India to push for Tamil autonomy

With the man who ordered the killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi out of the way, New Delhi has its task cut out. Its hands-off policy on Sri Lanka will make way for a more proactive role in getting a political package for the Tamils in the island country.

When rumours of Prabhakaran’s death began circulating on  Monday, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee called president Mahinda Rajapaksa and confirmed the news.

New Delhi will now concentrate on regaining the confidence of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minorities, which it had lost since the IPKF (Indian Peace-Keeping Force) fiasco. Before the IPKF was sent to the island’s northern and eastern provinces, the Tamil population had always held India in high regard.

India has earmarked nearly Rs100 crore for the war-torn northern province.
There will also be pressure from India on Rajapaksa to keep his promise of giving the Tamils their due. The president has promised to announce a political package that will grant a modicum of self-rule to the Tamils within the Sri Lankan Constitution.

“It is our view that as the conventional conflict in Sri Lanka comes to an end, this is the moment when the root causes of conflict in Sri Lanka can be addressed,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“This would include steps toward effective devolution of power within the Constitution so that Sri Lankans of all communities, including the Tamils, can feel at home and lead lives of dignity.”

The government had been urging Colombo that it was not enough to gain a military victory without giving equal rights to the Tamils. “Unless the political aspirations of the Tamils are fulfilled, there can be no peace. Many more LTTE-like outfits will finally come up,” an Indian official said on condition of anonymity. “Colombo must learn the lessons of history.”