India has urged the Sri Lankan government to ‘seize the opportunity provided by LTTE's ceasefire offer to bring about a pause in hostilities’, indicating another shift in its policy on its southern neighbour and the ongoing conflict.
However, political observers in Tamil Nadu labelled the move as a tactic to nullify their calls for a permanent ceasefire and dismissed it. According to them, this diplomatic move of India can prevent any other powers that may come in on one hand, and provide electoral advantage of showing a human face to the voters of India on the other hand.
The move, confined only to a 'pause', also doesn't interfere with the war India is abetting in the island, observers said.
The move, confined only to a 'pause', also doesn't interfere with the war India is abetting in the island, observers said.
"It is reported that the LTTE has offered a ceasefire. While this may fall short of a declaration of willingness to lay down arms, it is our view that the government of Sri Lanka should seize the opportunity presented by the offer to bring about a pause in the hostilities," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters during a visit to West Bengal.
“The government of India would, therefore, appeal to the government of Sri Lanka to immediately work out safe passage for trapped civilians to secure locations,” Mukherjee said.
“This would require the cooperation of the LTTE,” he underlined reading out from a statement.
Mukherjee also underscored India’s “grave concern over the humanitarian crisis that is building up with every passing day in Sri Lanka.”
“I sincerely hope that the government of Sri Lanka and all others will respond to this sincere appeal that is made in the interest of all sections of the people in Sri Lanka,” Mukherjee added.
In the space of three weeks India has changed its stance three times, making political observers claim that India is reacting to ground realties and does not have a clear policy on the Eelam Tamil issue.
On Tuesday February 3, when the co-chairs demanded the LTTE to lay down their arms and surrender to the Sri Lankan government, India too followed suit with the same call.
However, 9 later days, on Thursday, February 12, addressing the parliament Indian President Pratibha Patil announced a change in India’s stance over the Sri Lankan conflict. This time instead laying down the weapons, India urged the LTTE to indicate its willingness to lay down arms and Sri Lanka to suspend military operations, so that both sides can return to the negotiating table.
Following the LTTE air raid on SLAF targets in Colombo on Friday, February 20, Indian External Affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee skipped all references to laying down of weapons and urged both sides to ‘sit across the table for a negotiated settlement of the issue’.
"An LTTE plane has been shot down. This is of concern. Political solution has to be found to the LTTE issue and military action will not do," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukhjerjee, said on Saturday, February 21.
Maintaining that ‘a political solution is the only way out’, he said, "The two sides should sit across the table for a negotiated settlement of the issue.”
In the latest statement, Mukherjee has urged the Sri Lankan government to ‘seize the opportunity provided by LTTE's ceasefire offer.
In the past few weeks, international organisations, including the UN, for one reason or another, have made repeated appeals for a cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka. Colombo, however, have rejected all calls for truce and labelled the LTTE’s ceasefire call as a desperate plea “to save their miserable skins.”
