Desicritics Category: Politics: War

India's Post-Independence Fight For Freedom

Aditi Nadkarni — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:55:37 EST

Let me cut right to the chase here. This is unacceptable. Let me say it again for emphasis. It is not just bothersome or even upsetting. It is unacceptable. In the 21st century, in a democratic, secular nation, what has been going on, festering like a recurrent lesion, sprouting in every part of India, is just, simply unacceptable and will not do.

In case you are wondering who it is that's going to stand up to it: we are. We will not allow our freedom to be violated and we will make sure we protect the independence we fought long and hard to get the first time around. We have come a long way. We have seen the change and been the change. So who better than our pioneering, hot-blooded breed to stand up to the revolting and shockingly regressive acts of a few who feel threatened by progress.

They are just acting out of fear. It is obvious, isn't it? They attack in packs, afraid to be the lone ones incriminated. They target women and assault safely from behind the vague curtains of culture. But we all know that it isn't their culture that is in grave danger. Their position, their power and the extent of their bullying is in great peril. The places where they once ruled the roost are now turning into big, bustling cities making them feel like small, insignificant fish in a big sea.

Institutions and companies have transported the educated, smart crowd into the vacuum in which these bullies once enjoyed unfettered omnipotence. Now, in place of the void, there is a young, vivacious bunch of professionals, men and women who work hard and party hard and do so shoulder to shoulder. These people are harder to manipulate. This crowd has not just taken over, they threaten to pull into their growing ilk, the younger ones too. Business are bending over backwards to accommodate the needs of this new species and everything that once belonged to the bullies is now up for grabs. So they are retaliating. They are like petulant little children who couldn't have all that they demanded, hated sharing and so now are acting up. Therefore it is up to us, the educated class to teach these spoiled little brats to grow up and stop reacting so bizarrely to change. We must do it in a manner that is as different from theirs as is humanly possible.

So now comes the big question: how do we do it? How do we make our presence known? The answer may seem too simplistic because it sits smack in front of our faces. Think about it: we travel through these cities like one stream of blood, flowing steadily, keeping the city alive, stuffed in trains, piled into buses, walking along the teeming streets. Even partying and a trip to the movie theater is all the more fun with a group. We work in teams and are all the more effective for that. We discuss films, fashion, clothes, the economy, the job market and even our health problems. Yet this fear of walking out on the streets of a free country seems like a personal problem, like we were alone in that walk, like when a bully arrived with his little gang and punched us in the face, we would be all by ourselves and the world around us would just suddenly go blind. What we forget is that in this lonely fear too, we are still together. In this anger against the unfairness of the situation, we are together. We can if we decided, be together in the one resolute determination of not letting a handful of insecure men undo all that we have put into making our cities. So the answer is simple. Whatever it is we do, we do it together.

We celebrated Valentine's Day battling fear and took the threats in our stride defanging the demons with the pink disarming humor of our proud underwear. With the International Women's Day approaching, it is time to get serious. In our busy, routine lives we have underestimated the power of silent, non-violent protests. All it takes is for people to stand at a side-walk with banners to get word around. Some major struggles were won with this strategy and somewhere along the line we just shrugged and rolled our eyes at the quiet potential of public demonstrations and satyagrahas. Maybe we started taking our precious freedom for granted and needed to be reminded that we simply cannot. We have to earn it and when someone tries to snatch it, we fight for it.

It is important, I feel, in today's world to use media smartly. Instead of constantly criticizing media's inadequacies, we could use it as a tool. Find a niche and throw yourself into the swift current of this ever growing medium. Find a female leader in your area who is looking to make an arrival on the political scene. Do a little research. If one political party is making your life difficult for wearing jeans and celebrating Valentine's Day and there damn well must be another party that will fight for your votes, or can be persuaded to do so.

Find a celebrity who is willing to make your cause their own or give your movement their support and voice. Find a television network, a newspaper or a magazine that will run your story and provide your opinions with a voice. Find an artist who will put your thoughts into a slogan or a creative, riveting poster. Write to your city officials, your ministers and drown their offices in letters of your indignant protest. Just remember that one or two voices are easy to be ignored. If you are fuming over a coffee mug at your kitchen table, take that rage to a medium that will express it in the most noticeable manner possible.

Haven't we whined about a dysfunctional system for too long? When has this "system" ever worked? Maybe we just don't realize that we are one of the appendages of this faulty system. If the system is not working, we, as a group could propel in into motion. What will it take for us to get off our bums and make a placard with a strong message on it? This is not a women's liberation movement at all. Genders cannot be fighting alone in a battle such as this one. It could be your sister wearing jeans, coming home from work. It could be your teenage daughter walking back from school or college, the neighborhood aunty who brought you food when you were sick, a dear friend or your colleague. Most importantly, it is them today and it could be you next.

Let us review what the odds are of your being targeted next. You have a very high chance of being next on the hit-list if you answer 'Yes' for any of the following questions. Are you considered an "outsider" in Bangalore or a non-Maharashtrian in Maharashtra? Do you party? Do you meet up with friends at pubs? Do you wear jeans or clothing that may not be considered "Indian"? Do you eat pizza or meat? Do you drink alcoholic beverages? Does your religious persuasion always match that of the political party currently raging a mini-war in the nation you know of as secular? Do you send children to convent or English medium schools? Do you have a spouse of a different religious persuasion than yours? Do you have friends of the opposite sex? Are you married to the girl you are driving home from work or who you happen to be having dinner with? Are you non-conversant in Marathi in Mumbai or in Kannada in Bangalore? Are you a blogger or a journalist who expresses their opinions about politics, culture, media and religion? In spite of your qualifications and the six figure salary, do you have no clout with the local law enforcement or political activists? Before you fall asleep at night you should take a moment to wonder which one of these labels will be tagged onto your identity and turned into a vice or a disqualification; which one of these labels will plant nagging fear into your routine as you go about working to make a living, partying to rid your stress and walking on the streets of a country whose freedom you celebrate once a year on a public holiday. India did fight a freedom struggle years ago and it is high time that yet another quest for independence begins.

