Sri Lanka - News and Discussion

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 22 Mar 2013 20:31

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-do-not-behave-like-animals-rajya-sabha-chairperson-told-dmk-aiadmk-mps-4215526-NOR.html

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 22 Mar 2013 20:54

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia ... 20313.html

As an effort to maintain harmony in the country, the ACJU last week announced that it has decided to stop issuing the ''halal'' logo to all companies, stating that the certification will only be provided free of charge for products catering to the export market as and when requested by the manufacturers.

"We are making a sacrifice because we value the centuries of peace that have existed between our communities," ACJU president Ash Sheikh Rizwe Mufthi told a news conference in Colombo convened to announce the halting of the halal certification process.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 22 Mar 2013 21:22

sanjaykumar wrote:http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia ... 20313.html

As an effort to maintain harmony in the country, the ACJU last week announced that it has decided to stop issuing the ''halal'' logo to all companies, stating that the certification will only be provided free of charge for products catering to the export market as and when requested by the manufacturers. .

Interesting.

Personally, I think that instead of blaming the Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu's in India, including Tamils (this does not include "was Ram an engineering" type of specimen and his similar cohorts ) need to learn a few things from them.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 23 Mar 2013 16:54

Javee
There lies your problem, why do you need to "control" muslims or tamils or hindus or martians?

Javee, are you trying to deliberately misquote me? I was contradicting another fellow blogger, stating even if we try, it is not a possibility. It is even silly to consider controlling others. Not in this day an age.

Javee
Seriously, you come up with weird answers. Last page you said if India votes against Srilanka then there will be "Tamil" ethnic issue in India, now on muslims, you are coining oft maligned word - Fundamental Islam. So you dont want to own up to problems and just point fingers on others. GoSL and Singhalese are perfect souls, looks like they cannot do anything wrong these days. Why is selling "halal" food a big deal for lankans anyway?

Who is weird, you or me? I have never suggested Sri Lanka is perfect. If you read my comments carefully you would see that.

And also, where did I suggest voting against Sri Lanka would cause ethnic Issues in India? Wouldn't it be the opposite? No what I have mentioned in the past it, by doing so you will continue to give hope for an Independent state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. If that is a good thing for GoI, please continue doing so. Although India can maintain a hold of a nation after giving federalism, a country like Sri Lanka would not be able to do so. If Sri Lanka to do something similar now, in 10 or 20 years as soon as the government becomes weaker, there would be a push for independence. This is the scenario Sri Lanka is trying to avoid.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 23 Mar 2013 16:58

Addressing a news conference in Colombo, the group's general secretary, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, said the Muslim attire was creating all kinds of social and security issues.

"We will fight until this attire is banned from this country, so that there is no chance to unofficially enforce the Islamic Sharia Law in Sri Lanka, which is a Buddhist nation," he said.

Hasn't this already been done in France, although I totally disagree with the timing of these issue. We have plenty on our hands trying to deal with war crime issues, and it is not the right time to anger our second largest minority.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 23 Mar 2013 19:41

Crossposted

We should be able to differentiate between the Tamil people of SL, DMK/AIDMK/PMK opportunism and LTTE deviousness. Although the LTTE was initially helped by India it turned out to be a monster. So it was necessary to destroy the LTTE which India did by helping the SL army (it is not impossible that the Gandhi family had a personal interest in it). OTOH, India as the largest Hindu population containing country has the implicit moral obligation to help Hindu communities (along with other oppressed communities) anywhere in the world even if it remains secular just like the American-European powers do with Christian communities. After the collapse of centralized Hindu rule in the subcontinent the Hindu community has been at the mercy of others for their survival. This situation needs to change. If today we do not intervene in SL tomorrow we will not be able to intervene in say Bd or Sindh or wherever the community is under duress. Now ideally we should be able to take unilateral steps in that direction. However, it seems progress in SL has been tardy as to Tamil rights. So multilateral pressure without giving advantage to evangelicals is not something bad which many members of the forum seem to think. We should step up humanitarian aid to Tamils in SL. Otherwise evangelicals who feed on the destitute to harvest souls will be crawling all over the place.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 24 Mar 2013 23:56

There has 'always' only been one solution.

