Regional pressures can’t dictate foreign policy
As the campaign by so-called pro-Tamil groups to dissuade Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo gains strength, South Block must remember that such a boycott will do nothing to either promote the welfare of Sri lankan Tamils or further Indian interests in the region. Up until now, the Ministry of External Affairs has maintained a diplomatic quiet on the matter, choosing only to say that it will take into account all issues raised by all parties before deciding on the Prime Minister's trip.
Such a considered approach is fine as long as it does not become an excuse to allow the parochial interests of a few to hijack the country's foreign policy. Unfortunately, this has already been the case twice — first in 2012 and then again earlier this year. Both times, New Delhi gave into pressure from powerful Tamil groups and human rights organisations to publicly censure Colombo at the UN Human Rights Council for its supposed failure to integrate its Tamil minority population in the post-lTTE years. like the proposed boycott of the CHOGM, these are all symbolic gestures that achieve little else apart from embarrassing Sri lankan President President Mahinda Rajapaksa globally. Yet, it is he who has to take steps to help his country's Tamil minority population. Alienating President Rajapaksa, therefore, serves no purpose. Anybody who is serious about the welfare of lankan Tamils will recognise that the key to success lies in supporting and encouraging — not undermining — the Government in Colombo to deliver on its promises to the Tamil community.
The Sri lankan regime has already made significant progress. For instance, September's Provincial Council election, that was held for the first time in a quarter century in the Tamil-majority Northern Province, is a big step towards reconciliation, although this is hardly acknowledged by the international community. The election swept to power in Jaffna the Tamil National Alliance, which was once the de facto political arm of the band of separatist elements that called itself the liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, but is now a moderate political grouping committed to a united Sri lanka. As Jaffna and Colombo seek to reset their relations, New Delhi must tread cautiously. While it must continue helping Sri lanka with post-war reconstruction work in the Northern Province, it mustn’t forget that the welfare of the Tamils is, ultimately, an internal matter of Sri lanka. Also, New Delhi should remind detractors that the lankan Tamils have their own democratically elected representatives to take care of their interests.
The world is watching how India handles the issue, and that’ll determine if the latter has the potential to be more than a regional leader. The beleaguered Congress-led UPA regime at the Centre has to date put up a poor performance in this regard. It has capitulated before political allies at home, given into the demands of bullies abroad, let down friends in the neighbourhood and ceded strategic space to a regional powerhouse. While it may not be possible for the Prime Minister to undo all of this with one high-profile visit to Colombo, Mr Singh’s trip is nonetheless necessary to contain the damage.