My decision too was like yours. Every militaries’ behevior is almost the same. They have done the same think in Bangaladesh too. See what the Sri Lankan Military has done in Haiti. Every decision taken by Rajiv was perfect. He knew just signing the peace accord with JR is not going to change live of the Tamils. That is why he sent the troops along with. If we would have allowed the IPKF permenty stay either Sinhalese would have given everythig we needed or we would have got a Cyprus like solution.(It is an acceptable solution to the west). Even his ordering to kill Pirabaharan was a correct decision. The more he live the more we disappear from Northeast. IF Indian army stay here even the Upcountry Tamils can live without fear. Even the Kandapola killing happened two years back wouldn’t have happened. So for the safety of the Tamils it is important that they at least stay somewhere in Sri Lanka. Even Indra Gandi didn’t take a right decision at the right time. JR sent Thondaman to bully her saying if India intervene militarily the Sinhalese might masacare the Upcountry Tamils. This type of bullying didn’t work with Rajiv. Pirabaharn is the Problem of the Tamils. The day he is eliminated is the begining of the good day to the Tamils.

I think what Hariharan is getting at is that India cannot afford to allow the problems of Sri Lanke to go its own way such that SL falls out of its sphere of influence and control.

The way things are now with crafty Mahinda drawing in China, Pakistan and Iran, India stands to loose both strategic influence as well as face since it wants to be the regional super-power.

So India must come up with an initiative of some sort that is for now not seen as an intervention by force. (But of course India could set up a pretext for such an intervention if the time and political climate is suitable – the Indians are certainly not concerned with SL or the Tamils out of altruistic motives! India has its interests which is why India intervened with the IPKF.)

Also India means the interests of the power circle that runs India: it is their own interests and ambitions that they have in mind. (It is also in this context that the demise of Rajiv G must be seen.)

Imagine a possible future scenario that India fears: Pakistan on one side, China on the other and SL (as proxy to Pakistan and/or China) on the third side.

There is also another scenario: it is possible that Iran will set up its own Jihadistan in SL. AND India cannot be seen to hold hands with Iran because of the interests and fears of the USA/West.

And here is the most intriguing paragraph of Col H’s article: “It is too tempting to dismiss the LTTE as irrelevant in any peace process. However, it will continue to be an important denominator in the issue. At the risk of being branded as the LTTE’s ‘military guru’ as some wise Sri Lanka columnist had done, I can say the LTTE has enough brains to know that the current war is reaching a point of no return. … It is time for the LTTE to show “Vivekam” (wisdom with discretion) in addition to its much touted “Veeram” (valour) because the war is going beyond the military domain.”

The war is going beyond the military domain and as Col H’s points out the LTTE is also a powerful political and strategic denominator. And India knows this.

Because the LTTE has a monopoly over the Sri Lankan Tamils. All that matters is what the LTTE thinks. And the LTTE will continue to do whatever they think will help them attain Eelam.

1.It is obvious that New Delhi supports Sri Lanka and funds the war to defeat the Tigers.

2. India’s involvement in Sri Lanka can entirely be understood from the perspective that India acts in India’s self interest to protect India’s permanent interests. One permanent interest of India is to make sure that the United States does not get a naval base in Trincomalee.

3. Everything the LTTE has ever done can entirely be understood from the perspective of achieving Tamil Eelam. Fighting for Tamil Eelam is not the same as doing what is in the best interest of SL Tamils.

4. Tigers are not running a democracy. Although many SL Tamils look to India as saviors, this is immaterial to our future because the LTTE controls our future. I am not saying that the LTTE is right in everything it does, but simply that the LTTE controls SL Tamil’s destiny for better or worse.

I am just pointing out the reality of the situation. I am NOT defending the LTTE or justifying their actions. I am just trying to explain what has happened in the past so that everybody can understand the present.

But, I will take a hiatus from writing these posts because I need to learn about how Eritrea defeated Ethiopia (a David vs. Goliath story). Eritrea’s war of independence seems remarkably similar to the Eelam struggle. SL Tamils can learn from Eritrea.

India paid further for their stupidity when the very people they trained and Armed took out Rajiv…. boo hoo again…

So do you think India is going to jump right in to do the same? I think not. With the exception of the Lunatic Fringe of Tamil Nadu, India sees the Tigers as the problem. Just like the Sri Lankan public who have had to deal with 2 decades of Prabhakaran’s Lies and fasle promises, India is not going to jump in and save the Tigers. Prabhakaran is finally reaping the bitter harvest of his Single Minded Stupidity toward the very country that made him the man he is.

He would be rotting in a Sri Lankan jail or dead by now if it was not for India.

We must and should invite India to do whatever necessary to achive the long lasting peace here. There is no alternative for Tamils in SL at this point. Beside I am really sad to see that som expatriate ‘die hard’ LTTE supporters belief that we can still achive Eelam against the will of India. This kind of attitude just bring more misery to helpless Tamil socity of SL.