For lanka to become more like India with a set of federal states and devolution of power.

The question to ask is why singhalese resist this simple reform tooth and nail. This would end the disruptive conflict but they will not do it.
The lanka tamils think this is not enough, why do they think so, it would bring peace and democracy and a modicum of self rule to their lands.

All this B/S is spinning to avoid this simple step.
-----------------------------------

Now that I think about it there is a state lanka resembles, it is the pre 1971 pakistanis 'one unit' state.
Why do the lankan insist on this fiction? Do they not know how the pakistani one unit ended.

pentaiah · Post by **pentaiah** » 25 Mar 2013 08:30

We should consult D Bhai

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 25 Mar 2013 13:42

Supratik wrote: This situation needs to change. If today we do not intervene in SL tomorrow we will not be able to intervene in say Bd or Sindh or wherever the community is under duress..

Unfortunately, the issue in SL has least to do with Hindu's or Hinduism. It is more of a language based strife. If we take a religious views, Buddhist Sinahalas are also in the same larger Indian bucket. In fact if we take a religious view of the fault lines, we can say that in later years it is EJ vs Dharmic religion based strife.

Net net I do not think that building this up is as Hindu cause has much merit, the real Hindu causes where they are, and as they are, are any way happily abdicated, including inside India.

This needs to handled as "outsiders out, Bharatiya's (in different nations even) will sort out their problems on their own"

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Mar 2013 14:24

First,Sri Lanka is too small for it to be based upon a similar union of states as is the case with India.It is also now profligate to have -as is the case now,supposedly autonomous regional provinces armed with full powers enjoyed by the Indian states and Union Territories.

Second,the lie of the Eelamists that "Tamils" of the north mainly,are a separate race and have enjoyed a kingdom from ancient times,blah,blah, is bogus and without fact.In the Dutch census,the Jaffna Tamils are clearly defined as Tamils of Malabar descent! This explains the clannishness in some degree,as everyone knows how clannish our brethren from Kerala are,especially when overseas,in the Gulf for instance.The Tamil spoken by the JTs is also not pure,though they like to believe that their Tamil is the purest in the cosmos! For instance,both Sinhalese and Tamils say "ou"-pronounced "ow",for yes,not "aam" as they do in T'Nadu.Lankan Tamil,like colloquial Sinhala, is also riddled with Portugese and Dutch words like "chambre" (room) "stoep" (step),"almirah" (cupboard),"pao" (bread) etc.

The most ancient archaeological remains,sluice gates,etc.,remnants of the great irrigation engineering of ancient Lankans,is more akin to the Indus Valley civilisation than anything in TN.Barring the tribals,the rest of the Lankans have all migrated from India-from Rajasthan (same motifs on some Karava family flags),Orissa,Kerala,TNadu and Andhra.Add a smattering of Malays,Omanis,and "Burghers" of European-Ceylonese descent,mainly of Portugese,Dutch and British stock,and you have the makeup of a small island,that is wonderfully cosmopolitan in nature,where there is a lot of inter-marriage and inter-religious existence.

In recent times however,a campaign is being launched portraying Lankan Muslims (who are mostly interested in making money) by right-wing entities using "Buddhist" monks,whipping up communal hatred against the Muslims.The Muslims in Lanka,that I've known,are a merry lot,taking their lifestyle from the pages of Omar Khayyam more than the Koran. Imbibing is more the norm than bad form,and though the Saudis and the Pakis have been trying hard,Wahaabiism has met its match in this tropical paradise.The recent anti-Muslim tirade is allegedly being orchestrated by the regime,to deflect attention form the massive rise in the cost of living,galloping inflation and the absence of any movement in bringing about a political settlement of the ethnic issue,even a watered down version which in their present state the Tamils would prefer to further conflict.Eelam is a dead issue in Lanka,defeated and buried,but a live one in TNadu,where the Eelamites are attempting to whip up communal feeling and if India is not careful,before we know it,will attempt to effectively slice off Tamil Nadu first! The JV between the Eelamists and the EJs,heavily funded by the UIS -of-A,has to be swiftly defeated and buried just as the Rajapakse regime has done so brilliantly and effectively in the island.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Mar 2013 15:18

Sanku wrote: Unfortunately, the issue in SL has least to do with Hindu's or Hinduism. It is more of a language based strife. If we take a religious views, Buddhist Sinahalas are also in the same larger Indian bucket. In fact if we take a religious view of the fault lines, we can say that in later years it is EJ vs Dharmic religion based strife.

