Politics at the cost of national security
Dr. K.N. Pandita
A major event in the sub-continent that tookplace during last two weeks is the defeat and elimination of LTTE in Sri Lanka after its thirty-year-long armed insurgency against the state. LTTE, the world’s most dreaded terrorist organization had been declared a terrorist organization by the US keeping in view especially the suicidal bombing in which it indulged. Most of the Tamils in Sri Lanka still do not believe that Villapai Prabhakaran, the chief of the organization has been killed in action. Such was the aura of redoubtable strength he had projected about the organization and himself.
LTTE had built a strong international network and Tamil emigrants in western countries had formed strong complexes to raise funds and push their cause on international fora. Thirty-year long struggle had created an impression with the mediators that it was a Gordian knot to resolve. Yet their efforts especially of the NGOs in Netherlands tried to break the jinx. Nothing happened.
The defeat and destruction of this thirty-year old armed conflict in South Asia has brought a sigh of relief for the Sri Lankan government and the peace loving masses of that country. It makes South Asia a safer place indeed.
But that is just a mask covering the entire story. How come that such a formidably armed organization crumbled and got eliminated with such rapidity? There is certainly more than what meets the eye.
Indian policy planners may be happy in their hearts for what has been the end of LTTE. At least, they can boast that no armed insurgency can challenge the might of the state and apply the formula to Kashmir insurgency and thus take some solace from the event.
But in terms of security concerns India has incurred a serious situation in the context of Sri Lankan developments. Bogged with domestic politics in Tamil Nadu, the previous UPA government showed reluctance to Sri Lanka in selling her much needed arms and ammunition to fight terrorism. New Delhi’s refusal to oblige showed that India’s methodology of fighting terror is selective, erratic and insincere. After all it does compromise national security not only in the case of Sri Lanka but also in the case of Kashmir.
Desperate to accelerate its anti-terror fighting capacity, Sri Lankan government welcomed offer of military assistance and tactical back up from two of our primary rivals in the region, namely Pakistan and China. Both of them found Sri Lankan approach a windfall. Pakistan offered crucial war material including it ace Al-Khalid tanks to Sri Lankan army. China offered her 350 million dollars aid to buy ammunition from Beijing used for land, air and sea assaults. China also provided her F-7 jets to counter Czech made aircrafts operated by LTTE. Chinese offer of F-7 was free of cost. In addition, both China and Pakistan offered military tactical advice as well to combat the insurgents in peculiar topographical conditions.
The rapid success with which now well-equipped Sri Lankan army decimated LTTE was a shot in the arm of Pakistani and Chinese policy planners. As usual, they found another common constituency to work against their common rival, viz. India. Under the aegis of their unholy alliance, the blue print is now under preparation according to which India’s reach in the Indian Ocean will be curbed and curtailed to a large extent. The expanse of neutral waters will get squeezed in due course of time. China has already built the seaport of Gawadar on the Makran coastline of Baluchistan, which Pakistan will use as an alternative strategic seaport for controlling the warm waters. Now China is constructing a new seaport on the southern tip of Sri Lanka named Hambantota. When ready, a triangular maritime link — underground nuclear submarine base on the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island – Hambantota – Gawadar — will bring about complete naval encirclement of India in the Indian Ocean. This could happen by 2011.
With Nepal under deep Maoist influence and Bangladesh preparing to be the eastern front of ISI against India, and Naxalites-Maoists penetrating deep into the entrails of the country, India is at the worst of its security situations as of now.
It sounds bizarre that in 2007, in the course of his visit to Colombo, Indian National Security Adviser Narayanan advised Sri Lanka to approach India for any assistance instead of looking towards Beijing or Islamabad. Such is the naivety of our security planning.
India maintained low-lying, nay almost cowardly stance vis-à-vis Sri Lankan army’s decisive onslaught on the LTTE just because the Congress would not want to displease Karunanidhi in his antics of showing solidarity with the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Imagine how this country compromises its national security for the sake of vote bank.
In a very guarded and laconic statement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advised Sri Lankan government to think seriously of a federal system of political arrangement for his country. He confined himself to humanitarian aid of the victims of conflict in Sri Lanka. If this is the conviction, then the Prime Minister should have the same measuring rod for the conflict in Kashmir and affected Eastern parts of the country. If his humanitarian concerns are sincere for the displaced people of a neighbouring country, he should have at least the same level of concern, if not more, for the refugees from Kashmir whom his government sadistically calls “migrants” while it calls the Tamils in Sri Lanka as “IDPs”. Political expediency of such sliding levels is alternately called cowardice in the lexicon of political punditry.
(The writer is the former Director of Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir).