Editorial

15th March 1998

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Tapping India to the full

Tackling symptoms

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Tapping India to the full

Just as blessings often emerge from ca- lamities, we may eventually see some meaning arising out of the muddle that Indian national politics appears to be in today. After a week of horse-dealing when Tamil Nadu's discredited if not disgraced former Chief Minister Jeyaram Jayalalitha made various demands from the BJP, the issue now seems to have been sorted out and Atal Behari Vajpayee is likely to be called upon to be the prime minister in what may be the most bizarre coalition for the world's biggest democracy of 900 million people.

Hopefully, amidst the multitudes of negatives such as instability, one of the positive features coming out of the chaos and confusion is a bigger place for the regions and for small parties.

If a monolithic party like the Congress had continued to govern, the tremendous leadership potential in regional men such as Deve Gowda might never have been tapped and used for the growth of India in all its diversity.

So what South Asia and the world may see with the turn of the century would be an India where the different states and even the hitherto lesser known ones would be playing an increasingly prominent and influential role in shaping India's national and international policy. Thus it is necessary for countries such as Sri Lanka — closely linked with India not only by age-old traditions but also by recent socio-political realities — to develop closer ties not only with the centre in New Delhi but also with the regions, especially the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.

On our front page today, we have a significant report in this regard — India appealing for Sri Lankan military expertise to help defuse landmines set up by Naxalite guerrillas in Andhra Pradesh.

Today Sri Lanka has a deputy high commission in the Tamil Nadu capital of Chennai. While giving the mission in Chennai a greater role to play in various dimensions, the Foreign Ministry also needs to consider the setting up of Lankan missions in other Indian states as we have in Mumbai, not merely for trade but also for culture, education and security considerations. The expenses will soar no doubt but they may well be worth the investment in the long term safety, security and well being of Sri Lanka.

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Tackling symptoms

A presidential committee in a report submitted to the cabinet on Wednes- day has recommended the government should give high priority to reducing the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, and seek commitment of all political parties to achieve this goal. Very good.

Last month, a Lake House provincial correspondent in Aranayake carried out this commitment with courage by exposing the lucrative illicit liquor trade which is killing more people than the northern war. But what did he get in return — he was bundled out of bed, intimidated and tortured, frame d as a kasippu dealer himself and warned that his hands would be cut if he ever again wrote about hooch dens. Finally his little house was burnt down allegedly under police provocation or patronage. We wonder what the government would have to say about such things.

Only a few months ago, on a complaint by a rest house manager at Avissawella, Excise officers at Kalutara raided the distillery and seized cases of bottles of arrack that were diluted (below the required proof strength). The complainant became the accused.The Excise officers were interdicted. All because the owner of the distillery funds the politicians in high office.

The Tobacco Company has complained of widespread smuggling of cigarettes and the illicit manufacture of cigarettes in Sri Lanka. All this has fallen on deaf years. Narcotics kings linked to casinos is a story by itself.

So these are the areas the special task force must go into. But we have our doubts if they ever can because it goes into the roots of the ruling party itself — and there lies the tale of our inability to tackle this unholy trinity of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

Political Column

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