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India sticks to "hands-off" approach towards Lanka
By Dilmini Samaranayake
India has declined a request by Colombo to play an "active" role in the peace process but has agreed to make an "incremental" increase in efforts to bring peace to its southern neighbor amid mounting concern that the island is fast sliding back to war. President Mahinda Rajapakse raised expectations ahead of his maiden foreign visit since assuming office, saying "India is the main country; we have to get them involved in the peace process".

"They can at least join the other co-chairs", Mr. Rajapakse said, when speaking of his desire to have India as a part of periodic talks held by the main peace-backers, the United States, Japan, Norway and the European Union,
This optimism emanated after India sent a representative to the December 19 meeting of the co-chairs in Brussels. India was not a participant but met the group separately for a de-brief and discussions.

However, India was reluctant to formalize any agreement and said, if invited for the next meeting of the co-chairs, it would attend not as a participant but wait on the sidelines, The Sunday Times learns. A joint statement at the end of the visit reflected India’s current position: "to provide intellectual and academic resources in support of the peace process".

In this context the Home Ministry had given the Sri Lankan delegation an hour’s power-point presentation on India's devolution model and the interaction between the centre and its regions.

The salient reasons why any direct Indian involvement is unlikely is the strength of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Tamil coalition partners in his United Progressive Alliance government and India's past experience in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, India would like to remain uninvolved in order not to jeopardize its ever increasing economic interest.

Tamil Nadu faces elections in a few months' time, and wouldn't want extraneous complications from its southern neighbor. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) passed a resolution on Thursday, urging Mr. Singh's administration not to extend any military support to Colombo.

It said at no cost should India be engaged in the sales of arms, training of security forces or reconstructing Sri Lanka's navel and air bases.
MDMK general secretary and pro-LTTE Mr. Vaiko, cautioned that any such help would harm the interests of all Tamils and urged the central government against signing any defence cooperation agreement with Sri Lanka. However, India had agreed to strengthen military cooperation by capacity building of the security forces and reportedly provide small radars.

It was in this light that President Rajapakse and company had to call off a planned visit to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram. The meeting -- supported by the Centre -- was to take place on Friday, and even a special aircraft had been arranged to carry the dignitaries.
But Mr. Rajapakse settled for a brief stop-over Kerala, where he visited the famous Krishna Hindu kovil in Guruvayurappan before heading back to Colombo.

Tamil Nadu parties protest Mahinda's India visit
Three Tamil movements in India, the Dravida Kazhagam, the Tamil National Movement and the Marumalarlchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) held a protest against President Mahinda Rajapakse's visit to Tamil Nadu last week.
The parties, under a newly set up organization - Society for the Protection of Tamils in Eelam, has also decided to hold a mass protest on January 3.
Mr. Rajapakse, visiting India on his first overseas tour since becoming President last month, held talks with Dr. Manmohan Singh but had to put off his visit to Tamil Nadu following cancellation of his appointment with Chief Minister Jayalalitha.

Meanwhile, the Tamil allies of the ruling Alliance from southern India have urged the Indian government not to sign any defence treaty with Sri Lanka.
A resolution adopted jointly by Alliance constituents Marumalarlchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), said that any military help to Sri Lanka would harm the Tamils living in the island.
"Rajapakse will use any treaty with India to unleash violence against the Tamils," the parties alleged and "Defence ties with Sri Lanka will also hurt the interests of the Tamils living all over the world," they added.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss had appealed to the Indian government to urge Mr. Rajapakse to continue peace talks with the rebel Tigers. MDMK general secretary and LTTE sympathizer Vaiko said: "We only want to highlight the plight of Tamils who have been oppressed by consecutive Sri Lankan governments... (who) were forced to take up arms because of the "unimaginable oppression" unleashed on them.

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