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Indian envoy's move sparks speculation

P Mohan Das in Colombo

The sudden departure of Indian High Commissioner Shivshanker Menon to New Delhi, soon after Buddhist Monks met him on Sunday, sparked speculation in the local media that India is serious about the current crisis in Sri Lanka.

Opinion is strengthening in various circles, including the powerful Sinhala lobbies, that Sri Lanka should seek the help of its neighbour to ''crush the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) which is riding on victory wave in the northern Jaffna after capturing Elephant Pass and Pallai military bases''.

National Sangha Council president Maduluwawe Sobitha Nayaka Thera during his meeting with the high commissioner had said the Council was of the view that if the government of Sri Lanka felt it could not crush the LTTE militarily on its own, then it should get military assistance, especially from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

Thera said he is serious at the possibility of inviting the Indian forces to Sri Lanka to "militarily crush the LTTE".

The opposition paper, The Island in its front page editorial, said it is time to send out an SOS to all friendly countries, including India.

''Sri Lanka should make its first appeal to India. India may have good reasons to be reluctant to get involved in Sri Lanka. But India cannot remain aloof to what is happening across a few miles of sea on its southern coast. Moreover, this is an opportunity for India to demonstrate what it means by its oft-repeated proclamation -- India stands for the unity and integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka,'' the paper said.

Meanwhile, the Sangha Council has requested President Chandrika Kumaratunga to hold talks with India, other South Asian countries, China and Russia to get assistance to fight the LTTE.

For the past few weeks, Norway has been trying to arrange talks between the government and the LTTE but the Sangha Council and others have been in the forefront of opposition to the move.

Kumaratunga is holding an urgent crisis meeting with opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today to discuss the latest military situation.

UNI

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