As a civilized society, we must remember that curbed freedom is a disease, an epidemic that does not spare a gender or a certain religion. It has uprooted saplings of modern, free thinking from Afghanistan and left it barren under the regime of the Taliban school of thought. This disease feeds on your fear and on the social inertia that has settled over our generation. An active, proud and independent public cannot let this inertia set in. Let it be known that this disease feeds most of all on the little disabling voice in your head which tells you that this is not your struggle, that it isn't your battle to fight. Sadly, this malady spreads, swallowing in its wake our hard-earned progress, until the feeble voice in your head is one day replaced with the grim realization that your own struggle has arrived. The assailant and his prejudice have changed form and you are the next prey. And there is nobody left to fight for you or with you.

Meeting The Congressman For The Sri Lanka LTTE Crisis

Kalugu — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:21:20 EST

Well finally I have met a US Congressman - I mean a personal meeting with a politician for the first time in my life.

Living in the relatively remote Midwest region of USA with a very small Indian community, the inaction of the Indian government over the human sufferings in Sri Lanka has been a factor of frustration for quite some time now, not just for me but for quite a few family friends here. Watching the human suffering and the brutality of the Sri Lankan forces for several weeks has finally thrust me to swing into action. Consultation with friends lead us to conclude that meeting the district Congressman and presenting the evidences for human rights violations would be the most logical step.

After launching a swift online signature campaign with area residents of Indian origin, we started working with the congressman's office to get an appointment. We were hoping to have a personal meeting at the Congressman's office so that we can show the videos and images that have bothered us much. However the scheduler/Office Manager of the Congressman informed me that the Congressman is busy until a month or so and asked if I would be interested in meeting him at an event in two days. I was aware that the US Senate foreign relations committee is planning to discuss the Sri Lanka crisis in a week and thought the timing would be perfect.

With a decent number of signatures by several area Indians (Not just Tamils, but the entire Indian community signed it displaying a sign of solidarity) and the disturbing videos and images burned to a CD, six of us were all set to meet the Congressman.

We were quite apprehensive about discussing the issue openly since the Tamil rebels are still proscribed in the USA. We all agreed that we will not make any references to the rebels in our discussion but focus on the excesses committed by the Sri Lankan forces.

The meeting was to take place at the Health Care field hearing scheduled at the downtown church. We arrived early and were waiting for the District Director & Staff Agent who was supposed to brief us about the standard procedures of meeting the Congressman and facilitate the meeting.

The Staff Agent arrived and was indeed very helpful and appreciated us for bringing the issue to the Congressman's attention. He also appreciated us for having run the signature campaign. After listening to the information we provided, the Staff Agent collected the file folder with the signed petition and the CD's and informed us that we will be able to meet the Congressman prior or after the event. He also advised us to forward the petition and evidences to other committee members, especially members on the foreign relations committee.

The Congressman arrived and was greeted by few public that were waiting to meet him just like us. The Congressman engaged in a long conversation with a lady who appeared to be in despair due to a loss of a family member. The Congressman was very polite and listened to her long story and hugged her to offer some solace. We knew then that we will have to sit through the meeting and will be able to meet the congressman only at the end of the event. Some of my friends decided to drive home and come back later, while three of us decided to stay.

We found the Health Care field hearing very informative. I was very impressed at the way the hearing was organized.

I started comparing the meeting with that of meetings involving Indians. Be it in India or the USA a meeting involving similar crowd would have been really noisy and full of confusion and chaos. I think we have to accept that confusion and chaos have become part of the Indian culture.

Americans sure have mastered the art of organizing events. Simple process's put in place by the organizers made the event progress in a smooth fashion. The Congressman was very polite and had a fair sense of humor and handled the questions well. A native Indian member who was full of humor asked the Congressman if he needed a job, referring to the acute shortage of doctors and paramedics in his clinic operating in the nearby Indian reservation. The Congressman also did not hesitate to ask for assistance from the folks in the crowd when he was not sure of some statistics.

Finally the meeting got over and we got the opportunity to talk to the Congressman. When I introduced myself and my friends, I mentioned that our roots are in India and we wanted to highlight the crisis in the South Asian nation of Sri Lanka. The congressman immediately said "I have a Tamil Tiger in my office". Looking at our blank reaction, he continued "That was a Joke...". He was making a reference to a Sri Lankan Tamil who works in his office. The Congressman seemed to be very knowledgeable about the happenings in Sri Lanka (obviously).

We informed about the evidences we have compiled and requested the Congressman to take up the issue appropriately and help bring justice to the people. The Congressman said before ending the conversation that he would like to one day visit Sri Lanka and have a vacation there.

That day may be too far away with the approach taken by most involved parties that have a stake in the region.

We all left home with a sense of relief that we have done the right thing. We do not know if the Congressman will be able to stop the terror faced by the people in the war zone, but we are happy based on what is mentioned in Bagavath Geethai - "Do your duty, Do not expect returns".

Satellites Colliding in Space

DeeptiA — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:26:08 EST

One always thinks of space as a large open area, with plenty of space in all directions. You combine this space with the concept of satellites being well regulated and following controlled orbits, and then it is difficult to believe that satellites under the control of such countries such as the United States and Russia could actually collide, and yet that is exactly what seems to have happened:

The collision between a U.S. and a Russian satellite over Siberia may have been accidental and the first of its kind, but experts say more crashes will inevitably occur and could have geopolitical consequences. "This is an event that really makes us realize that things are not so straightforward as we originally thought," said Francisco Diego, a senior research fellow in physics and astronomy at University College London.

The collision, between a spacecraft operated by U.S. communications group Iridium Satellite LLC and a Russian Cosmos-2251 military satellite, happened 485 miles above the Russian Arctic on Tuesday afternoon. The crash sent at least 600 pieces of debris off into space, officials said, increasing the risk that other satellites, including the vast International Space Station, which orbits 220 miles up, could be struck and damaged.

