The Era Of Coercive Diplomacy Is Over
By Col R Hariharan
Jayalalithaa Jayaram
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has now clarified her recent action in sending back Sri Lankan football teams and pilgrims as a symbolic act to register her protest against the continued aberrations in Sri Lanka’s handling of Tamils. Sri Lankan pilgrims and others are welcome to visit Tamil Nadu she has added wisely, as a lakh of people come to Chennai from Sri Lanka.
Secondly, her call to boycott trade with Sri Lanka comes at a time when Indo-Sri Lanka trade is flourishing; it’s worth nearly four billion dollars now. Tamil Nadu has a lion’s share of this trade. With global economic downturn shrinking trading volumes, it would be unwise to ban on trade with Sri Lanka. The chief minister’s statement was probably a political rhetoric to upstage her rival M Karunanidhi, leader of the DMK, from exploiting the Sri Lanka Tamil issue. Of course, she is genuinely concerned about the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.
Thirdly, issues of Centre-state relationship are also behind Tamil Nadu’s assertive call for New Delhi to act on what you call ‘ethnic nationalism’. The chief minister’s insistence on New Delhi to take serious notice of her concerns is her way of asserting her national presence. Other regional satraps like Ms Mamta Banerjee and Mulayam Singh are also doing the same. Comments on foreign policy issues by them does not mean belligerence. It is only a call for New Delhi to consider the state’s sensitivities in policy making. We can expect more such calls from regional leaders in the coming years as national parties need them to form coalition government at the Centre.
Fourthly the era of coercive diplomacy is over. The US, with all its might, has not been able to force a regime change in Syria. So there is no question of India forcing Sri Lanka to act according to its will. Cooperation, coordination and concern for each other with some carrots and a little stick can produce results in international relations.
India already enjoys enormous influence in shaping Sri Lanka’s policy with its international status, and economic, cultural, religious and strategic clout. If we use this clout to ‘coerce’ a proud nation like Sri Lanka, we will only alienate it.
No nation – not even India or the U.S. – can really force Sri Lanka government to carry out the reconciliation process with Tamil minority. They are Sri Lankan nationals. As the strategic context now is different from 1987, India cannot exert the same type of pressure as it did in the past to speed up the reconciliation process.
India’s efforts in the past on this issue resulted in the signing of India-Sri Lanka Agreement 1987. It provides for the creation of provincial councils with certain amount of autonomy. This was formalised by the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. Despite this, the powers enshrined there have not been fully extended to provincial councils due to various political reasons.
After winning the war, President Rajapaksa has emerged unchallenged leader and Tamils have limited political clout. With the LTTE no more there, Rajapaksa is going through the reconciliation process at his own speed. This has alienated not only the Tamil support but also some of the goodwill Sri Lanka enjoyed in India, USA and EU countries.
However, Rajapaksa feels as a national leader it would be demeaning to be seen as bowing to external pressure on this issue. So he is taking his own time. India can only use the tools of diplomatic and economic pressure to push him into action.
Prabhakaran had an autocratic leadership style and the leadership vacuum left by the exit cannot be filled up by democratic leaders. It cannot be filled up by any Tamil politician from India or elsewhere because they are not accountable to Sri Lankan people.
Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka are experienced and quite capable; they are raising their voices in parliament strongly on key issues. Unfortunately, Indian media rarely considers them or their views as newsworthy and flashes only some ill informed or inflammatory statement from Tamil Nadu as important news.
Sri Lanka Tamil leaders have not gained the confidence of Tamil people as they are traumatised by war and are yet to resume normal life and live with confidence and dignity. Sri Lankan government has failed to give them the feeling of security and trust to improve their mindset.
Sri Lanka, has an elected democratic government in which Tamil minority also voted. So it is not in the same class as military dictatorships or monarchies. President Mahinda Rajapaksha has been elected twice as President by popular vote. He is an executive president unlike the President of India, who is only the head of state and prime minister wields the executive powers.
Rajapaksa as President wields enormous powers which he does not hesitate to use, frequently in authoritarian style. This has naturally caused its own reaction. In spite of this, there is no question of India adopting “a policy of toleration” because he enjoys the confidence of the majority of Sri Lankans.
He considers relations with India as “brotherly” and crucial to further Sri Lanka’s interests. He has consulted India in all major issues and has worked hard to build close relations with India. We should understand that he would act only on what he considers as Sri Lanka’s national interest. We should respect that as he is accountable to his people; however, we should start using our influence a little more boldly to give his regime a more humane face.
Not only in post colonial states but even in Western states there are majority-minority problems. A good example is Belgium, a tiny state by Asian standards, where the French and Flemish speaking people get into log jam.
Though India has been trying to address it politically, it has not succeeded fully; the Bodos, Nagas and Meiteis took to arms because of the minority syndrome. Not only India and other Western nations but even other political parties of Sri Lanka have been suggesting the need to carry out devolution of power to minorities side by side with reconstruction.
