samv
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 3,059
- Reaction score
- -24
This Shameless Obeisance Must Stop
By K. Godage
Indira Gandhi let loose a 30 year war upon us
I have little doubt that the first foreign visit of our next president would be to New Delhi to pay homage/obeisance to the gods there. This shameless business must stop. In the past 20 years have we had a single Indian leader visit this country? No; the only instance was when Indias External Affairs Minister came here on a 24 hour visit to attend the funeral of the late Kadirgamar; this is how they have treated us, whereas we keep rushing there at the drop of a hat, at times to their embarrassment.
In the recent past, two of our opposition politicians visited India, no doubt to give the impression to Colombo that they were meeting Indian leaders to solicit support for their campaign. India certainly would not wish to involve herself in our election in any way.
They would be able to do business with whoever wins, but by such visits they only embarrass the hosts (their leaders incidentally do not find the time to meet those who force themselves on them). I have been told even by certain heads of missions here that they too have faced the same problem, where local politicians visit their countries and give a false impression to the government here.
Be that as it may, to return to the subject of our relations with India, surely our leaders must learn to safeguard the self respect and dignity of this country. They may demean themselves but please do not demean us. India will never again threaten to invade us as that woman did; they have indeed learnt their lesson and paid heavily in terms of Indian lives for it. Yes, it was that imperious woman Indira Gandhi, ably assisted by that satanic character Dixit who destabilised this country and let loose a 30 year war upon us.
That great Indian journalist Shaker Gupta informed the world in an article titled Ominous Presence in the magazine India Today of the large number of training camps which Gandhi had got the RAW to set up with the assistance of the Indian army, to arm and train Tamil militants. No tears are shed in this country for the price they paid. This can never happen again.
It is useful to revisit and recall the reason as to why Gandhi destabilised this country. In the first instance she disliked President JR, but that was not the cause, President JR had opened the economy after this country was virtually bankrupted, which India herself did 10 years later. I could state with authority, as I served as the Secretary-General of the first Board of Investment (the GCEC), that the Presidents intention was entirely to have us promote foreign investment into this country, there was no political dimension to it.
He stated that he had three priorities jobs, more jobs and still more jobs he directed us to go west for, as he said the capital we need is there, as are the markets and the know-how. He never intended to endanger Indias security. He repeatedly told us that he wanted Sri Lanka to be the Switzerland of Asia.
Gandhi read us wrong, and not merely because this was during the Cold War, but out of hate and her imperialistic desire to subjugate this country. They achieved this partly through the Letters which were exchanged after the signing of the Indo Lanka Accord which circumscribe our sovereignty. That Accord is now passé, it is time to forge a new agreement in keeping with the changing conditions of the world we live in. In the first instance any new agreement must be based on the Punchseel principles first enunciated in an agreement between Nehru Ji and Chou en Lai. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence or Punchseel Principles were as follows
1) Mutual respect for each others territorial integrity and sovereignty
2) Mutual non-aggression
3) Mutual non-interference in each others internal affairs
4) Equality and mutual benefit
5) Peaceful co-existence
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were first put forth by Premier Zhou Enlai of China at the start of negotiations that took place in Beijing from December 1953 to April 1954 between the delegation of the Chinese Government and the delegation of the Indian Government on the relations between the two countries with respect to disputed territory.
These five principles must form the basis of a new agreement with India. I do most sincerely wish that India adopts the Gujral Doctrine as the basis of her foreign policy, particularly in her relations with countries of South Asia.