This crash may have been accidental, but what is to prevent countries from investing in such technologies? For example, a couple of such crashes have the effect of impacting the GPS and communication technologies that are used by the US military to great affect. Already, the US is looking at even guiding bombs through the use of GPS and satellite, which makes the demolition of satellites an important aspect in war.

Military Spending - You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours

Ruchi — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:20:58 EST

India's military is forecast to spend at least USD $30B by 2012 (USD $100B by 2017). Of this, a sizable outlay is for 126 fighter jets, in what constitutes the world's largest military tender in recent years. Predictably, the IAF is fielding execs from Lockheed, Boeing, European Aeronautic Defence, MiG Corp etc. Lockheed actually set up office in Mumbai this month.

Military spending is ostensibly to ensure the safety of the country's citizens. Our army force consists of 1.3 M active troops, staffed overwhelmingly from the country's poorest citizens (but that is de-rigueur of most countries (excepting countries with military drafts like Israel, Lebanon, Singapore etc). Groundstaff in India is in some ways disposable: lax admission criteria; poor training; sucky work conditions; and on death a paltry compensation to surviving family members. I remember once tailing an infantry truck, its scrawny occupants lulled to stillness (perhaps a long journey), vacant expressions on face. The thought that these men will be armed and sent out to kill/die unsettled me - the power of a few over so many to compel extreme action without agreement or even understanding, something is clearly terribly awry. The other poorest die like flies anyway, but that's okay - our stock is abundant and replenished perpetually. So here we have, a country where the poorest die to protect the interests of the rich: internally as cheap, disposable labor, and externally, as cheap disposable military rank and file. The rich of course don't feel any compulsion to contribute to economic development of the poor. But we digress.

Going back to the original premise: military spending for citizen safety. So let's view the (external) threat to India. This investment in fighter jets etc is relevant only in combat with a formal army, not guerilla insurgency. So credibly, which countries pose a threat to India? Nepal, Burma, Bhutan and Bangladesh are largely harmless. Sri Lanka is dealing with LTTE but other than few skirmishes in the south, India remains uninvolved. Let's examine the remaining three: Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.

Sure, Afghanistan is a hot bed of islamic extremism but for the moment that is being combated by the American (and under coercion) by Pakistan. India's involvement is largely limited to development activity there, which seems to be good strategic thinking. Pakistan of course has repeatedly demonstrated a proclivity for under-the-table support to insurgency. Given the country's schitzophrenic government (civilian/military at odds with each other) and their recent pussyfutting in the aftermath of Mumbai attacks, it seems unlikely that the country will instigate a full-on war. Neither will we. Even after the Mumbai attacks, all the war talk and the amassing of artillery and soldiers on the border was just for show.

Th only real threat is China. We have disputed territory with China (and a war over it). China's 2008 military budget is $59 (US estimates put China's budget at $138B) and it has the largest active force (2.25M) in the world. China's government is clearly not keen on either transparency, civil dissent or human rights as evidenced by its investment in Sudan oil, censorship including online news, tamp-down on its own citizens demanding accountability after the school collapses. Plus there's always something in the news about tainted Chinese produce - poisonous toothpase, lead in toys, melamine in milk blah blah. Hence, China bad! Yet, what are the odds of a full throttle war between China and India (a more likely scenario is India supporting America in its war with China). While I can kind of see covert support (in alliance with Pakistan) for insurgency in India, I don't see China initiating a war with India over a little piece of Arunachal Pradesh (China is already going to have a hard time dealing with its billion plus population with the global economic downturn, and dwindling market for its manufacturing exports). China's GDP is export-centric, and in the trade agreements era, China is unlikely to want to divide its trading partners into supporters or non-supporters. Anyway, America/Europe is unlikely to side with China. Russia could swing either way, leaning towards China. Everyone else is inconsequential (Middle-East is good for oil, but they are unlikely to engage).

So this brings us to the question: what the hell are we doing floating the world's largest military tender at this time, with the global economy in recession, our budget with a disastrous (growing) fiscal deficit and enormous public debt?

Hmm, maybe it will be an interesting RTI exercise to see how AK Antony and Inc personal assets fare in the next year or so after the contracts have been awarded.

Territorial Extremism vs Religious Extremism

Chirag — Sun, 8 Feb 2009 07:54:11 EST

February 15th, 1989 was a day when a war-ravaged country saw a glimmer of hope after ten long years. The Soviet Union finally decided to withdraw from Afghanistan where they had arrived uninvited in 1979. Capitalistic-democracy, then had its greatest victory ever with the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 26th, 1991.
The Cold War had finally ended & the world should have been a better place. Unfortunately, a grave mistake was being committed amidst all the fervour behind building a Capitalistic, Democratic world. The United States fighting alongside the mujahideen withdrew its troops irresponsibly from Afghanistan. The fight against Territorial aggression would now transform itself into a Religious crusade.

One should notice that the causes for modern day War have essentially had three dimensions - Political, Territorial or Economic. However, after the cold war, a forgotten, more dangerous, dimension was brought back with renewed vigour to modern day war-Religion. Though one can argue that the Second World War, the Palestinian intifada have had religious dimensions, the background to these wars remain to be the three causes mentioned above.

This new war however has only one dimension - Religion. A war in which the participant is guaranteed ultimate glory in the afterlife. This makes death a sought after climax leaving the adversary with very little to threaten.

Despite being a misinterpretation, one has to wonder as to how death can appeal to a larger audience. The point that is often overlooked is that Religious extremism is not all about Religion. There are two parts in motivating the naive participant, one is the misinterpreted religious factor of course, but the second being stories of war crimes, territorial aggression, territorial occupation, humiliation, etc on countries with a predominant population of the religion. Even if the participant has the slightest predicament against the first factor- a misinterpretation, this predicament is rubbished with the second factor which is almost, entirely true. So the motivator uses modern day dimensions of war as much as the Religious dimension. It is only that the religious dimension presents a wider audience, not limited by territory.

So, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Palestinian state broken up to form the State of Israel, the United States fueling the Gulf war, increased United States military presence in the Middle East, Bosnia-1992, Chechnya, Iraq-2003, Israel-Gaza 2008, etc,, are seen as acts of Territorial aggression, Territorial ambition or more candidly Territorial extremism. Rightly so. Such acts have all but complemented the second factor mentioned earlier.

Religious extremism claims innocent lives - never justified. Territorial aggression claims innocent lives - never justified.

Territorial aggression becomes Territorial extremism when economic gains, political mileage, regional supremacy or presence, territorial ambitions, etc are the dirty hidden intentions behind establishing a democratic world. Territorial aggression has existed for centuries & has been accepted more or less, now as aggressive foreign policy & nothing more. Religious extremist backlash in the modern world however, seems to be the ugly fallout. The sad & disgraceful thing with both forms of extremism is the loss of innocent lives.

A war or a jihad, if ever necessary, was meant to engage the militia of the enemy & never unarmed women & children. Let each country evolve itself into the democratic world. Presence of foreign militia to achieve this is perceived only as an imposition rather than a privilege. Interestingly, etymology of the word Terrorism, if ever re-derived seems better derived from Territory-Extremism rather than Religion-Extremism.

Sri Lanka-LTTE War: The Shifting Semantics of a Political Solution

Kalugu — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 08:15:49 EST

On Sunday, 31st January, the Red Cross said in a statement that the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital in Vanni region received two direct hits from Sri Lankan Army shelling. "We're shocked that the hospital was hit, and this for the second time in recent weeks," said Paul Castella, head of the Colombo delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Wounded and sick people, medical personnel and medical facilities are all protected by international humanitarian law. Under no circumstance may they be directly attacked." The hospital, which has some 500 inpatients, is one of the few still operating in the region.

A "handful" of United Nations staff are working around the clock to save a growing number of children caught in the crossfire, a U.N. spokesman said Saturday. Children as young as 4 months old were being treated in local hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other "wounds of war," spokesman James Elder told CNN.

The 48 hour respite announced by the government has ended as an act of eye-wash while 80 innocent Tamil civilians have been killed and 230 have been injured in the said 48 hours and that too within the government declared ‘safety zone’ in Vanni. During this 48 hour safe passage assured for the civilians which ended on Sunday, about 70 civilians crossed over to the government held areas. The LTTE announced that it will neither encourage or stop the civilians from moving to any area they feel as safe but will protect the civilians that stay in their territory. Most of the 250,000 civilians appear to be staunch supporters of the rebel movement that they have decided to stay in the rebel held areas.

Meanwhile Sri Lankan Government officials accused aid organizations and foreign media of sensationalizing civilian casualties. In an interview to local media as reported by The Guardian, the defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, highlighted the role of ambassadors of Switzerland and Germany, and television networks CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera in his criticism of foreigners, accusing them of being biased towards the LTTE rebels. "They will be chased away" he said. In the newspaper article, he singled out the BBC correspondent reporting from Colombo, Chris Morris, saying that "if he does not act responsibly and attempts to create panic, I will have to chase him out of the country"

The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in a show of solidarity held large scale protests last week in Toronto, Canada and London, UK that gained live coverage in the local media. The protests were reported as something that these cities have never witnessed.

About 80,000 individuals took part in the Human Chain protest in Toronto, Canada and shouted slogans supporting the independence of Tamil Eelam and immediate ceasefire.

In London, UK about 130,000 individuals, mostly Tamils took to the streets also calling for Independence for Tamil Eelam. Few British parliamentarians who were present during the protests, spoke to the crowd. British Parliamentarian Mr Keith Vaz said "Over there across the road is the Indian Embassy. We urge the Indian government in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi to call for peace, to call for democracy".

It is ironic to see a Britisher asking India to honor Mahatma Gandhi.

In Chennai, India, more than 10,000 activists of political parties and social outfits, including a large number of students and youth, on Saturday bade an emotional farewell to Muthukumar, who had set himself ablaze for the Sri Lankan Tamil cause. They chanted slogans seeking recognition for an independent Tamil Eelam, hailing LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran and condemned India for its alleged support to Sri Lanka in the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, the newly-formed Sri Lankan Tamils' Protection Movement, comprising several political parties, announced a state-wide general strike on February 4 and black flag processions on February 7 demanding a ceasefire in the island nation. The strike will coincide with Sri Lanka's Independence Day.

Apprehending student unrest across Tamil Nadu over the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, the state government on Saturday night closed all government and private colleges and hostels for an indefinite period. Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, protesters torched a state-owned bus near Vellore, while 225 people were arrested in Thanjavur when they tried to lay siege on the Air Force station. They were protesting against the alleged use of the Air Force station for sending arms to Lanka.

As the international pressure from governments and Tamil diaspora mount on the Sri Lankan government, more analysts are making note that an Independent Tamil Eelam is now a political solution where as a united Sri Lanka has become a military one. The shift in the semantics does indicate that a military victory over LTTE as speculated by the Sri Lankan government may probably not end the crisis.

An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton on the Sri Lankan Issue

Vinod Joseph — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:35:08 EST

Dear Ms. Clinton

Congratulations on your new role as the Secretary of State for the new administration headed by Barack Obama. The world has extraordinary expectations for the new team in Washington D.C. I’m sure that you have a long ‘to do’ list with each item ranked in order of priority. Doubtless, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Pakistan are up there on top of the list. My objective in writing this letter was to bring to your notice yet another geography that is in equally dire straits. Sri Lanka. I’m sure that Sri Lanka is somewhere on your list, though small island nation that it is, it is unlikely to rank very high.

