The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Sri Lanka situation

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Tuesday, Apr 28, 2009
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Sri Lanka situation

While the conclusion of combat operations should bring some solace to the suffering Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, the way Indian emissaries were sent in the last minute lends credence to the impression that it was only after it feared a voter backlash did the government go into a fire-fighting mode. Will the politicisation of the crisis by major parties stop at least now?

V.N. Ramachandran,

Vadodara

* * *

The news of the conclusion of combat operations with high calibre weapons which has devastated Tamils in the island nation comes as a big relief. The all-round international pressure has had a sober and benign impact on the warring groups in Sri Lanka. In this context, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s observations (April 27) on the conditions of refugees in Kashmir and in Tamil Nadu are revealing.

It is a matter of shame that the relief materials sent from Tamil Nadu are inadequate, making the whole ritual a farce. The urgency of despatching immediate help on a very realistic scale should be genuinely felt and acted upon by all sections.

M. Vathapureeswaran,

Erode

* * *

At last the Sri Lankan government has promised to focus on rescue operations due to the concrete action taken by the Indian government following the flash and dramatic fast undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Monday. Hope the political parties will at least now refrain from using the Sri Lankan Tamils issue in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, paving the way for voting on national issues.

R. Rajamanickam,

Chennai

* * *

Though belated, the LTTE’s decision to cease offensive operations is welcome. It shows that it is desperate to save the lives of its remaining cadres and not to avert the humanitarian crisis as claimed by it. It should now go a step ahead, lay down arms and surrender. The international community should then exert pressure on Sri Lanka to arrive at an amicable solution within its constitutional framework.

R. Thirumalai Muthu,

Kallidaikurichi

* * *

India can no more remain a mute spectator to the untold sufferings of the Sri Lankan Tamils. It must intervene at once to defuse the situation by asking Colombo to enforce a truce.

G. David Milton,

Maruthancode

* * *

The current situation amply illustrates the axiom that revolutions survive (and sometimes prevail) only as long as the ruling elites do not have the will and determination to rule. For too long, the Sri Lankan army seemed incompetent and unwilling to confront the LTTE and establish its sovereignty. One hopes this provides a salutary lesson to India, especially with respect to handling insurgency in J&K and in many other States.

Bala Varadarajan,

Australia

* * *

As the LTTE has been nearly cornered, paying a little heed to the peacemakers — the U.N., India, and others — will save the lives of thousands. A responsible government with a powerful leader should uphold the welfare of its people. Initiating proper negotiations, coupled with shrewd action rather than letting loose decades of revenge, is the need of the hour in Sri Lanka.

T.S. Radhika,

Kochi

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