The Gujral Doctrine is a set of five principles to guide the conduct of foreign relations with Indias immediate neighbours, as spelt out by Gujral, first as Indias External Affairs Minister and later as the Prime Minister. Among other factors, these five principles arise from the belief that Indias stature and strength cannot be divorced from the quality of its relations with its neighbours. It thus recognises the supreme importance of friendly, cordial relations with neighbours. These principles are:
1. With neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust.
2. No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region.
3. No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another.
4. All South Asian countries must respect each others territorial integrity and sovereignty.
5. They should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
According to Shri Gujral, these five principles, scrupulously adhered to, would achieve a fundamental recasting of South Asias regional relationships, including the difficult relationship between India and Pakistan. Further, the implementation of these principles would generate a climate of close and mutually benign cooperation in the region, where the weight and size of India is regarded positively and as an asset by these countries. Our wish is that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi base Indias future foreign policy on these principles to ensure absolute stability in the Indian Ocean region.
In recent days there has been much concern in New Delhi about our relationship with China, particularly about the Chinese building our new harbour in Hambantota. They have only themselves to blame, for the first offer had been made to them and Indias notorious bureaucracy had dragged their feet on it, as they have done on a number of other projects which we have proposed to them. Even the private sector has been promising but not forthcoming, not due entirely to their fault at least in one instance.
This instance is regarding a very important project, the Mahendra and Mahendra IT Park; the government must surely be able to give this the priority it deserves and allocate the land they require in the place they require for it. Yes, our relations must be rooted in close economic cooperation and all investments from India, particularly in the service sector, must be in the form of joint ventures to lay at rest the fears of the Sri Lanka business community who fears that they could be swamped by Indian corporates.
To revert to the issue of the Hambantota harbour and Indias concern, particularly because of Chinas huge naval expansion and the growing importance of the Indian Ocean to both emerging super powers, I would urge that we enter into a Defence Cooperation Agreement with India that would lay at rest all of Indias concerns. Let us propose to them that we conclude a Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation with India and also revive the Defense Cooperation Agreement which was almost finalised in 2003 (I believe it was an initiative of Minister Milinda Moragoda when he was a member of the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration). These two initiatives would not only further cement our relationship but would put an end to the fears that India has about our relations with China; of equal importance is that we need to assure the Indians that the political track will keep pace with the military track and that we would address the grievances of the minorities and empower them politically.
This Shameless Obeisance Must Stop | The Sunday Leader
By K. Godage
Indira Gandhi let loose a 30 year war upon us
I have little doubt that the first foreign visit of our next president would be to New Delhi to pay homage/obeisance to the gods there. This shameless business must stop. In the past 20 years have we had a single Indian leader visit this country? No; the only instance was when Indias External Affairs Minister came here on a 24 hour visit to attend the funeral of the late Kadirgamar; this is how they have treated us, whereas we keep rushing there at the drop of a hat, at times to their embarrassment.
In the recent past, two of our opposition politicians visited India, no doubt to give the impression to Colombo that they were meeting Indian leaders to solicit support for their campaign. India certainly would not wish to involve herself in our election in any way.
They would be able to do business with whoever wins, but by such visits they only embarrass the hosts (their leaders incidentally do not find the time to meet those who force themselves on them). I have been told even by certain heads of missions here that they too have faced the same problem, where local politicians visit their countries and give a false impression to the government here.
Be that as it may, to return to the subject of our relations with India, surely our leaders must learn to safeguard the self respect and dignity of this country. They may demean themselves but please do not demean us. India will never again threaten to invade us as that woman did; they have indeed learnt their lesson and paid heavily in terms of Indian lives for it. Yes, it was that imperious woman Indira Gandhi, ably assisted by that satanic character Dixit who destabilised this country and let loose a 30 year war upon us.
That great Indian journalist Shaker Gupta informed the world in an article titled Ominous Presence in the magazine India Today of the large number of training camps which Gandhi had got the RAW to set up with the assistance of the Indian army, to arm and train Tamil militants. No tears are shed in this country for the price they paid. This can never happen again.
It is useful to revisit and recall the reason as to why Gandhi destabilised this country. In the first instance she disliked President JR, but that was not the cause, President JR had opened the economy after this country was virtually bankrupted, which India herself did 10 years later. I could state with authority, as I served as the Secretary-General of the first Board of Investment (the GCEC), that the Presidents intention was entirely to have us promote foreign investment into this country, there was no political dimension to it.