Net net I do not think that building this up is as Hindu cause has much merit, the real Hindu causes where they are, and as they are, are any way happily abdicated, including inside India.

This needs to handled as "outsiders out, Bharatiya's (in different nations even) will sort out their problems on their own"

It is ethnic, linguistic and religious. I used the word "Hindu" loosely. Perhaps "Indic" would be better. It can be linguistic and ethnic affinity as well. If you are to build-up pax-Indica you have to take care of your own. Unless the idea is to be insular. The West takes care of its own wherever they are. We need to learn from them.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 25 Mar 2013 15:21

Supratik wrote:It can be linguistic and ethnic affinity as well. If you are to build-up pax-Indica you have to take care of your own.

Which is exactly what I am saying. In case of SL, all parties are our own. We have to take care of it as a internal dispute.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Mar 2013 16:02

Sanku wrote:
Which is exactly what I am saying. In case of SL, all parties are our own. We have to take care of it as a internal dispute.

Well am not sure whether the Sinhalese reciprocate that but they have cultural, religious, ethnic affinity with us. The bottomline is that the Sinhalese have been obstinate on several issues and to pile up the pressure (even if it is actually related to the war) may not be bad. I think India has found that both the LTTE and Sinhalese are obstinate. Now that the LTTE is gone what is stopping Sinhalese from moving ahead? Short of bombing them or sanctioning them there is nothing much to do except to coax and cajole. I think India is following this method and it is correct.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 25 Mar 2013 16:47

Supratik wrote:
Sanku wrote:
Which is exactly what I am saying. In case of SL, all parties are our own. We have to take care of it as a internal dispute.

Well am not sure whether the Sinhalese reciprocate that but they have cultural, religious, ethnic affinity with us. The bottomline is that the Sinhalese have been obstinate on several issues and to pile up the pressure (even if it is actually related to the war) may not be bad. I think India has found that both the LTTE and Sinhalese are obstinate. Now that the LTTE is gone what is stopping Sinhalese from moving ahead? Short of bombing them or sanctioning them there is nothing much to do except to coax and cajole. I think India is following this method and it is correct.

I believe the solutions that could be done (should be done but are not done) are:

Develop constiuencies within Sinhala's and SL Tamils both, -- actions such as : special permits for Buddhists circuits, special tourist visas for SLs, allowing SL to get a large share of the tourism that goes to the Islamic hell hole of Malyaisa through joint India-SL tourism development board. A FTA, acceptance of SL nationals into Indian workforce through cross acceptance of education certificates.

I can go on and on. There is not shortage of things India can do. We waste so much money elsewhere, why not develop Hambonota instead of letting Chinese come in? SL tourism should be run by Indians, and SL's should be major tourists in India.

I would crush them in such a tight loving embrace that they dont think of returning.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Mar 2013 22:12

We are already doing a lot on tourism. Other things you suggested can be done too. The Tamil issue should not stop that. However, the Tamil issue cannot be averted either. We have to find a balance. Regarding Hamanbota not sure the Sinhalese offered it to India. If they did and India didn't take it up goes to show our foreign policy babus have learnt nothing. A carrot and stick policy is best to make Sinhalese move on the Tamil issue.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 25 Mar 2013 22:39

^^^ I fully agree with the balance part.

As for our FP babus being brilliant? Read here

http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/mar/ ... a-ties.htm

"India is our neighbour. We must have good relations whether in war or in peace," Rajapaksa said in an interview to Singapore's New Straits Times.

"Now take Hambantota port. It was offered to India first. I was desperate for development work. But ultimately the Chinese agreed to build it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/busin ... 6port.html

Mr. Rajapaksa has said he offered the Hambantota port project first to India, but officials there turned it down. In an interview, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United States, said the country looked for investors in America and around the world, but China offered the best terms. “We don’t have favorites,” he said.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 25 Mar 2013 23:07

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/s ... 130325.htm

DMK pushing Sri Lanka deeper into the hands of China?

