by Wakeley Paul; published May 21, 2004
While the Sinhala press may have exulted over the prospect that Sonia may have sought to reek some misguided personal revenge against Prabakaran; and while we may breath a sigh of relief that she now will not; the underlying reality remains, that the lurking danger in our midst has always been and continues to be R.A.W., not Sonia.
That fine lady not only chose to seek a commutation of a death Sentence against a woman who was found guilty of her husband assassination. She has also continually maintained her distaste for being India’s Prime Minister and has now proved how genuine that sentiment was. It was not Sonia who was convinced that our revered Tamil leader was guilty of her husband¹s death. It was R.A.W that has harbored this conviction from day one. It is not Sonia but R.A.W that probably had a major hand in fashioning Karuna¹s defection. It is not Sonia but R.A.W that is permitted by the S.L government to roam around all corners of the island with impunity, with the insidious intent of increasing India¹s influence in Sri Lanka¹s affairs. It is R.A.W and R.A.W alone that has engineered India’s right to survey the North with a view to improving the Pallali airport and for oozing out the possibility of having an Indian Tamil representative to get a cabinet post in charge of aviation. Kumaratunge and Kadirgamar have both been active conspirators in every one of these sinister ventures.
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| A Tactical Pilotage chart of the Jaffna Peninsula shows the position of Palaly airfield and runway |
We must all share Mr Thamilchelvan¹s nervousness about the sudden switch in positions taken by the President on the Peace Talks. Both she and the JVP who vigorously opposed the terms of the I.S.G.A as being a stepping stone to separation are now suddenly assuaged that it is not. Why?
While further conceding that the LTTE shall be the only other party To the talks, contrary to their post victory pronouncements; while the Making the further concession that Norway shall be the sole facilitator at the talks, contrary to their previous insistence that Norway was a failed facilitator requiring India to be a crucial co-facilitator; while claiming that India must play an increasing roll in Sri Lankan¹s internal affairs contrary to all previous commitments in favor of the exclusive right of the Sinhala Buddhists to exclusively control the fate of the country; one cannot but be totally suspicious of every concession she has made. It all seems too good to be true.
The two K¹s are willing to take any and all steps to try to get rid Of Prabakaran, even at the price of selling a large slice of Sri Lankan Independence to India to do so. Even if this is a pretense, it is a dangerous pretense. The JVP seems to have bought into this commitment For the moment; a commitment which will no doubt evaporate as quickly as it was made. They will never trust Mr K to sell Sri Lanka’s independence for a much resented Indian presence in the island. They will not trust India to allow the pretense to go by without capitalizing on its possibilities. They are all playing three blind mice in the heat of this moment. That includes the JHU whose members are committed to a policy of pray and spray the Tamils into a state of abject submission to Sinhala Buddhist rule. They too now pretend to embrace an increased Indian presence in the Island. No. it is not Sonia but R.A.W that the LTTE and their TNA representatives in Parliament should be concerned about. It is their elimination from the island that the Tamils should insist upon, before Any concessions in any possible talks can become even a remote reality. Every effort must be made to brighten the visions of the international world of the danger of this sneaking reptilian presence in our midst. The international world should warn India that it is fully alerted toIndia¹s politically toxic intentions to interfere in the island internal arrangements.
In the meantime, the President does not seem totally immune to the dangers of Kadirgamar¹s intention of making India a brotherly partner in Sri Lankan¹s affairs. Her appointment of Jayantha Dhanapala, whose resentment of Kadirgamar is well known, may well indicate her suspicions of her trusted Christian Tamil advisor. Is she beginning to feel the discomfort felt by Shakespeare’s Henry II when he said ³Who will rid me of this meddlesomepriest?² There is no doubt that she seeks to lean against another intellectual for solace.
For all her vaunted toughness, she needs reassurance to give her strength. Her desire for peace to obtain aid, combined with her other preference for getting R.A.W to try to oust Prabakaran, are the dual desires of her skewed mind. There is no doubt that Mr. Prabakaran is fully alive to her contrary hopes and objectives. It is up to Mr. Balasingham and Mr. Thamilchelvan to make these concerns evident internationally,through every diplomatic ruse available to them.
This is no time for kicking glass and breaking doors or for a heightened sense of complacency. It is time for some painstaking, hard core diplomacy.