than Tamils totally side with the SL government. However the Indian government has to bend over backwards for one state, Tamil Nadu, who threatens to raise holy hell if the Indian government doesn't do something to aid the Tamil Tigers.

This is the same of that.

India has a choice to make. Either listen to the entire nation or one state that is supporting terrorism.

Your claim is absurd. Look at post 12. It was political. Whenever congress comes to power in india. Terrorists in india and elsewhere get a free hand, be it islamic, north east or even LTTE.

Whenever BJP comes to power, the terrorists always get their clock cleaned, including the LTTE.

It was mainly BJPs efforts that helped SL.

 

[p2prada]

The Indians could have chocked the LTTE with a half decent Naval blockade years ago if they wanted. But they dont want to help another country out against terrorists, now as a result the LTTE is the best armed and supplied terrorist organization in the world. I am very impressed that the SL Army has come so close to finishing them, they should keep at it no matter what the Indians say.

I have not seen the indians objecting to it.