However, Sri Lanka leadership believes in the war torn zones, reconstruction of habitats and infrastructure would improve the life style of the people and devolution being a political process can be progressed at its own pace. So we have a lopsided picture in post-war Sri Lanka where massive development projects and restoration of infrastructure have not won over people who had been struggling for equitable rights on par with Sinhala majority.
Col R Hariharan served as a MI specialist on Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka as well as terrorism and counter-insurgency for nearly three decades. His operational experience includes India-Pakistan wars in Kutch (1965), and East Pakistan 1971, and counter insurgency operations in North Eastern States, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
OneIndia
“With the LTTE no more there, Rajapaksa is going through the reconciliation process at his own speed’
Except this line, Col. Hariharan has no essence. India is a vast country and at times, inter-state rivalry plays in the foreign policy making as well.
As an ex-military, he likes the authoritarianism sweetcoated with democracy. Diplomacy and majoritarian democracy become superior to humanity.
Just blah, blah to vent own failures…
Sandra, Even that sentence surely he borrowed from somebody else.He is a man who is struggling to use his tiny knowledge in Sri Lanka and military to earn a living in his retirement. He saw the niche in newspaper columns when nobody else sought his ‘expertise (that doesn’t exist) in this era where almost every intelligent retired forces personnel is a consultant.
A very good analysis and summary.
In short Mighty India has NO say in the way Rajapaksa is running the country— by terror, by subjugation of Judiciary,media etc.
Raja’s have freedom to commit anything on its poor civilians!!!
Hi! Jeya, still you are very beautiful.
Is this the first woman you have ever seen?
I suspect it was difficult for Rajapaksa to proceed with military operations in the North of Sri Lanka AGAINST the will of New Delhi. India provided logistics and intelligence support, they cut off the LTTE sea-lane (effectively surrounding the Tigers), they gave electronic surveillance, satellite coverage, Indian military personnel was present to advise and to monitor. In other words India was well aware of the planned operations and of their development in real times. Moreover New Delhi remained silent during the massacre and in the immediate aftermath. This is a powerful political back up. Finally, it played the card of guarantor of the Tamils rights in Geneva in March: it invited the GoSL to implement its own recommedantions. Not exactly hardcore pressure.
No matter what excuse politicians dream up for waging war, the underlying cause of all wars is economic in nature.
As expected by the visiting vice president of China to India the central government of India made no trade deal while a week before Ambani placed a simple deal of $10billion with China. China usually buys up to $10 billion on foreign visits as per its laid out plans.
Old Vet Hari says 4 like “shing fang foe” I suppose only another Mountbatten can put you honey badgers of the center in place.
Pride comes before a fall.
Come 2014 and its America’s South China Sea mission.
There is very little you know Hari to play neutral except giving the plans of SAAD16 by Engineering Projects of India to USA calling it logistics only.
Pride comes before a fall.
Old Vet Hari says 4 like “shing fang foe” I suppose only another Mountbatten can put you honey badgers of the center in place.
Hello editor what’s up awaiting moderation for so long when I ask Hari a clear question? Dont tell me SL has become China.
Dont tell me SL has become China.
Hello editor what’s up awaiting moderation for so long when I ask Hari a clear question?
No wonder old pictures are beautiful to old people! Hariharan can not & need not teach us who Karunanidi , Jayalalitha & Prabahakaran are. Hariharan was a total failure in Sri Lanka on counter insurgency activity. If MR,Gota & Fonny went by Haiharan theory, we would be fighting the LTTE even today! Did this pundit ever say hit & finish Prabakaran? Now he is talking about a lopsided picture in post -war Sri Lanka! Did killer Prabakaran give Tamils equitable rights? What are the equitable rights Tamils do not have & the Sinhala & Muslim people have in the south? It is the Tamil Nadu’s minority terror outfit, with the LTTE diaspora & the TNA who desire to rekindle the LTTE goals for devolution of power & self governance,to make the north the spring board for future separatism of Nadu from India. If ever a such an outcome arise,India will have to invade Sri Lanka! US based west too, slyly, caters to accommodate this rotten mindset. Separatism minded,Sinhalese, Tamils & Muslims will be very happy! Obtaining the services of Hariharan what is the sorrowful plight of our good friend Pakistan today? The fundamental fault with the Sinhalese,Tamils & the Muslims lie in their penchant to embrace idiotic foreign dictates rather than solving our issues ourselves. If any government do not wish any future terrorism by the Tamils, Muslims or the Sinhalese, increase the forces presence ten fold in all parts of Sri Lanka.
I appreciate 90% of your above comment. But 100% I reject your last two paragraphs. We had to face two uprisings during the past 50 years. What were the root causes? PURELY ECONOMIC. Unemployed youth joined the JVP and LTTE uprisings. Now we must have a political Leader to provide the people a new vision. WE need not a very big army presence in the country now. The army must be reduced to a minimum. They should be given voluntary retirement with a handsome compensation package and the pension. The PCs also must be eliminated and save that monies for the re-distribution. MR can’t rule this country in this way. He must find an HOLISTIC APPROACH if he wants to rule the country.
