The Nudge From Delhi

| by Tisaranee Gunasekara
All neighbourly and easy talk are gone..
Yeats (The Curse of Cromwell)
( August 24, 2014, olombo, !ri "anka Guardian# Narendra Modi has spoken.
And his words are no different from Manmohan Singhs.
During his meeting with the TNA Mr. Modi has laid down the parameters of his
administrations preferred solution to the Lankan ethnic problem. A political package
which builds on the 1th Amendment! within a united Sri Lanka " meaning! in essence!
1# up to federalism" not 1$! which is the status %uo" and not confederation! let alone
separation.
This &'( stance is no different %ualitati)el* from that of the pre)ious +ongress
administration. The difference! if there is to be a difference! will be in the
implementation mechanics. ,ill Mr. Modi mount consistent pressure on +olombo to
restore 1 and mo)e be*ond! within a specific time frame- ,ill there be a ./oad Map-
0r will 1ndian pressure ebb and flow! depending mostl* on e2trinsic matters such as
+olombos relationship with &ei3ing and Mr. Modis own politico$electoral needs-
Mr. Modis stance seems to ha)e taken +olombo b* surprise! e)en though it is similar
to what was told to (resident /a3apaksa when the two leaders met immediatel* after
the 1ndian premiers inauguration. 1n the interim period! the /a3apaksas seemed to
ha)e returned to the belief that as fellow ma3oritarian$supremacists 4and anti$
Muslims5! the* and the &'( will be able to establish a special relationship. 1n forming
this misconception the* would ha)e been aided and abetted to no small degree b*
Subramaniam Swam*.
The Siblings ob)iousl* belie)ed that Dr. Swam* has a decisi)e sa* in the formulation of
Modi go)ernments Lankan polic*! e)en though he 3oined the &'( onl* in 671 . The
/a3apaksas ma* ha)e thought Subramaniam Swam* was speaking for Narendra Modi!
when he pronounced! at the recentl* concluded Defence Seminar! that Sri Lanka has
onl* a linguistic problem and not an ethnic problem . Dr. Swam* was )ocal in his
opposition not 3ust to 1# but e)en to 1! stating that the North has no need for police
powers! to the manifest delight of the /a3apaksas and assorted Sinhala$&uddhist
supremacists.
,hen Dr. Swam* said that the TNA leaders cannot )isit Delhi until and unless the*
obtain permission from (resident /a3apaksa! +olombo ma* ha)e belie)ed he was
e2pressing the new Modi Doctrine.
Though sections of the 8(9A percei)ed Swam* as a powerful )oice of a polic* maker
in:.&'( ;o)ernment! his remarks made clear he was not in the loop on ke* issues
between +olombo and New Delhi. The TNA )isit planned earlier had been kept a
closel* guarded secret until two da*s ahead of the delegations departure.<
Mr. Modis stance on the Lankan ethnic problem is an une2ceptionable one! unless *ou
are a Sinhala$&uddhist supremacist or a Tamil e2tremist. =is backing for 1# would be
e%uall* unacceptable to the /a3apaksas and to the Tamil Diaspora hardliners.
According to The Sunda* Times (resident /a3apaksa is angr* about the TNA )isit . &ut
howe)er enraged the /a3apaksas might be! the* are unlikel* to respond abrasi)el* to
the latest message from Delhi! after the fiasco of the Defence Ministr* website article.
1t is possible that instead of a strident official response! the /a3apaksas will opt for
official silence and shrill unofficial reaction. The Siblings might use their useful
e2tremist pawns 4Ministers ,eerawansa and /anawaka>&&S and Sinhala /a)a*a5 to
unleash a screaming campaign against 1ndian interference.