Ms. Clinton, it’s possible you’ve heard this story before, but let me repeat it nevertheless. Sometime in the mid-1960s, just after Singapore broke off from Malaysia, a delegation from Singapore travelled to Sri Lanka. The Singaporean delegation was so impressed with Sri Lanka’s development, that they wistfully wondered when Singapore would ever catch up. The Singaporeans needn’t have worried. They hadn’t factored in Sri Lankan chauvinism or short-sightedness. The Sri Lankans started to follow a Sinhala-first policy. Schools started to teach only in Sinhalese. The Sinhalese got priority in jobs. And the Tamils started a movement for an independent state. I should actually say movements and not movement. There were many Tamil organisations and many leaders. The Indians (with unbelievable stupidity) gave the Tamil fighters not only moral support, but also military support, in the form of weapons and training.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam emerged as the most prominent of the various Tamil groups. Displaying unbelievable ruthlessness very early on, they decimated all other Tamil groups. They also killed off all Tamil leaders who spoke up against them. They perfected the art of suicide bombing. They also recruited women and child soldiers on a very large scale and continue to do so even now.

Soon India harvested what it had sowed. An Indian Peace-Keeping Force (“IPKF”) sent to Sri Lanka in good faith to effect a peace treaty brokered by India ended up fighting the LTTE. The IPKF returned to India after taking over a thousand casualties. It was India’s Vietnam and Afghanistan combined. For good measure, the LTTE killed India’s ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The LTTE is headed by the ruthless Velupillai Prabhakaran (also spelt as Pirapakaran or Pirabhakaran), a veritable Pol Pot, second to none in sheer megalomania and ruthlessness. Thanks to Prabhakaran, the LTTE is unwilling to settle for any thing other than total Independence or Eelam. Various peace proposals offered to the LTTE have been rejected. At times, the LTTE has taken part in peace negotiations, but has always used the cease-fire to regroup and rearm. The LTTE tolerates no dissent. Though it does not claim to support or endorse or oppose any religion, in 1990, Prabhakaran decided that Sri Lankan Muslims are not trustworthy and evicted over a hundred thousand Muslims from areas controlled by the LTTE in northern and north eastern Sri Lanka, such as Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu and Mannar. The LTTE is one of the few guerrilla organisations in the world capable of holding territory and fighting a conventional battle. They have a naval wing – the Sea Tigers. They have a fledgling air force, the Tamil Eelam Air Force. They have the Truth Tigers, a bunch of videographers who follow the LTTE’s frontline fighters and record the fighting, at enormous risk to themselves. The LTTE have even tried their hand at developing a submarine wing!

The LTTE is supported financially and otherwise mainly by the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora living across the world. For example, there are over 300,000 Tamils in the UK, of whom the majority are of Sri Lankan origin. Many of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora support the LTTE since they have family members living in areas under the LTTE’s control. They are a few Sri Lankan Tamils, like the writer Shobasakthi, who are willing to speak out against the LTTE.

From September 1998 when the LTTE captured Kilinochchi from the Sri Lankan army until February 2002 when the most recent ceasefire agreement came into effect, the LTTE had a bull run on the battlefield. The captured the Elephant Pass in April 2000 and soon had the whole of northern and most of north-eastern Sri Lanka (with the exception of Jaffna which they lost in 1995) under their control. The Sri Lankan government was on the ropes.

During the cease-fire, divisions between Sri Lankan Tamils from northern Sri Lanka and those from the north-east came to the fore. 1n 1994, Karuna, the second-in-command in the LTTE, a Tamil from the north-east, defected from the LTTE with many of his fighters. Traditionally, north-eastern Sri Lanka has provided the bulk of conventional fighters to the LTTE, though Tamils from northern Sri Lanka formed the aristocracy within the LTTE. After Karuna left the LTTE, the LTTE started to weaken. In the November 2005 Presidential elections, Sri Lanka got a President who could give Velupillai Prabhakaran a close run in a brutality contest. Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa has been single-minded in his determination to defeat the LTTE. He has boosted defence spending and clamped down on civil rights. Within a short while of coming to power, Rajapaksa restarted military operations against the LTTE. Despite occasional setbacks, the Sri Lankan army has had remarkable success against the LTTE. They threw the LTTE out of the eastern provinces, which used to be Colonel Karuna’s fiefdom. They have recently captured Kilinochchi, the civilian headquarters of the LTTE and Mullaithivu town, the LTTE’s military headquarters. Paranthan, a strategically important town on the A9 Road from Colombo to Jaffna has been taken. The A9 Road itself is now entirely under the government’s control. And the LTTE is now bottled up in the jungles of Mullaithivu, in an area of around 300 square kilometres.

As the LTTE retreated from Kilinochchi, they forced the entire civilian population of Kilinochchi to flee with them. A similar fate has met other civilians in areas under the LTTE’s control. Right now, over 250,000 people are held as human shields by the LTTE in the small and rapidly shrinking 300 square kilometres area under their control. The people under the LTTE’s control are, as may be expected, not allowed to leave the forests and escape to areas under the government’s control. Since the Sri Lankan army is ferociously targeting the LTTE fighters based in this location, many civilians are also getting killed along with LTTE cadres. Though the Sri Lankan army says it is doing its best to minimise civilian casualties, it is unlikely that the Sri Lankan government will pull its punches when it has its adversary on the ropes.

Even if the LTTE loses all its territory, it is likely to continue as a guerrilla organisation that launches hit and run raids. The chances of the LTTE giving up insurgency altogether is very unlikely, unless that is, its leader the elusive Velupillai Prabhakaran is caught or is killed or he commits suicide using the cyanide vial he carries around his neck. It is in this respect that that I feel the United States of America can make a huge difference. Velupillai Prabhakaran is in all probability hiding in an underground bunker in the jungles of northern or north eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE are past masters at camouflage. So far, even though 6 air strips used by the Tamil Eelam Sir Force have been discovered, not a single one of the micro light aeroplanes used by this fledging Air Force has been found. The chances are that Prabhakaran’s lair will also remain uncovered, unless the United States of America were to step in.

