5th Column
Problem at home, but running next door
View(s):
My Dear Sampanthan seeya,
I thought of writing to you when I heard that you — and a delegation from your party — had rushed to New Delhi to meet Modi and his officials. It seems as if you have now revived with the new Indian government a tradition that has been quite common over the years. Now, don’t get me wrong, Sampanthan seeya, no one wants to deny you the occasional overseas trip, when you can also visit relatives and can be wined and dined at somebody else’s expense. However, crying and running to ‘Mother’ India whenever you have problems with Colombo is a little annoying.
Sampanthan seeya, if memory serves me right, you must be the second oldest MP in Parliament, the oldest being of course the incomparable Di Moo. So you will remember all that has happened between India and our country ever since Velupillai and his Tigers began their work as little cubs decades ago.It is no secret that it was Indira — who was leading India then — who encouraged them to grow into what they eventually became by providing them with a safe haven to conduct training camps and turning a blind eye to their criminal and murderous activities.
Even at that time, when Velupillai was beginning to cause problems in Sri Lanka and JR was trying to deal with it, your then leader Appapillai began this habit of running to India whenever he had a problem with JR, trying to pressure the Grand Old Man through India. Ultimately and unfortunately, not only Appapillai but many other colleagues of yours paid the ultimate sacrifice for flirting with the Tigers who liked to use you as their voice but didn’t like to release their grip on the absolute power they commanded through the barrel of a gun.
Through all this, India did little to punish the Tigers, being happy instead to deal on equal terms with them as they did with Sri Lanka. We all remember how their High Commissioner Dixit was running around, trying to tell JR what to do and what not to do, as if he was the Viceroy of Sri Lanka!
India even dared to airdrop parippu over us to convince JR to call off the war. JR gave in to the arm twisting by the Indians but it meant that the war — which could well and truly have ended then — continued for more than another twenty years.
India only turned against the Tigers when its own Prime Minister was killed by them but by then it was too late: The Tigers had grown into a monster which even India couldn’t control. With all this history behind them, Sampanthan seeya, do you think we can trust India’s intentions in our country?
Now, Sampanthan seeya, I do realise that Mahinda maama has not been as magnanimous as he could have been after the war ended. Perhaps he could have done more but at least now you have your own provincial council in the North and a respected gentleman in charge of it.
As you know, Mahinda maama is also heading a coalition of different types, just like you do. I don’t have to tell you what a difficult task that is, having to get people of various opinions to agree on controversial issues. His coalition is much more diverse than yours, so his job is harder too.
Sampanthan seeya, it hasn’t also helped to have the Navi Pillays, Uncle Sam and bullies like David Cameron trying to lecture us about human rights when we all know that the world turned a blind eye and said or did nothing when the Tigers were on a murderous spree for thirty long years.
With all these people howling about human rights issues related to the final stages of the war and demanding inquiries, it makes it harder for Mahinda maama to make peace with you, because he will then be seen as giving into the Eelamist lobby – with which you still continue to have dealings.
Five years after the war ended and more than twenty five years after it was introduced, we are still talking about this 13th amendment which was forced on us by India. And, I am told, this is one of the reasons why you are running to New Delhi, trying to tell them to tell us what we should be doing.
Think about all this, Sampanthan seeya. You may well be the last in a generation of gentleman politicians in your community to have seen our ethnic crisis unfold since independence. So, we hope you and your party realise that any ultimate solution to that lies with us, not across the seas in India.
Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS: I heard that even Modi told you that while he is happy to hear what you have to say, you need to also talk to Colombo. We clearly remember the last time someone demanded certain conditions to be met before he could talk to Colombo. His name was Velupillai. Now, you don’t want to be remembered like him, do you, Sampanthan seeya?