Hi! Suren I wish to remind you one more thing. During the 1971 JVP insurgency Mrs. Bandaranayake could get militory support from all over the world. She maintained a balanced foreign policy regionally and internationally. She had a good Team such as Dr.N.M.Perera, Dr.Colwin.R.de.Silva, Felix Dias R.D Bandaranayake ete as advisors. Who are the advisors to Mahinda Rajapaksa. The stupid idiots like Amunu-goma , Wasidewa, Sukiri Banda Dissanayake, Nandimithra Ekenayake ete. We got news from the Central hills that new VC to the University of Peradeniya was appointed by the instructions of the Nandimithra Ekenayake to the Hon.President. Our main problem is how MR could manage our country with those stupid bankrupt politicians.
PLJB, these foreign policies are good for people who keep one foot here & the other in the west. Mrs.B did not need any outside help to crush the JVP: it was finished in two weeks! What is the point in talking about NM,Colvin & Felix today? Mrs.B was the person who set in motion the rot,that you & I scream about today. She appointed black-smiths as Planters & vice-verse. Junius took the baton off her beautifully & handed it to Preme & Ranil to perform the last rights of the Country. In between Mrs.B’s daughter played ducks & drakes with every bodies lives, including hers! Like all others MR is no saint but has brought back to the country, part of the lost glory. At least we are a war less nation for the moment. Every one has now forgotten the terrible 32 years, we have left behind & wish this country would be a US or Canada soon! On whose recommendation a VC is appointed is immaterial as long as a suitable candidate enters the slot. Even if you & I appoint the VC, only time will tell how good or bad he or she is. Have patience without jumping your gun!
I agree with you.
Why don’t you stand for Presidentcy post.
You are knowledgeable person.
There are two types of educated knowledgeable persons.
One like Pro.G L Peiris who is slaving to the Current President’s whims and fancies (and taking the country downhill) and the other like P L J B Palipana who has sense but no power to act.
Hariharan is working for the RAW, and Sunday Leader now for the Rajapakses.
So this is all wishful thinking mainly from the Sinhala point of view.
There is NO Reconciliation nor Reconstruction that goes on or going on..
Hariharan is still licking the wounds of the thrashing the Tamils gave the IPKF, and there is no issue if the GOSL wants to now report about war crimes of the IPKF. Every thing is well documented.. Mahinda Rajapakse and Tamara Kunanayagam has experience in Geneva complaining about the GOSL in 1989…
They can do it again against GOI..
but…they are all listening to the Aryan Religious Monks.
Unless India and Indians realise the vice of JR Jayawardene in bringing in India and Rajiv to make a mess out of which none will emerge well after he is gone, nothing can be done about justice to ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka.
India should stop doing anything in Sri Lankan politics – they shouldn’t have meddled with UNHRC resolution in diluting it. It is a moral crime India committed to gain leverage against China.
The international community must realise this and stop expecting India to do anything.about Sri Lankan politics.
‘Reconstruction of habitats and infrastructure’ means building roads, railways, hotels, Buddhist viharas and dagobas. There are also branches of many banks opened. How can they ‘improve the life style’ of ordinary blokes who do not have work or income. Even in building of infrastructure the local workforce are excluded. The presence of huge mono-ethnic military and their interference in day to day activities brew resentment among the local population. DEnying their democratic rights by postponing NPC election and maintaining an ex-major as colonial viceroy add fuel to the fire. US, EU and India may not be able to force Rajapakse to expedite genuine reconciliation and devolve power to Tamil speaking minorities but UN can do more than what ruling elites and their supporters think.
The Sri Lankan state (current and previous regimes) have had plenty of opportunities to align Sri Lanka’s national interests with the interests of the Tamil people of the Island. But they have always taken the majoritarian view that it is in Sri Lanka’s interests to treat Tamils as second class citizens, or with lesser rights than the majority. This will never change irrespective of outside pressure. So why should India help the current regime to give it as Col. Hariharan says a “human face”? Let Sri Lanka earn its human face.
it comes as a disappointment to me an avid watcher of srilankan affairs that col.hariharan has written a piece which does not reflect the reality.no doubt diplomacy which is coercive does not work but in srilanka india has become a laughing stock for a country which has got the pretensions of becoming a super power in future it is unable to persuade rajapakshe to implement 13th amendment which was agreed upon longback back by two countries.india had the ignominy of its foreign minister”s statement being denied by srilankan president. tamils of tamil nadu have woken up least to say unless they put pressure on centre,indian government will not put pressure on srilankan government to give even basic political rights to srilankan tamils.because of tamilnadu pressure indian government had to vote against srilanka in march session of unhcr.i hope col.hariharan understands the sentiments of tamils.
Sri Lanka has elected democracy according to Col.Hariharan ,no wonder he is an Indian who is fully drenced in Indian politics and served in the Indian armed forces trying to express his barren knowledge of democracy. Col.Hari Haran for whom this war criminal is a hero. He is not concerned about continued human rights violation and genocide against tamils.