Unmanned predator drones flown by controllers in Nevada have killed scores of Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s North Frontier Province. If the US could spare a few of those drones for a few months and have them target northern and north eastern Sri Lanka, it might make the difference between life and death for those 250,000 Sri Lankan Tamils used as human shields by the LTTE. If a predator drone were to locate Prabhakaran’s whereabouts and pass on the information to the Lankans, leading to Prabhakaran’s death, the LTTE will fall apart. To quote Prabhakaran’s biographer M.R. Narayan Swamy, ‘'He is their brain. He is their heart. He is their god. He is their soul, and the whole organisation runs around him.’ Without Prabhakaran to motivate them, brainwashed LTTE cadres will not be able to make the sort of inhuman sacrifices which have made the LTTE such a deadly adversary. Rumours already abound that Soosai, who leads the Sea Tigers and Shanmugalingam Sivashankar (who goes by the name Pottu Amman), the Head of the LTTE’s intelligence wing and the Black Tigers don’t get along. On top of it all, Prabhakaran apparently wants his son, Charles Anthony Seelan to take over from him. Soosai and Pottu Amman don’t obviously like that. It is therefore very clear that the only way to end Sri Lanka’s civil war is to either kill or capture the evil Prabhakaran. Doing so at the earliest will save the lives of many soldiers, LTTE cadres including many underage fighters and hundreds of civilians.

Ms. Clinton, you might at this stage, wonder why the US should support the Sri Lankan government when the Sri Lankan President does not respect human rights and actively harms journalists. My response to that is that Sri Lanka is a democracy where the people have the opportunity to vote for change every five years. The LTTE on the other hand is a dictatorial organisation that does not believe in individual rights. Also, it goes without saying that if Sri Lanka were to breakup, India will follow suit. South Asia, already one of the poorest parts of the globe, will be in turmoil.

Sri Lanka has the potential to be the most prosperous nation in South Asia. Despite such a debilitating civil war, Sri Lanka scores well above other South Asian states in terms of literacy, women’s health, child care and the like. Ending the civil war in Sri Lanka will make a world of difference to so many Sri Lankans, especially Sri Lankan Tamils. As I have just mentioned, the Sri Lankan government does not have a stellar record when it comes to respect for human rights or respecting press freedom. Also, the Sri Lankan government is yet to commence a process of devolving power to the Tami speaking regions of Sri Lanka. Before assisting the Sri Lankan government in locating Prabhakaran, the United States ought to insist (and obtain guarantees) that the Rajapaksa government will start the process of devolution immediately. Tamils should be equal partners in a new Sri Lanka and journalists should be able to do their jobs in peace, without fear of intimidation or harassment. Those responsible for the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga should be brought to book.

Dear Ms. Clinton, you have the power to do all this. So, please do pick up the phone and ask for a few predator drones to be sent over to Sri Lanka.

Yours sincerely

A blogger from the World Wide Web

Shalom, Salam and Hello

temporal — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:50:46 EST

"Why ... should I not dream and hope? For is not revolution the making real of dreams and hopes? So let us work together that my dream may be fulfilled, that I may return with my people out of exile to live in one democratic state where Christian, Jew and Muslim live in justice, equality, fraternity and progress...Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. I repeat: do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.” Nobel Peace Laureate Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, UN Address November 13, 1974.

Shalom

Last week rumors floated suggesting Tzipi Livni, the Israeli Foreign Minister might be arrested to face war crimes, if she attended the Summit of European Foreign Ministers in Brussels.

Mounting fear in Israel that the country's leaders face war crimes charges over their involvement in the recent Gaza offensive pushed officials into a frenzy of activity at the weekend to forestall legal actions abroad.

According to Menachem Mazuz, Israel will soon face "a wave of international lawsuits".

In response, the government is setting up a special task force to work on legal defenses, has barred the media from naming or photographing army officers involved in the Gaza attack, and has placed restrictions on overseas visits. Today, ministers were expected to approve an aid package to help soldiers fight warrants abroad for their arrest.

The concern about war crimes trials follows a series of pronouncements by Richard Falk, the United Nations' special rapporteur on the occupied territories and a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University in the United States.

He has accused Israel of gravely violating the laws of war during its three-week offensive, which killed more than 1,300 Gazans, most of them civilians, and wounded thousands more.

There is a well-grounded view that both the initial attacks on Gaza and the tactics being used by Israel are serious violations of the UN charter, the Geneva conventions, international law and international humanitarian law," he said during the final stages of fighting. Jonathan CookIn an attempt to make life more difficult for Israeli leaders, anonymous activists in Israel launched this website -- "outing" those it accused of war crimes, including Ehud Barak, the defence minister, Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, and Ms Livni. It also identified most of the senior military command.

This link in Hebrew could also have the support of the former, tainted politician Bibi Netanyahu and his party of right wing Likudniks in the hope of making gains in the forthcoming Israeli elections.

Israel is the non NPT Signatory nuclear power in the region and it behooves it to extend to its neighbours, including those in the occupied territories, the same dignity, rights and respects that it demands from them. all the states, and occupied territories should also learn that force is not the solution to solve their problems, however rudderless they may appear at times.

Salam

In a frank blunt assessment, unusual for the usually taciturn Saudis, Prince Turki al Faisal, former head of the Saudi Intelligence and then ambassador to UK, Ireland and the US, warned the Obama Administration that "the US-Saudi relationship and the stability of the region are at risk."

First he speaks candidly about the Bush Administration:

America is not innocent in this calamity. Not only has the Bush administration left a sickening legacy in the region, but it has also, through an arrogant attitude about the butchery in Gaza, contributed to the slaughter of innocents. If the US wants to continue playing a leadership role in the Middle East and keep its strategic alliances intact - especially its "special relationship" with Saudi Arabia - it will have to revise drastically its policies vis a vis Israel and Palestine.

