His departure is good riddance for the NDA
Mr Vaiko's departure from the National Democratic Alliance, assuming he does not reconsider it, is good riddance for the ruling coalition at the Centre. Ever since he and his MDMK became part of the NDA in the run-up to the lok Sabha election, the leader from Tamil Nadu has demonstrated no inclination to fall in line with the larger mainstream thinking of the country with regards to the Tamil population in Sri lanka. It had been expected that being in a national coalition would temper his wild politics, but that hope has proved to be futile.
Mr Vaiko boycotted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony in May because of the presence of Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This was not just petty, especially since it came from a leader of the coalition which Mr Modi heads, but it also showed that the MDMK leader was adamant in not seeing the writing on the wall: Robust relations with Colombo are the only way by which India can retain its leverage with Sri lanka vis-à-vis the grievances of the Tamil population in that country. Mr Vaiko had gone a step further than demonstrating opposition to the head of a sovereign country; he openly celebrated the anniversary of terrorist and slain liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief V Prabhakaran in Tamil Nadu.
This is simply unacceptable. While BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu raised more than an eyebrow and demanded that he be removed from the alliance, central BJP leaders did not so in the hope that Mr Vaiko would still see reason. With the MDMK leader snapping ties with the NDA, the party has been saved the trouble of showing him the door. In electoral terms, Mr Vaiko's departure will not impact the BJP's position in Tamil Nadu. While the MDMK chief has pockets of influence, they have proved small and not even enough for him or his candidates to win. He may try to align with either of the two dominant Dravida parties, but as of now neither the DMK (which has had a soft corner for Prabhakaran) nor the AIADMK is keen on having him. He may well continue to be a lone ranger until he gains acceptance.
Even assuming that Mr Vaiko has a genuine grievance, he should not forget that New Delhi's effective diplomacy with Colombo has in the recent months secured the release of many Indians (from Tamil Nadu) from the clutches of Sri lanka. As a result of Mr Modi's outreach to the Sri lankan President, in a recent development, fishermen who had been condemned to the death row by a lankan court on charges of contraband smuggling, gained freedom and are back home. Surely all of these would not have been possible with the sabre-rattling nonsense which Mr Vaiko indulges in. The MDMK leader's yardstick to measure Colombo's sincerity is determined by his deeply-held and irrational prejudices, not ground realities. He needs to change his politics. It will do good to him, his party, Tamil Nadu and the country.