The Indian foreign policy is best served with close relations with neighbours and India does not have any dispute with Sri Lanka and therefore will not endorse any foreign intervention in Sri Lankan affairs, so said Dr Subramanian Swamy, Fmr. Cabinet Minister & Chairman of BJP Committee on Strategic Action and Parliamentarian, addressing the 3rd day sessions in the ‘Defence Seminar - 2014’ at Colombo Galadari Hotel.
Spelling out his views on the topic, assigned to him, ‘India - Sri Lanka Relations’ before a packed audience in Colombo, Dr Swamy, a think tank and recognized for his scholarship underlined that in Sri Lanka there does not exist a ‘an ethnic’ problem but a ‘linguistic’ one.
Giving a bit of advice to the Tamil community, Dr Swamy queried the wisdom of Tamil people’s psyche. ‘When the President invites the Chief Minister to join him to greet Indian Prime Minister, he shunned without giving any reasons. On the other hand, the very same people voted for Fonseka who was the then Commander for so called ‘genocide’ against Tamil people against President Rajapaksa in the last elections. I can’t understand Tamil attitude and it looks like the whole perception has been built on the need for a ‘separate entity’ and Indian policy is based on capacity building and our values because it has been found that both Sinhala and Tamil have the same DNA. The South Indian political polemics is the only group who are making this noise.”
“India’s foreign policy is very clear and will not agree to any foreign power interfering Sri Lanka’s internal matters, nor it will intervene in any such regional context either. India’s ‘national interests’ are the most prioritized and India will not come forward to help one particular ethnic group alone.”
He also said that every segment in Sri Lanka should stick to that policy. “Indian people, except for a few extremist groups, have overwhelmingly voted against any form of terrorism and it was evident in all recent election results.
Without subjecting to any pressures of factional groups, the birth of a new strong government with clear majority was warmed on those principles and cooperation within our inter states as well as intra states, is much more stronger than ever before. As some non-state sector organizations claim, had there been a genocide how could they dare to vote for the rival of President Rajapaksa during the elections?, Dr Subramanian Swami questioned.
Claiming that the decision taken by late Mrs Indira Gandhi, the former Prim-Minister of India to give training to LTTE cadres, was a historic blunder as told to him (Dr Swami) by her son, late Rajiv Gandhi whose birthday falls today (Aug 18), Dr Swami further added that Jaffna people and intellectuals with whom he maintains close relations admit to the colossal infrastructure and development taking place in their areas.
“During my recent visits, many northern mothers said that the people now know what time their children would return home safely after schools and a trust of that degree has now evolved in those areas.”
Responding to allegations that Sri Lanka is very much intimate with China, Dr Swamy pointed out that it was India’s mistake earlier and such vacuum left by India was filled by China’s offer of assistance. “President Rajapaksa first invited India to commence harbour construction in Hambantota but due to Tamil Nadu compulsions, India did not take part in it. Now, China has built a massive harbour for Sri Lanka with all modern facilities.”
Similarly, Dr Subramanian Swamy stressed the need to give more teeth to the SAARC and ASEAN as umbrella organizations unifying all countries in the Asian Region for better economic prospects in the future.
President Rajapaksa after his election in 2005 took a bold decision to ‘fight to the finish’ after several attempts to bring them into negotiations failed.
In reply to a question from the participants, Dr Swamy pointed out that the President Rajapaksa through the elections and provincial councils, has given all what they asked for. In the case of Police powers being devolved, even in India there are states where Police power has not been devolved. He also answering another question as regards poaching in the Indian waters, said that the Sri Lankan Government has released all fishermen except their mechanized boats who are owned by rich Indian businessmen who force Indian fishermen to poach in Sri Lankan waters for bigger harvests since the fish harvest in the Indian section is fast dwindling.
It is time that Tamils in Sri Lanka also become stake holders in the Sri Lankan polity and work for the betterment of the country like, how India with all diverse cultures are running, although the Hindus make 85% of the population. We respect Sri Lanka’s sovereignty for conduct of their foreign affairs. Ours is a society based on cultures and values which are the founding bases of our own nations. This is a distinctive feature, different from those of the west or elsewhere. In that case, China too is based on their values and morals on which our harmony can be built upon, he said.
A new Indian government of Prime Minister Modi is not fettered by the past compulsions of Indian politics. Therefore love and support for a united sibling nation of Sri Lanka is assured.
You need not be apprehensive about hot heads in Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu. We Indians are with you Sri Lankans to ensure that violent evil forces of the past do not rear their ugly and violent heads again.
The Narendra Modi government in Delhi will, I discern from available authoritative documents, approach the Indo- Sri Lanka Relations within the following new framework:
India will regard all its SAARC neighbours, including Sri Lanka, as of priority concern in bilateral relations, with due regard for their special sensitivities and internal issues.
India will not try to fetter the sovereignty of any neighbouring state in its dealings with its internal problems and in its international relations.
India will not support in any issue of the UN Charter, including in matters of human rights, an intrusive probe into the conduct of a duly elected democratic government.
India will always place its own national interest above any of its internal provincial, linguistic, or religious demands in framing its foreign policy.
India will defend any of its SAARC neighbours from any terrorist insurgency if such a help is sought.
India foster economic union, freer travel, and cultural bonding with its neighbours, and with East Asia in general.
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