Tamil Nadu politics no longer determines New Delhi’s ties with Colombo and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted the common Buddhist linkage to woo the majority Sinhalese,
Rebuffed time and again by its neighbours for a seemingly hostile neighbourhood policy, India has lately overhauled its Sri Lanka policy, one of its most important neighbours, as part of its rechristened ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
At the core of this policy change lies New Delhi’s exhausted patience with the ethnic Tamils of the North-East Sri Lanka. Over the years the External Affairs Ministry has lived through a kind of racial and religious obligation to rush to the rescue of north-eastern Tamils at times of crisis. But this obligation, in essence, did not derive from an exclusively humanitarian concern. On the contrary, the standard Indian policy towards the island-nation was dictated by an out-and-out political consideration of keeping public opinion in Tamil Nadu solidly in favour of New Delhi. This could be achieved only by siding with whatever ethnic Tamils demanded from Colombo. The driving force behind this policy formulation was a solidly unified political opinion in the southern state led and dictated by the two Dravida parties, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All-India DMK, and faithfully followed by sidetracked parties like the Indian National Congress. Exploiting its clout of a regional power,
New Delhi often succeeded in making Colombo succumb to ethnic Tamils’ demands. But each time this happened, Colombo’s resentment against India only intensified.
India has struggled to wriggle out of this uncomfortable trap thrice: first, after the fiasco over the Indian Peace Keeping Force; second, in the aftermath of the May 21, 1991 assassination of its former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (helped considerably by the entire Tamil Nadu public turning against Sri Lankan Tamil militants); and, thirdly, after the National Democratic Alliance government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party was formed (May, 2014).
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2018-Ausgabe von Geopolitics.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2018-Ausgabe von Geopolitics.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
TIME FOR A ROBUST BMD SHIELD
With nuclear-armed Pakistan and China in the neighbourhood, India must prepare ballistic missile defences at the earliest for protecting its densely populated cities
URGENT NEED FOR SMART AND LETHAL WEAPONS
India must tread the path towards the development of a whole gamut of next-generation smart and lethal weapons for countering a two-front threat scenario, writes AMARTYA SINHA
MOBILITY SOLUTIONS FOR THE INDIAN ARMY
While the Indian Army has a significantly large fleet of trucks and utility vehicles, there is a need to further augment the capabilities by adding latest platforms with better fuel-efficiency, faster speeds, larger wheelbases and enhanced axle-load bearing capacities, argues AMARTYA SINHA
C-295 CREATING A MANUFACTURING BLUEPRINT FOR INDIA
With the right momentum, a realistic roadmap and enabling policy framework, a story is being scripted to make India a hub for global aircraft manufacturing. The potential is enormous. An in-depth report.
ENHANCING NAVAL AVIATION CAPABILITIES
A robust Indian naval air arm will prove to be the biggest sea-based conventional deterrence, both for the tactical as well and strategic level battlefields.
HAS THE WORLD FORGOTTEN THE PLIGHT OF THE AFGHAN WOMEN?
With the Taliban and command in Afghanistan, serious questions are being raised about the status of women in that country. GAYATRI SINGH dissects the situation on the ground.
HOW TANKS ARE EVOLVING TO AVOID OBSOLESCENCE
Is the dominance of tanks in modern wars coming to an end? This question is increasingly attracting attention of the military experts as the ongoing war in Ukraine and the second Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan not long before have witnessed the staggering numbers of tanks being destroyed and outgunned, particularly by military drones.
MISSION GAGANYAAN AFTER LOK SABHA POLLS
The Indian human spaceflight programme will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biggest gift to the Indian scientific community.
TIME TO GO FOR SIXTH-GENERATION AIRCRAFT
With China racing ahead in 6th-Gen Fighter Aircraft Programme, India cannot afford to be left behind. AIR MARSHAL ANIL CHOPRA (RETD) explains
Unending War In Ukraine
Is Russia's War in Ukraine following a script or it is lost in direction? RAVI SRIVASTAVA attempts to answer