T E Narasimhan and Veenu Sandhu
An international airport, a strategic port, communication satellites, road and railway links -- China is spreading its web in the island nation. India has to take decisive steps or else the tide could turn against it, note T E Narasimhan and Veenu Sandhu.

In June 2009, when Sri Lanka officially celebrated the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam after a bloody war that lasted 25 years, the victory parade, which included tanks, fighter jets and artillery pieces, made India sit up: most of the military hardware on display was of Chinese make.
........................................

The wave of protests in Tamil Nadu against the Sri Lanka government's alleged atrocities on Tamils and India's vote in favour of the United States resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday is further working towards China's advantage.

...........................................................

The sentiment is not limited to the country's leaders, who obviously know that gains can be made by playing one country against the other; it now runs deep. An assessment report of a political analyst to a company with business interests in Sri Lanka, which Business Standard has accessed, points that Lankan society is now vehemently arguing that it should lean towards China -- a "friendly nation" -- and not rely on India, particularly on the economic front.
.................................

Thus, Sri Lankan Airlines has cut its flights to Chennai by half, to 14, following the attacks on Sri Lankan tourists, including two monks. There are reports that Sri Lanka has decided to partially take over a strategic oil storage depot in Trincomalee from Indian Oil Corporation's Sri Lankan arm, Lanka IOC.

.................................
A senior official from the shipping industry in India says the port project "is really a great miss and India will regret it on all fronts, be it security or trade".

..................................

Official data shows that in 2011, investment worth $98 million came to Sri Lanka from India as compared to $3.5 million from China. Leading Indian companies in Sri Lanka include the Tata group, Ceat, Nicholas Piramal, Ashok Leyland, SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and LIC.

Somi Hazari, managing director of the Shosova group of companies, who trades in textiles with Sri Lanka, however says business has come down drastically. "Business is moving towards China, and it's not just because trade with China is cheaper. The Tamil issue is playing out in China's favour."

From 2001 to 2011, India's textile exports (mainly from the southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Punjab) to Sri Lanka have increased about three-folds. But China has during the same period increased its textile exports to Sri Lanka by almost eight times.

In the cement market, too, India is losing share to China and Pakistan. India-Sri Lanka trade has increased by one per cent per annum on an average from 2007 to 2011. On the other hand, average growth of China-Sri Lanka trade has been 32 per cent annually.

<A lot more on how India is now unwelcome since last UN vote>

With the Lok Sabha elections just a year away, DMK's chief, M Karunanidhi, is going all out on this. And in doing so, the man who turns 90 next year, is pushing Sri Lanka deeper into the arms of China.

A great hope for India would be if this selfish man who is willing to sell everything for his petty gains, his state his people his country, meets a great and tragic loss in the polls. A loss from which he may never recover in his lifetime and the party of wretches he has assembled dies along with him, his sons splitting it down the middle.

Let the voters of TN show him his place.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 25 Mar 2013 23:59

I think this China bogey except in the case of Pak is overrated. As NRao pointed out any Chinese military asset coming out of either SL or Myanmar means that both countries are going to get bombed like crap. India had to find a balance between arming the SLA like there is no tomorrow and doing just enough to get rid of LTTE which is what it did. SL turned to China and Pak. Surely there is a case for more economic engagement but we cannot blindly arm the SLA at least not till an honorable solution is found. Karunanidhi deserves to disappear from the pages of history for other reasons.

habal · Post by **habal** » 26 Mar 2013 00:02

Sri Lanka unfortunately can't swim along with it's land towards China. That is it's biggest handicap, and seriously discount the China scare mongering by the Sri Lankans because Chinese leverage in Sri Lanka shall always be limited because of Sri Lanka's geographical location. The Sri Lankans know that pretty well, they just try to use the China card to leverage some room in global geopolitics and UN.