And then he proffers advise to Obama Administration without mincing words:

First, President Barack Obama must address the disaster in Gaza and its causes. Inevitably, he will condemn Hamas's firing of rockets at Israel. When he does that, he should also condemn Israel's atrocities against the Palestinians and support a UN resolution to that effect; condemn the Israeli actions that led to this conflict, from settlement building in the West Bank to the blockade of Gaza and the targeted killings and arbitrary arrests of Palestinians; declare America's intention to work for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, with a security umbrella for countries that sign up and sanctions for those that do not; call for an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Shab'ah Farms in Lebanon; encourage Israeli-Syrian negotiations for peace; and support a UN resolution guaranteeing Iraq's territorial integrity.

The Saudis believe in quiet diplomacy and almost never speak out like this. The royal family rules with consensus and these words from Turki reflect their current exasperation and fears. At stake is not only the fate of the warring factions in the the mid-east, but one can sense their own insecurities. Nobody can predict what may happen to their rule if the Kingdon's citizens rebel.

(I owe an apology to readers of Baithak, where I had linked this article by Prince Turki and dismissed it derisively, bracketing him with the double speak that emanates from the usual suspects in the region and alluding a collusion of interests bandying the Saudis, the Mubaraks and the Abdullahs with the Olmerts.)

Hello

Barak Obama in the first interview granted to a major network chose Al Arabiya. As every move by the his administration is keenly observed and analysed this first interview to Hisham Melhem when compared with his first phone call to a foreign leader (President Mahmud UncleTom Abbas of the near defunct and puppet PA) gave out mixed signals.

He spoke of instructing Mitchell to "listen" lamenting that in the past the US started off by "dictating". He was careful to mention "Syria or Iran or Lebanon or Afghanistan and Pakistan. These things are interrelated" while skirting around India.

Obama reiterated the US support for Israel in no uncertain terms to his Arab and Muslim audience ..."... Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount." But almost in the same breath he spoke to a increasing lobby within Israel that has had enough of the mayhem and violence..."But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace." and added these encouraging words, "They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side."

I want to communicate is the fact that in all my travels throughout the Muslim world, what I've come to understand is that regardless of your faith -- and America is a country of Muslims, Jews, Christians, non-believers -- regardless of your faith, people all have certain common hopes and common dreams. And my job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect.

Steve Clemons of the The Washington Note notes that Obama's "first moves have been utterly brilliant." He also connected his Al Arbia interview with what he called "Prince Turki al-Faisal's warning in the Financial Times this week" that the Arab Peace Proposal offered by King Abdullah would not remain on the table indefinitely, and that the window could be closing in the wake of the Gaza crisis."

After the previous administration's my way or the highway attitude, Obama's respect's for "words" was evident in this interview. He used "respect" four times in his interview which ran over from the initial 6-7 minutes to over 25 minutes. While ostensibly speaking to the Arabs and Muslims he also provided a parameter that his Secretary of State, Defense and National Security Adviser would find illuminating and illustrating of Obama's approach, beyond which they would venture at their peril.

The sense that IDF and Israeli politicians could be hauled for War Crimes, the loathing and impotence felt in the Arab/Muslim Main Street articulated by a reticent Saudi Prince Turki al Faisal - and responding to them as well as the haughty disregard of the Bush era - Obama's reach out to the Muslims - will prove to be the seminal events that will cast their shadows for long.

This Obama interview reminds one of Yasser Arafat's maiden speech at the UN. Now that the neoconzix era is over, let us hope this olive branch is cherished.

Pressure Mounting in Southern India to Stop LTTE-Sri Lanka War

Kalugu — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:01:41 EST

Cadres of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a Dalit political front in Southern India led by its president Thol. Thirumavalavan on Thursday, Jan. 15th began a hunger strike agitation in Chennai in Tamil Nadu protesting the "lethargic attitude" of the Indian government for failing to protect the interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka. They also charged the government with failing to prevent the violence unleashed on the Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army.

After four days of hunger strike, on Sunday Jan. 18 at 5 pm, heeding to the request of the state Chief Minister of the Tamil Nadu state M Karunanidhi, Thol Thirumavalavan gave up the hunger strike.

Even as Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) general secretary Thol Thirumavalavan called off his indefinite fast, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr. S Ramadoss called an indefinite hartal in Tamil Nadu.

The Times of India reported yesterday:

Tamil Nadu will come to a standstill. Except basic services like milk and health, nothing should move in the state. Until the Centre intervenes to effect a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, the state will be paralysed,'' Ramadoss said after Thirumavalavan gave up his fast in Maraimalainagar in the city suburbs.

Jay Shankar and Paul Tighe who had a telephonic interview with the Indian leaders, report in Bloomberg:

Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam party has “impressed” on the federal government that it should step in and stop the war, spokesman T.K.S. Illangovan said in a telephone interview from Chennai. The party wants Pranab Mukherjee, India’s foreign minister, to hold talks with the Sri Lankan government to “stop the genocide,” he said. “Civilian Tamils are affected in large numbers,” Illangovan said. “This has to be stopped.”

Public outcry and protests started since October last year. They included the Communist Party of India's protest meeting in mid-October, Movie Directors protest, All Party Human Chain protest, Movie Actors protest, All Tamil Nadu Traders Union protest bandh, Dalit Panthers Rail Roko protest, MDMK's protest meetings, TV Actors protest, FEFSI film workers protest, Actor Vijays fast protest, IT Engineers human chain protest with actor Surya and Karthi, Artists Exhibition to express solidarity, Lawyers protest, Doctors protest.

Almost everybody from every walk of life has shown their solidarity towards stopping the war in Sri Lanka.

As a culmination of the protests, a team of Tamil Nadu MP's lead by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi subsequently met the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh in December and urged immediate action. The Prime Minister gave his personal assurance that the Indian government will appropriately exert pressure on Sri Lanka to stop the war. However, many view that India is playing a double game by supporting Sri Lanka in its war to defeat the Tamil resistance.