He stated that he had three priorities jobs, more jobs and still more jobs he directed us to go west for, as he said the capital we need is there, as are the markets and the know-how. He never intended to endanger Indias security. He repeatedly told us that he wanted Sri Lanka to be the Switzerland of Asia.
Gandhi read us wrong, and not merely because this was during the Cold War, but out of hate and her imperialistic desire to subjugate this country. They achieved this partly through the Letters which were exchanged after the signing of the Indo Lanka Accord which circumscribe our sovereignty. That Accord is now passé, it is time to forge a new agreement in keeping with the changing conditions of the world we live in. In the first instance any new agreement must be based on the Punchseel principles first enunciated in an agreement between Nehru Ji and Chou en Lai. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence or Punchseel Principles were as follows
1) Mutual respect for each others territorial integrity and sovereignty
2) Mutual non-aggression
3) Mutual non-interference in each others internal affairs
4) Equality and mutual benefit
5) Peaceful co-existence
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were first put forth by Premier Zhou Enlai of China at the start of negotiations that took place in Beijing from December 1953 to April 1954 between the delegation of the Chinese Government and the delegation of the Indian Government on the relations between the two countries with respect to disputed territory.
These five principles must form the basis of a new agreement with India. I do most sincerely wish that India adopts the Gujral Doctrine as the basis of her foreign policy, particularly in her relations with countries of South Asia.
The Gujral Doctrine is a set of five principles to guide the conduct of foreign relations with Indias immediate neighbours, as spelt out by Gujral, first as Indias External Affairs Minister and later as the Prime Minister. Among other factors, these five principles arise from the belief that Indias stature and strength cannot be divorced from the quality of its relations with its neighbours. It thus recognises the supreme importance of friendly, cordial relations with neighbours. These principles are:
1. With neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust.
2. No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region.
3. No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another.
4. All South Asian countries must respect each others territorial integrity and sovereignty.
5. They should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
According to Shri Gujral, these five principles, scrupulously adhered to, would achieve a fundamental recasting of South Asias regional relationships, including the difficult relationship between India and Pakistan. Further, the implementation of these principles would generate a climate of close and mutually benign cooperation in the region, where the weight and size of India is regarded positively and as an asset by these countries. Our wish is that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi base Indias future foreign policy on these principles to ensure absolute stability in the Indian Ocean region.
In recent days there has been much concern in New Delhi about our relationship with China, particularly about the Chinese building our new harbour in Hambantota. They have only themselves to blame, for the first offer had been made to them and Indias notorious bureaucracy had dragged their feet on it, as they have done on a number of other projects which we have proposed to them. Even the private sector has been promising but not forthcoming, not due entirely to their fault at least in one instance.
This instance is regarding a very important project, the Mahendra and Mahendra IT Park; the government must surely be able to give this the priority it deserves and allocate the land they require in the place they require for it. Yes, our relations must be rooted in close economic cooperation and all investments from India, particularly in the service sector, must be in the form of joint ventures to lay at rest the fears of the Sri Lanka business community who fears that they could be swamped by Indian corporates.
To revert to the issue of the Hambantota harbour and Indias concern, particularly because of Chinas huge naval expansion and the growing importance of the Indian Ocean to both emerging super powers, I would urge that we enter into a Defence Cooperation Agreement with India that would lay at rest all of Indias concerns. Let us propose to them that we conclude a Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation with India and also revive the Defense Cooperation Agreement which was almost finalised in 2003 (I believe it was an initiative of Minister Milinda Moragoda when he was a member of the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration). These two initiatives would not only further cement our relationship but would put an end to the fears that India has about our relations with China; of equal importance is that we need to assure the Indians that the political track will keep pace with the military track and that we would address the grievances of the minorities and empower them politically.
This Shameless Obeisance Must Stop | The Sunday Leader
