EDITORIAL : THE DAILY MIRROR, SRILANKA

DR. SINGH’S VISIT TO BOOST INDO-LANKA Thursday, 16 June 2011 01:24 The announcement by the Indian center to ‘strengthen’ relations between Sri Lanka and India by way of a visit to the country by the Indian Premier Manmohan Singh, must come as a welcome shift in Indian diplomacy often seen taking uncalled for dips. India is the friend and neighbour we can ill afford to have on a wrong footing, especially at this stage. Coming in the wake of the recent adoption of the Tamil Nadu Assembly to seek redress on the allegations against the Sri Lankan government of crimes committed against the Tamil civilians during the last stages of the war, the compulsions that dictate the Indian center’s push towards such a visit are obvious. That the recent Indian delegation’s visit to the country was preceded by a stopover in Tamil Nadu is a clear indicator of the commitments bearing heavy on New Delhi. Commitments; that Colombo must be both sensitive and alert to. Whether Colombo responds to such manoeuvrings with China strong on its back or not, we cannot afford to ignore the crucial nature of India, receiving its place in the Human Rights Council in less than three months. The fact that she replaces our strong ally Pakistan is an aspect that must bear significance in how we deal with New Delhi at this point – an aspect New Delhi must no doubt have alluded to at the recent meets. If her deafening silence at the just ended hearings in Geneva in the midst of pressure on Colombo to move faster on a political solution based largely on its’ 13th Amendment is any indicator, it is safe to assume that India has changed little in her foreign policy. Or; what little of it she desires to adopt when dealing with her immediate neighbours each time they are pushed to the wall. It is therefore incumbent upon the Rajapaksa regime to invest in mechanisms that will prevent the means of interferences that international pressure groups including the United Nations can have a larger share in how we deal with matters domestically. A committed look at a political standing that can allow for greater engagement of the minorities is the best possible mechanism that can provide both the security and the political strength that the country desires. A strengthened LLRC that is more committed to this aspect and a speedier implementation of the rehabilitation process are the most prudent means available to the government to ensure that no further infringements of the country’s sovereignty are allowed at this time.