Only thing that threatens one about Sri Lanka is that if this Rajapakshe dude continues to remain in power, it gives the international community a leverage in Sri Lanka. Get rid of him and bring in someone who seems more neutral then things get more manageable.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 26 Mar 2013 13:47

Burning Lanka doesn't always work out well Swapan Dasgupta
http://author.toiblogs.com/right-and-wr ... k_out_well

The ire of Colombo will not be directed at the US which sponsored the resolution. Washington is too powerful and too remote for Sri Lanka to even attempt any meaningful retribution. The blow will fall on India which, ironically, was more than happy when the fanatical Tigers were militarily decimated in 2009. India's economic and strategic interests in Sri Lanka will suffer and the beneficiary will be China. More to the point, India's foreign policy will be perceived as wildly erratic and susceptible to sectional pressures , even of the disreputable variety.

Some of the views of the author is pretty much similar to comments made by some of the fellow bloggers here.

Being a Sri Lankan, I can definitely say that I had very little trust in India when it come to the Tamil Issue, which you would see from my previous post. India has done nothing to alleviate this distrust, and Sri Lanka keeps going on towards China, by the way is not a bad thing, since they are much more predictable in their foreign policy.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 26 Mar 2013 13:58

habal
Only thing that threatens one about Sri Lanka is that if this Rajapakshe dude continues to remain in power, it gives the international community a leverage in Sri Lanka. Get rid of him and bring in someone who seems more neutral then things get more manageable.

That Rajapashe dude is the best thing that happened to Sri Lanka for the last 50 years. Most likely the last couple of centuries. With him the country has developed immensly with large amount of foreign investment. To loose him right now means the stability would be gone and we would be back to LTTE era style living. The current government is connecting people via infrastrucure development. Now Sri Lankans (Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim) can travel any where without fear that has allowed people to integrate to the society. Yes there is quite a lot of progress that is required for us to become a well developed country, but things cannot happen within couple of years.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 26 Mar 2013 15:49

Indeed neither principled nor pragmatic, just idiotic, totally and completely.

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/india ... 130326.htm

India at UNHCR: Neither pragmatic nor principled
Harsh V Pant

Harsh V. Pant teaches at King's College London in the Department of Defence Studies and is an Associate with the King's Centre of Science and Security Studies. Recently, he has been a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. His research is focused on Asia-Pacific security issues. His recent books include Contemporary Debates in Indian Foreign and Security Policy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) and Indian Foreign Policy in a Unipolar World (Routledge, 2009).

.

..................
After repeatedly opposing country-specific resolutions at the UNHCR and other such bodies, India has now set a dangerous precedent which will come back to haunt India. India’s foreign policy stands today bereft of both principle and pragmatism.
..................

Colombo matters because Indian Ocean matters. The ‘great game’ of this century will be played on the waters of the Indian Ocean. Though India’s location gives it great operational advantages in the Indian Ocean, it is by no means certain that New Delhi is in a position to hold on to its geographic advantages. China is rapidly catching up and its ties with Sri Lanka are aimed at expanding its profile in this crucial part of the world.

India’s highly problematic move at the UNHCR will now make India even more marginal in Sri Lanka with some grave long-term damage to its vital interests.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 26 Mar 2013 15:52

thusitha wrote:
habal
Only thing that threatens one about Sri Lanka is that if this Rajapakshe dude continues to remain in power, it gives the international community a leverage in Sri Lanka. Get rid of him and bring in someone who seems more neutral then things get more manageable.
That Rajapashe dude is the best thing that happened to Sri Lanka for the last 50 years. Most likely the last couple of centuries.

A lot of SLs look at Rajapakshe in a NaMo like figure it appears. Well I hope NaMo takes center stage in national politics and is able to use the common Gujju roots between the two to move SL back into a closer set of ties with India.

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 26 Mar 2013 17:35

Sanku wrote:A lot of SLs look at Rajapakshe in a NaMo like figure it appears. Well I hope NaMo takes center stage in national politics and is able to use the common Gujju roots between the two to move SL back into a closer set of ties with India.

