Sri Lanka, a small
teardrop shaped island located in the Indian Ocean consists of several ethnic
groups: Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Indian Tamils, Sri Lankan Moors, and
Burghers etc. Formerly known as Ceylon, the island was once a peaceful tropical
paradise until it began to be torn apart by ethnic conflict. Historically, the
relationship between the two largest groups, the Sinhalese and the Tamils, has
been marked by discord rooted in linguistic and religious differences. Most of
the Sinhalese are Buddhists who speak the Sinhala language or Sinhalese. The
Tamils, on the other hand, are mostly Hindu who speak Tamil. The inhabitants of
the Indian State of Tamil Nadu identify with the Sri Lankan. Tamils who
comprise 18 percent of Sri Lanka and are considered a minority. Sri Lanka was
embroiled in a Civil War which commenced on July 23, 1983. It comprised an
intermittent insurgency against the Sri Lankan government by the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the “Tamil Tigers”, which fought to
create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the north and the east
of the island. After a 26-year military campaign, the Sri Lankan military
defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, bringing the civil war to an end.
Since inception,
India is frightening and overwhelming the neighboring states under its
self-created so-called ‘Doctrine of Intervention’. Series of events in South
Asia depict that India as tried to interfere in the affairs of every neighbor
and create instability to prove its supremacy. All neighboring states of India;
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; have suffered due
to Indian illusions of splendor. Pakistan, of course is reserved for special
treatment, because India never forgave Pakistan for breaking away from “mother
India”. In this retrospect India is interfering in internal affairs of Sri
Lanka. On 16 Oct 2018, both the Colombo correspondent of Indian newspaper “The
Hindu” and a Sri Lankan website “Economy Next” quoted Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena That Indian Intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis
Wing) is trying to eliminate him (Maithripala Sirisena) and Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa, the former top defence ministry bureaucrat and brother of
ex-president Mahindra Rajapaksa. According to report, an Indian national
hailing from Kerala in India was arrested on a tip-off late in September. This
individual was interrogated by the Sri Lankan CID and claimed to know of a plot
to assassinate the President. Sirisena was reported as saying “the Indian
national must be a RAW agent trying to kill me. The Indian PM may not be aware.
That is often the case.”
Indian interference
was renewed under the watch of Narendra Modi, who was especially suspicious of
Chinese investments in Sri Lanka. China had already completed the maritime port
of Hambantota and was poised for further investments, when India interfered in
the Sri Lankan elections and blocked the re-election of pro-Chinese Rajapaksa.
Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Sri Lanka and in a bid to
counter Chinese influence, especially Sri Lankan participation in the Maritime
Silk Route coerced the new Sri Lankan government to suspend China’s US$ 1.4
billion Colombo Port project that broke ground during Chinese President Xi
Jinping’s visit to the island.
India is also trying
to block Chinese and Pakistani military hardware exports to Sri Lanka. Modi
tends to gloss over India’s foray into military aviation exports, which have
been plagued by missteps. Shortfalls in support and poor communications. Dhruv
helicopters supplied to Ecuador were withdrawn from use after a number of
crashes and poor spares support from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Sale of
Chetaks to Suriname was plagued by poor contract management and “financial and
administrative obstacles”, which led to helicopters being ready long before
pilots were ready to be trained, leading to a delay in delivery of helicopters.
Throughout history,
India is particularly sensitive to any effort by small South Asian states
toward independence and sovereignty, especially their ties with other major
power. All small South Asian nations want to extricate themselves from India’s
domination and hegemony. Indian designs of establishing hegemony in the region
are not hidden from anyone. In pursuance to this malicious agenda, India is
interfering in internal affairs of neighboring countries by using its notorious
organization RAW. There is no doubt that
India is the clear and present danger for all regional states. SAARC is not
effective because of Indian stubbornness. Under Modi Sardar India will not
cooperate with regional states. Because of this stubbornness and inflexibility
socio-economic situation inside India is getting more terrible. According to
independent survey, more than half of India’s population is depriving of basic
facilities of life while on the other hand India is day dreaming to become
regional hegemon. And this situation is bigger question mark on so-called
rising and shining India.