The /a3apaksas are opposed to de)olution for the same reason the* are opposed to
di)ision of powers or to fundamental human rights. The* see all these democratic
measures as impediments to their abiding desire ? to rule supreme and long. @)er
since winning the (residenc* in 0ctober 677A 4thanks mainl* to the inane bo*cott
imposed b* Bellupillai (irapaharan5 the Siblings ha)e been mo)ing ine2orabl* to
occup* e)er* Lankan space and institution! so that the* can ha)e their undisputed wa*
not 3ust in the North but also in the South! not 3ust with the minorities but also with
the ma3orit* ? including &uddhist monks:
To $%%u&y the Nation
Last week! Ben. Maduluwa)e Sobitha Thero charged that the go)ernment is planning
to gi)e itself the power to appoint chief incumbents to temples through the new
Temple 0rdinance . Traditionall* this power has rested with the e2isting chief
incumbent and>or the heads of the rele)ant Nika*a. These archaic laws! which often
turn temples into the pri)ate propert* of chief incumbents and result in the ordination
of unsuitable relati)es for the sole purpose of keeping temples in familial hands! need
to be amended. =owe)er the solution must not be worse than the problem. 1f a
+ommissioner ;eneral functioning under the Ministr* of &uddha Sasana is to be gi)en
e2traordinar* powers o)er temples! including the authorit* to appoint chief
incumbents! it will place the Sangha Sasana under the /a3apaksa thumb. This wa* the
/a3apaksas will be able to use the law to reward their robed$acol*tes and to punish
those monks who oppose them. 1f enacted! such a law will further encourage anti$
&uddhist beha)iour among monks. More monks will wallow in e2tremism! in the hope
of getting their hands on prestigious and lucrati)e temple properties. Such a
de)elopment will be inimical both to Sri Lanka and to &uddhism in Sri Lanka.
The /a3apaksas continue to undermine the 1th Amendment for the same reason the*
are undermining e)er* Lankan institution! norm and tradition.
This *ear a student was admitted to a uni)ersit*! outside the normal procedure! due to
political influence. The influence reportedl* came from (arliamentarian Namal
/a3apaksa.
8ntil this *ear! uni)ersit* admissions remained one of the few areas untouched b* the
corrupting influence of partisan$politicisation. Cou made it to the uni)ersit* $ or didnt
$ thanks to *our own efforts. Not an* more. A letter b* Namal /a3apaksa has resulted
in a student being admitted to a national uni)ersit*. Since the Minister of =igher
@ducation defends this unprecedented action and the president has failed to sa* a
word about his sons e2ecrable conduct! it is reasonable to assume that in the near
future political influence and not merit will become the decisi)e factor in uni)ersit*
admissions.
The /a3apaksas ha)e sub)erted another decent Lankan practice.
The /a3apaksas want to rule supreme. Their real concern is not Lankan so)ereignt* or
e)en Sinhala$&uddhist supremacism. &oth are )ehicles to achie)e what the* reall*
desire ? /a3apaksa supremacism and /a3apaksa so)ereignt*.
According to The Sunda* Times! the Monitoring M( for 9oreign Affairs! Sa3in Baas
;unawardane has signed another deal with another American public relations firm! for
D months at a monthl* fee of 8SE A!777 4/s. DA7!7775 .
And! again according to The Sunda* Times! (resident /a3apaksa has gone abroad! to
the 8S. The purpose of the )isit is said to be pri)ate! to meet with his brother .
+ontrar* to their rhetoric! the /a3apaksas cannot do without the 8SA. Two of the three
/uling Siblings are American Lankans. 1f ,ashington imposes tra)el and asset bans
on top Lankan leaders and officials at the conclusion of 8N=/+ in)estigation! it will
be an enormous blow to the /uling 9amil*.
Thus the hurr* to hire multiple (/ firms.
(/ firms do not decide 8S foreign polic*! an*more than Dr. Swam* is (remier Modis
Lankan a)atar. &ut learning lessons from past mistakes re%uires some intelligence.
References;
1. httpF>>Geenews.india.com>news>nation>ensure$3ustice$for$tamils$pm$narendra$
modi$tells$sri$lankaHIADDII.html
2. httpF>>www.hindustantimes.com>india$news>newdelhi>subramanian$swam*$s$
part*$unites$with$b3p>article1$117DAJ1.asp2
3. httpF>>www.defence.lk>new.asp-
fnameKlankaH)ictor*HourHsecurit*HdrHsubramanianHswam*H671L7J61H7
4. httpF>>www.sunda*times.lk>1L7J6L>columns>us$probes$monitoring$mps$
huge$deals$with$pr$firms$11LDMI.html
A. 1bid
6. httpF>>www.bbc.co.uk>sinhala>sriHlanka>671L>7J>1L7J61HranilHandHsobitha.
shtml
7. httpF>>www.sunda*times.lk>1L7J6L>columns>us$probes$monitoring$mps$
huge$deals$with$pr$firms$11LDMI.html
8. httpF>>www.sunda*times.lk>1L7J6L>news>president$off$to$us$11LMIL.html
Posted by Thavam