Sri Lanka- Tamilnadu political and cultural relationships: the current status

1. The cultural and political relations India and Sri Lanka predate the formation of the modern States of India and Sri Lanka. Traditionally, the Tamil Chola Kings had family and matrimonial ties  with the Sri Lankan ruling class. Occasionally, we hear stories of a fugitive Pandya King taking a refuge in the Sinhala Islands (as it was known then). Considering that the distance between Sri Lanka and Dakshin Bharat was not much , it was natural that these two territories enjoyed warm and functional relationships. We have the Ramayana. But even there Ravana is depicted as a king of all good virtues!!!

2. It is a matter of historic record that the Great Mauryan  Emperor Ashoka (also known as Devanampriya Priyadarshi Samrat Ashoka)who became a Buddhist deputed his sister accompanied by the best brains of his nation,  to propagate Buddhism in Sri Lanka. While we can say that Srilanka is a secular country, no one can easily underestimate the importance of the Buddhist clergy in the Sri Lankan government. Hence traditionally both the North and South India continued to have warm cultural, political and economic relations with the territory now known as Sri Lanka. 
3. In many ways, Sri Lanka is a unique place. It enjoys salubrious climate throughout the year. People’s literacy rate and health parameters are much better than that of the other South Asian nations. There is a substantial Sri Lankan diaspora outside the Indian Subcontinent which has  global clout and more visibility.

 
4. Sri Lanka became independent more or less at the same time as India. Both India and Sri Lanka faced problems of integration of territories, where the local people wanted independent sovereign states.In the case of Sri Lanka, the British were dependent more on the Tamil speaking native population for the governance of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the British also imported into Sri Lanka many indentured Tamil workers to develop coffee, tea, and other Plantations in the Central Districts of Sri Lanka. These are known as Indian Tamils and are residents of the Central Sri Lankan district. This demographic group is different from the Jaffna Tamils who always demanded the state of Tamil Eelam. The Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka and the  Sinhalese political leadership naturally frowned upon the separate state demand. After four decades of facing LTTE guerrilla warfare, the State of Sri Lanka was able to subjugate the threat of terrorism against its territorial integrity. India is yet to achieve such commendable success as Sri Lanka has done in its fight against terrorism.

5. It is a matter of public record that the ruling regional parties in the state of Tamilnadu are sympathetic to the local Tamil speaking Sri Lankan population who, unfortunately, were denied the political, civil, and cultural rights promised by the Sinhala  leadership during the 1950s.This resulted in an unsustainable demand for independent state of Tamil Eelam. Some of the fringe elements (like Naam Tamilar Seeman) and regional mainstream politicians like Thol. Thirumavalavan ideologically support Tamil Eelam.Mr. Vai. Gopal Swamy’s visit to the areas under the control of the LTTE (when he was a member of the Indian Parliament), without a Sri Lankan Visa, is an insult that Sri Lankans are unlikely to forgive. 

Vai. Gopal Swamy with Velupillai Prabhakaran

However, the Union of India has always been benevolent and respectful to the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. The Indian IPKF in Sri Lanka, (however disastrous it may have been) in retrospect, a demonstration of Indian commitment to the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. IPKF  weakened LTTE substantially, but suffered serious losses and in fact loss of some of its military pride. The Congress party lost the life of its leader. The Congress party also stands by the Territorial integrity of the government of Sri Lanka.
6. During 1950s Sri Lanka (after becoming independent) insisted that many people who were brought by the British for developing the Central districts of Sri Lanka and their descendants will not be eligible for Sri Lankan nationality. The fact that they were born in Sri Lanka and  living there since their  birth and their forefathers arrived 150 years earlier sadly were forgotten. Many of them did not want to return to India.  However, by Sirimavo–Shastri Pact, India accepted repatriation of Sri Lankan residents of Indian origin. This caused a lot of resentment among Sri Lankan refugees who did not on the first place want to come to India. Subsequently, different Tamil Nationalist groups in Sri Lanka were able to establish cultural, business and political links in the different S. Indian states. Remember the one-eyed Jack Sivarasan was shot in  the state of Karnataka.

Lal Bahadur Shastri-Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike

7.It must be said to the credit of Madam Gandhi that she identified her foreign policy clearly. She was able to ensure that Pakistan lost its directional prefix. Now there is only one Pakistan – no West or East. The state of Nepal, then ruled by a religious monarchy, was naturally suspicious of Indian dominance. Hence Mrs Gandhi went out of her way to be nice to Sri Lanka. She gave Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka a platter without any clearly  identified reciprocal advantage to Indian Foreign policy interests.

8. Notwithstanding the unilateral courtesies extended by India without expectation of reciprocity, Sri Lanka is increasingly preferring China and Pakistan as its major trading partners. Everyone acknowledges that the Chinese presence in Sri Lanka is real and  that the Indian presence is on the vane. The reason for the tempestuous Indo -Sri Lankan relations can be attributed solely to  fact that periodically, Indian fishermen of Tamil origin get arrested in Sri Lankan waters. Very often these fishing vessels are impounded and never returned. After some period of detention, these fishermen are released due to the efforts of Indian foreign Ministry. Though the Union of India claim that there is understanding about no shooting on the straying fisherman, in many cases, Indian fishermen are fired at and recently one of them  died.Furthermore, many Tamilian fringe political parties in India give additional ammunition to the Srilanka's  distrust of India.  

Signing of Indo - Sri Lanka Accord

9. In these circumstances, as an Indian who speaks Tamil, I feel that both these countries should improve their relationships. Traditionally, India did not look at Sri Lanka as a military adversary  and vice versa notwithstanding Anjaneya’s  burning the parts of Sri Lanka and subsequently Lord Ram subjugating Ravana the evil asura king. But Rama did not annex his kingdom . He crowned Vibhishana, a rightful claimant  to the kingdom. A student of Inter Temporal law would appreciate that  what Rama did was right by the legal regime of that time and period, under present system of International law such blatant use of force even to protect the lives of citizens, is  more difficult. However, India must ensure the following on a war footing.  

   a. Make it mandatory for all Indian fishing vessels to have a GPS tracking facility.
b.Position Indian patrolling vessels located at the International sea border and continuously track the position of Indian vessels .
c. Give warnings to Indian vessels not to stray into Sri Lankan water.
d. Periodically record the position of Indian fishing vessel so that Sri Lanka doesn’t arrest Indian fishermen even when they are in Indian waters.
e. Make available to Srilankan judicial and maritime authorities the certified printouts of vessels position.
f.  If Sri Lanka  has abused its powers under International pacts by arresting Indian fishermen even if they are in Indian waters, produce such proof to the Sri Lankan courts and demand strictures against the Sri Lankan coast guards and evolve a treaty to prevent its reoccurrence.  
g. Ensure that Indian fishermen who are  unreasonably imprisoned in Sri Lanka are given appropriate legal aid including the right of immediate bail and helped to pursue  their normal avocation of fishing during the bail period and put up stout / defence for innocent detenus. 

10. Implementation of these measures will sustainably reduce the tension between these two neighbours. However, mainstream Tamil regional parties should reassure the Sri Lankan general public that the Tamil Eelam is neither desirable nor possible. However, Sri Lanka should ensure that Tamils , as a linguistic religious and ethnic minority in of Srilanka,  are not subjected to any persecution and made to feel like second class citizens. The job is challenging. The question is whether there will be political will emanating from both  sides of  the Gulf of Mannar.