Mr. V S Subramaniam a citizen journalist reports in Merinews:

Delhi's deceptive tactics to cover betrayal

The foreign minister Pranab Mukerjee was shadow acting to extricate Manmohan Singh from his promise to Tamil Nadu leaders on December 4, 2008. The assurance was to send Pranab Mukherjee to Colombo to pressurise Sri Lanka into a ceasefire. The foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon's role was to sell Pranab's fake wares to 'gullible' Tamil UPA partners. There is deception aplenty in Pranab's role and India's belief in the sanctity of SL's 'sovereignty', 'non-involvement', 'hands-off' and commitment to a 'political over a military solution' to the SL conflict.

Delhi's agenda to 'kill' Tamil cause

However, M Veerappa Moily, the Congress media chief expressed an uncontrolled euphoria when Kilinochchi fell. He asked the Lanka government to hand over the resistance leadership, wanted by the Indian authorities in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as quid pro quo for its military support for the Lanka genocide. "We are giving full support to the Sri Lanka government, for which it has to hand over the fugitive to India".

Delhi's agenda is to destroy Tamil cause for good by neutralising or eliminating the Lankan Tamil resistance leadership. Moily's forthright statement exposes the hypocrisy of Pranab's fake wares. The Congress-Delhi's double-talk (Pranab vs. Moily) underpins the "greatest betrayal" of Tamilians on the Lanka Tamil issue.

The Tamil Nadu state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the principal opposition party in India, organized a one-day hunger protest on Monday, Jan. 12th in Chennai to call on the Indian UPA lead government to stop the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The State President L Ganesan said Tamils should get their equal rights looking after their own affairs and urged for an immediate cease fire to stop the war. A senior member of the state unit Mr. Vaithiyalingam asked the Indian government to lift the ban on the LTTE at the BJP's state general meeting.

A popular regional magazine, Kumudam, conducted a televised interview last week with K Thangabalu - The State Secretary of Congress Party. The event broadcast over the internet through the magazine's Web TV site allowed callers to ask questions of Mr Thangabalu. The event saw Mr Thangabalu being blasted by every caller regarding the moral principles of the Congress party with respect to the Sri Lankan issue.

A caller questioned Mr Thangabalu on who the Congress party represents - Indians or the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka. Few Sri Lankan Tamils who called from Canada and the USA questioned Mr Thangabalu on the respect the party has shown to the views and aspirations of not only the Tamils of Sri Lankan but that of Tamil Nadu. Mr Thangabalu was seen repeatedly attempting to defend the party's Sri Lankan policy and mentioned that Congress has every right to hold their opinion just like other parties.

The mounting pressure from southern India over the Sri Lankan issue is nearing its boiling point. Whether the Congress government will respect the democratic calls of India's own citizens or continue its clandestine partnership with the Rajapakse government of Sri Lanka is yet to be seen and could very well determine the fate of the already declining popularity of the Congress party in South India.

Kilinochi - Images of the Victory Celebration

Kalugu — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 06:49:57 EST

There is jubilation in Sri Lanka over the capture of Kilinochi - the symbolic capital of Tamil Eelam territory. The town which was under the control of Tamil rebels for nearly a decade finally came under government control.

"This was an unparalleled victory," the president, Mahinda Rajapakse, said in a televised speech from his office. "Kilinochchi was the capital of a state dreamed by a terrorist organization. It will no longer be available to them. We should pay the gratitude of the whole nation to those heroic soldiers who achieved that victory."

"Kilinochchi's recapture is a big psychological boost for government forces," Jehan Perera, of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, said. The stock market gained few points on the first day to only fall again subsequently.

M.S.M Ayub - a columnist for the Daily Mirror - The largest selling independent English daily in Sri Lanka writes:

"As the Sinhala media represent the Sinhalese psyche with respect to the ethnic problem and the war, the Tamil media indicate the mindset of the Tamils. Even after the fall of LTTE strongholds in Wanni to the security forces like a pack of cards culminating in the capture of Kilinochchi by the troops with the dawn of the New Year, the Thinakkural, a Tamil daily published in Colombo in its "defence column" last week expressed hopes of the rebels bouncing back. The Indian news agency ANI too reported on Monday that "many Sri Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu expressed disappointment on the fall of Tamil Tigers' de facto capital Kilinochchi but confident that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would bounce back."

The Rajapakse government is making elaborate plans to emulate the integration process implemented in the east. However reports indicate that there are no civilians in the kilinochi town which pose a serious challenge to the government plans.

After the capture journalists were taken on a tour around Kilinochi town by the military. The reporters inform that the town appears literally empty with the exception of stray animals. The total population of about 250,000 have been reported to have moved out weeks ahead. The army did not capture any military hardware either. The town infrastructure such as power stations & water tanks were all seen destroyed - either by prior air strikes or deliberately destroyed by the rebels before they fled the town.

However the Sri Lankan soldiers did find interesting memorabilia to celebrate - Dead bodies of fallen female rebels stripped and captured in video. Vidoes of the bodies being stripped and mutilated were shot by soldiers using mobile phone and were sent to friends. One such video shows burning and mutilation of the private parts of the bodies of few female rebels by Sri Lankan soldiers.

Copies of the video are circulating in the web and also known to have been forwarded to the UN office in New York by some Tamil activists. One may recall the photo that earned the coveted Pulitzer prize to photographer Huynh Cong Ut, known by his colleagues as Nick. The photo was that of nine-year old Kim Phuc running naked and severely burned on her back by a napalm atack. The photo epitomising the savagery and tragedy of the conflict became one of the most published photos of the Vietnam war.

We will be seeing more images of the war and celeberation from Sri Lanka in the coming days. But whether they will inspire joy or sorrow depends on your perspective of the war in general and the conflict in particular.