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Journalism of Courage
The perfect understanding India has with Sri Lanka was reflected in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe8217;s two-day visit to New Delhi. The interest both India and Sri Lanka have shown in constructing a land bridge to connect southern Tamil Nadu with northern Sri Lanka is a case in point. If Rameswaram can be connected with the mainland by rail and road bridges, what is being contemplated is in the realm of the possible. The bridge will boost trade and other ties between the two countries.
However, the significance of the visit lay in Wickremesinghe briefing India about the peace process now underway in the island nation to sort out the ethnic crisis. Despite the reservations India has about certain aspects of the Norwegian initiative, under which talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam LTTE are scheduled to begin in Thailand in early July, it is keen not to obstruct the process in any way.
India, at the same time, also recognises that if it were to insist on the arrest and deportation of the LTTE chief, it would be undermining the very peace efforts it would like to see succeed. India would, therefore, prefer to turn a blind eye to the talks rather than raise hard questions about the ethics of negotiating with an alleged murderer. After all, India realises that the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has continued for far too long and any step to end it needs universal support.
