Mounting violence in the run up to December 5 Parliamentary general elections did not prevent those in the defence establishment from taking time off last Friday to a discourse in Indo-Sri Lanka relations.

Officials of the Ministry of Defence, security forces and Police top brass, top rungers in the intelligence community were among those who crowded the Defence Ministry's conference room to hear a 45 minute discourse by Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in New Delhi, Dr. Senaka Bandaranayake.

To sum up the lecture in one line, Dr. Bandaranayake declared Indo-Sri Lanka relations have remained "excellent." He was of course full of praise for the Indian bureaucracy who were on their own and functioned without political interference.

When question time arrived, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, surprised many with a pertinent question. 

"If relations are so excellent, why can't we get India to seal off the Palk Straits…." he asked.

An Indophile himself, Lt. Gen. Balagalle, is a product of India's National Defence College. But he was evidently concerned about the free access the LTTE has to India across the Palk Straits.

Dr Bandaranayake's reply: "They have a line. They don't go beyond that…"

Little wonder one intelligence official retorted somewhat mischievously after the lecture " yes, there is a line in the Palk Straits too !! 

That divides India from Sri Lanka. The Tigers can go beyond that line whenever they wish."

Navy at SLBC too

The Sri Lanka Navy on Friday moved into take over security at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

This comes two weeks after it took over security at the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

Ostensibly the move is to relieve policemen for election duty. But insiders say it is to curb any moves by anti-government groups to disrupt operations.

Ballot papers locked up

Authorities are trying to sort out widespread confusion over postal ballot papers sent to the North for use by troops there.

Eight large packets containing ballot papers arrived by air on November 16 at Palaly airbase. 

There was no one to collect them. They had remained locked up in a store until November 20, when it was discovered by an officer who alerted his seniors.

Whilst the matter was being probed, on Friday another package containing ballot papers had left the Ratmalana airbase for Palaly.

The matter is now being gone into by Elections authorities. They say there was no problem since postal votes could be cast until 4 p.m. on December 4.