NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

India prepares to evacuate Lankan troops

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

Is evacuating besieged soldiers military assistance or humanitarian aid? With this legerdemain, India is preparing the ground to evacuate the troops. The navy and air force are on standby, awaiting final orders.

The final hurdle -- the sentiments of the Tamilian parties -- too seems to have been cleared with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, an alliance partner in the central government and the reigning party in Tamil Nadu, making it clear that it will not intervene in the matter.

At the luncheon meeting between DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today, the former said that while the government must keep its past experience in mind, the Centre is free to handle the issue as it deems fit.

Even Marumalarchi DMK chief V Gopalasamy aka Vaiko, considered a hardline supporter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has not opposed the likely move to evacuate the Lankan soldiers, though he has been insistent that there can be no military intervention or even assistance to the Lankan troops.

Diplomatic circles interpret Karunanidhi's statement to mean that the government must not intervene militarily, but is free to give whatever humanitarian assistance is required.

"Evacuating soldiers is after all humanitarian assistance," said government sources, "or at least that is the manner in which New Delhi will interpret the situation. Thus, with the clearance from the Tamil Nadu allies in the National Democratic Alliance, the road is clear."

The sources added that evacuating the soldiers is now just a matter of time, but some details need to be worked out. The armed forces are on high alert, ready to undertake the mission as soon as a political decision is taken.

The difficulty is that evacuation is impossible under the LTTE's fire. The Tigers are slowly but surely advancing upon the 20,000 or more besieged Lankan soldiers trapped in the Jaffna peninsula.

The sources added that the LTTE would probably agree to a ceasefire, enabling the Sri Lankan armed forces, in tandem with the Indian armed forces, to evacuate the soldiers by sea, since attacking Jaffna would be an expensive proposition for the Tigers as well.

The LTTE has about 5,000 militants poised to attack Jaffna while the Sri Lankan army reportedly has more than 20,000 soldiers to defend the peninsula. Though the LTTE's morale is high and the army is despondent, a final assault will still prove expensive.

"The LTTE's aim is to capture the Jaffna peninsula. If they can get it with the Sri Lankan army simply evacuating, they won't mind. An evacuation will anyway be seen as an LTTE victory," the sources pointed out.

Meanwhile, the external affairs ministry refused to comment on reports of Sri Lanka seeking Pakistan's help in its war against the LTTE and establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel.

"India has nothing to say on this matter since it does not concern us," the official spokesman said.

But the sources added that India is not very concerned about Sri Lanka seeking Pakistani help. "Pakistan is in no position to help the Sri Lankan Army even if it wants to. The only countries that can actually help the Lankans today, besides India, are the Chinese, the US, or one of the bigger European nations, and none of them will want to get involved at this stage."

The sources added that by invoking Pakistan's name, the Lankans were probably only seeking to force India's hand, but that ploy was unlikely to work.

They also pointed out that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, which India accuses of training and funding terrorist outfits in Kashmir, has close contacts with the LTTE. "All separatist groups such as the LTTE have deep links with the ISI in gun-running and narcotics smuggling. There is no way the ISI will let the Pakistanis get involved in any military operation against the LTTE. Both sides have too much at stake."

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report