Except NaMo does not have 10's of relatives occupying all the important ministries and make arbitrary constitutional changes to cement his power in Gujarat. IMO Rajapakse is more like Sinhalese Mu.Ka. He will do anything to stay relevant and be in power.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 26 Mar 2013 17:51

I see a lot of stomach ache regarding India voting for the UN resolution is based upon extraneous factors. What about the people? Are we really going to formulate foreign policy minus the people? I haven't seen any alternative suggestions as to how India could make SL progress on the Tamil issue otherwise even from Swapanda whom I have high regard for.

Thusitha, no matter how many roads you built and FDI you get no progress can be made without the Tamils. India's support of SL in decimating the LTTE should not be seen as some kind of license not to settle issues with the Tamils. India is letting SL know that is not the case by voting for the UN resolution.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 26 Mar 2013 18:03

The alternate suggestion is either you talk and reach a solution by say 2016 or India would come and solve it for you!

Shanmukh · Post by **Shanmukh** » 26 Mar 2013 18:15

RajeshA wrote:The alternate suggestion is either you talk and reach a solution by say 2016 or India would come and solve it for you!

How can we solve it, RajeshA-ji? Last time we tried to solve it using IPKF, it did not end well for anyone.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 26 Mar 2013 18:21

thusitha wrote:
Some of the views of the author is pretty much similar to comments made by some of the fellow bloggers here.

Being a Sri Lankan, I can definitely say that I had very little trust in India when it come to the Tamil Issue, which you would see from my previous post. India has done nothing to alleviate this distrust, and Sri Lanka keeps going on towards China, by the way is not a bad thing, since they are much more predictable in their foreign policy.

What do you mean by India did nothing? Are you unaware of Indian involvement in the final war. If India wanted SL would be fighting a civil war for another 500 years or if the LTTE had some sanity and set up a democratic state when they had military control then India could have formally given them recognition. Post-RG assassination and IPKF fiasco the view was that Prabhakaran was a lunatic. So India did nothing to help the LTTE. I don't know where the Sinhalese are getting this propaganda from that India did nothing.

Economic engagement with China is very good. If China comes and converts SL into a developed country we will be very happy. In any case Indian engagement will mostly be through private sector as unlike the Chinese Govt, the Indian Govt depends only on taxes. The Indian Govt can donate may be $1-2 billion as we did with Bdesh. Private sector engagement in SL is pretty good. Settling the Tamil issue will remove all hindrance to greater engagement. However, if SL thinks it can use China as some kind of antidote to India then it should think again. Any Chinese military asset coming out of SL in a confrontation means SL is fair game.

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 26 Mar 2013 18:23

nageshks wrote:
RajeshA wrote:The alternate suggestion is either you talk and reach a solution by say 2016 or India would come and solve it for you!
How can we solve it, RajeshA-ji? Last time we tried to solve it using IPKF, it did not end well for anyone.

Since most of the people here support GoSL and SLA MO, we can follow the same. IPKF had a different mandate which made them fight with their hands tied to their backs. The new one will not be peace keeping force, but a peace enforcing force.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 26 Mar 2013 18:31

nageshks wrote:
RajeshA wrote:The alternate suggestion is either you talk and reach a solution by say 2016 or India would come and solve it for you!
How can we solve it, RajeshA-ji? Last time we tried to solve it using IPKF, it did not end well for anyone.

About in the same way we solved things in Sikkim and Goa! It means buying influence in Sinhalese circles - media, clergy and elite who are willing to accept an Indian takeover of the place and integration into the Indian Union.

However it is not the preferred way! Preferred way is for Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils to really sort out their differences on their own.

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 26 Mar 2013 18:39

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/jayalalithaa-karunanidhi-urge-pm-to-boycott-commonwealth-meet/article4549331.ece

http://www.emirates247.com/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-cm-bars-lankans-from-ipl-6-2013-03-26-1.500149

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 26 Mar 2013 19:07

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/centre-should-withdraw-katchatheevu-agreement-jayalalithaa/article4550683.ece

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 26 Mar 2013 19:42

India has been taken in by sinhala cunning once again.We foolishly helped in the extermination of the ltte and and without the ltte we have lost our leverage. It's too late to put any conditions now as our place at the lankan high table has been permanently taken over by the chinese.

