Somebody once said democracy is the right to choose your dictator. For the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Presidential election in late January presented such a baffling dilemma. Should they vote for the man who ordered a bloody war on their homeland or for the military general who actually led the troops into their fields? In the end, most Tamils stayed home on the poll day unable to fathom who was the lesser evil.
(This story appears in the 19 February, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
The author misses a key point- by "intervening" in Sri Lanka (whatever that term implies), India will be pushing the SL govt towards China. That is probably why South Block has played a hands-off role this whole time.
on Feb 8, 2010What India should do is kindly mind its own business. If India hadn't armed, trained and funded the LTTE, Sri Lanka would have been saved so much bloodshed.
on Feb 8, 2010This is a totally irresponsible and wrong statement. What Tamils needed is to get rid of their inferiority complex and learn how to live among Sinhalese and Mulsims in Sri Lanka as ONE NATION. There is no discrimination or any sort of harassment against Tamils in Sri Lanka. That is why more than 55% Tamils live peacefully in the south. However, Sri Lankan government and other countries should help to develop and improve these Tamils livelyhood that was distructed by Tamil Tigers for 30 years.
on Feb 8, 2010Sorry Mr Srinivasan, got it all wrong. The Sri Lankan tamils do not want any assistance from India given the stupidity of its leaders. Please remember, Indian leaders were aptly referred to as 'Jokers' by the Commander of Defence Forces, not so long ago.
on Feb 8, 2010Interventionalism cost India a prime minister by the hands of the very terror outfit it bread on the shores of India. India needs to support Sri Lanka in its drive for development and reconciliation. Rajapaksa is a visionary and someone who has fought for human rights as a lawyer and a politician. He will ensure rights of all communities. You just have to given him time to achieve this.
on Feb 8, 2010Most of this article dwells on the past in order to create pessimism and a sense of hopelessness for the Lankan Tamils, to try and justify Indian involvement. If Tamil moderates are "weaklings" this is only because the Tiger rebels denied the Tamil people the right to vote for them. So the moderates have virtually no constituency, while the radical-left-leaning Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is grossly over-represented due to Tiger rebel interference in voting in Tamil areas in previous General Elections (they currently have 21 seats). The General Elections in April present a rare chance for Tamils to make a political choice without threats of violence/intimidation from the Tiger rebels. To change the constitution, the government needs a 2/3 majority support in parliament (the backing of 150 MPs out of 225). Without Tamil backing for the resolution, the Sinhalese nationalist factions are likely to block the mainstream Sinhalese parties' moves to grant Tamils greater influence in the nation's governance. If the Tamils elect a large number of moderate Tamil MPs who would be prepared to negotiate with the government, rather than return the TNA extremists - who would continue to be hostile, there is no reason why a political solution cannot be achieved between the Sinhalese and the Lankan Tamils without forreign help, but it hinges on how Lankan Tamils vote in April...
on Feb 8, 2010The writer has ignored the fact that there were more than two candidates in the running. Rahul Ghandi's recent statement that every Indian has the right to live in any part of the country should put paid to the argument of those who claimed exclusivity, both in India and Sri Lanka.
on Feb 8, 2010