The sinhala have cleverly counterbalanced the Indian influence with the chinese and now claim that it was all just business as usual. In the weeks and months to come we will compound one foolishness with another depending on that fool karunanidhi blowing hot and cold, Amma will continue to isolate the DMK and pick off the stragglers. The rajapakse government will show it's true colors very soon and India will take a major hit once again. We do not even protest when our fishermen are killed and continue to extend all economic help to the sinhala.

It was because of the ltte that India retained it's influence and it was ONLY India that can and did help the sinhala to wipe out the ltte. Neither the pakis nor the chinese have the wherewithal to have supported the sinhala like the Indian Navy did.

Truly we are f(uked and far from home.

Our NSAs are only fit to become governors in some bloody state or other,recompense for having been asleep at the wheel. The PM is focused on some piddly panju pappi jhappi and rajmata concerned with the eyetalians and the vatican. The economy has gone down the toilet for lack of any coherent policy and the amrekis are scrambling to get out of AFPAK, leaving us squarely in the cross hair's of the talibanis.

Interesting times.....

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 26 Mar 2013 19:46

chetak wrote: Truly we are f(uked and far from home.

I propose we elect Rajapakshe as the PM of India. We can use the Sinhala cunning.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 26 Mar 2013 19:56

Sanku wrote:
chetak wrote: Truly we are f(uked and far from home.
I propose we elect Rajapakshe as the PM of India. We can use the Sinhala cunning.

Saar, have you read Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 by Syed Saleem Shahzad?? Copy available from the usual shady sources or it can be arranged easily. Shahzad is supposed to have been killed by the ISI because of his book.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 26 Mar 2013 20:30

Sanku wrote: Personally, I think that instead of blaming the Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu's in India, including Tamils (this does not include "was Ram an engineering" type of specimen and his similar cohorts ) need to learn a few things from them.

Like what ? So Hindus have to learn from Buddhists, great. I remember Shiv and others urging Hindus to learn from Sikhs. For a Hindutva forum, we do have a very low opinion on Hindus.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 26 Mar 2013 20:35

SwamyG wrote:
Sanku wrote: Personally, I think that instead of blaming the Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu's in India, including Tamils (this does not include "was Ram an engineering" type of specimen and his similar cohorts ) need to learn a few things from them.
Like what ? So Hindus have to learn from Buddhists, great. I remember Shiv and others urging Hindus to learn from Sikhs. For a Hindutva forum, we do have a very low opinion on Hindus.

We have been warned against using the "D" word on this thread, but Buddhists and Sikhs are also Hindu. So says our Constitution and so says Hindutva!

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 26 Mar 2013 20:36

Australia can afford to leave New Zealand to its own means, so can several other large countries having smaller neighbors. India unfortunately is not in that state, it has enemies and it better keep its smaller neighbors firmly in its pockets else the enemies will shove them into their pockets. I do not envy these small neighbor countries, they better learn from history who to side with.

Play nice to nice countries, play nasty with nasty countries.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 26 Mar 2013 21:45

chetak wrote:
Sanku wrote:
I propose we elect Rajapakshe as the PM of India. We can use the Sinhala cunning.

Saar, have you read Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 by Syed Saleem Shahzad?? Copy available from the usual shady sources or it can be arranged easily. Shahzad is supposed to have been killed by the ISI because of his book.

No Saar, I have not, but I didnt quite understand the allusion here. Please help.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 26 Mar 2013 21:48

RajeshA wrote:
SwamyG wrote:"Sanku">>
Personally, I think that instead of blaming the Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu's in India, including Tamils (this does not include "was Ram an engineering" type of specimen and his similar cohorts ) need to learn a few things from them.

Like what ? So Hindus have to learn from Buddhists, great. I remember Shiv and others urging Hindus to learn from Sikhs. For a Hindutva forum, we do have a very low opinion on Hindus.
We have been warned against using the "D" word on this thread, but Buddhists and Sikhs are also Hindu. So says our Constitution and so says Hindutva!

I agree with RajeshA's ji answer, however that post was in a fit of pique. It seems that even the much maligned SLs can impose at least some elements of a national will where as we cant even decide on the face of a postage stamp.