Govt ready to mediate in Lankan crisis — PM

The Government’s diplomatic initiatives over the last few weeks seem to have resulted in the conditional mediatory offer, which also indicates that New Delhi has been in touch with the LTTE as well.

External Affairs minister Jaswant Singh who has been in touch with at least some of the permanent members of the Security Council — Russia, France, the US, Britain — besides Pakistan, confirmed that these countries were also of the view that Sri Lanka’s unity and territorial integrity should be protected. Singh said that none of these countries were in favour of a military solution to the conflict.

It is likely that New Delhi’s consultations with the big powers has also included a go-ahead for precisely such a conditional mediatory offer to be made.

Significantly, Vajpayee, while reiterating to MPs that India would not consider military intervention in the Sri Lankan civil war as a way out of the crisis, also said that New Delhi was in touch with the Norwegian Government, which in the last few months has attempted a peace initiative between the two sides.

Vajpayee vehemently rejected Opposition charges that some allies of his government, especially those from Tamil Nadu, were in favour of carving out a Tamil Eelam, or a separate Tamil state out of Sri Lanka. He urged that Tamil Nadu analyse the situation calmly.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan who briefed the press quoted Jaswant Singh as saying that there was consensus on the following points.

First, that India believes in the integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka and will not undertake any moves that will harm that underlying principle. Secondly, that within these parameters, the minority Tamil population of Sri Lanka should not be harmed. Third, that a peaceful solution to the crisis was essential. And lastly, that India will not intervene militarily in the civil war.

Reports from the LTTE office in London today by the Reuters news agency, offering a “temporary ceasefire” which could even lead to “a permanent ceasefire”, seemed to fit into the overall jigsaw puzzle that is the Sri Lankan crisis.

Analysts pointed out that the LTTE’s march towards Jaffna town over the last few days had been considerably slowed down and that that may account for the ceasefire proposal. On the other hand, they pointed to India’s willingness to play a more active role in the crisis, with Jaswant Singh telling the Parliament as long ago as last week that the Norwegian peace plan was not a “workable solution..’

According to the London LTTE office, the LTTE would be prepared to suspend all armed hostilities against the Sri Lankan armed forces to facilitate the beleaguered government troops to be evacuated safely from the Jaffna peninsula.

A positive response to the offer, the LTTE office said, would “create cordial conditions for a permanent ceasefire, peace talks and negotiated political settlement for the Tamil national question.”

A rejection, on the other hand, could lead to “disastrous consequences,” including heavy military casualties for Colombo. The LTTE office pointed out that the ceasefire could come into effect as soon as Colombo indicated its willingness to do so.

Under the circumstances, the visit of Air Chief Marshal Tipnis to Colombo beginning yesterday, assumes significance. While Tipnis’ visit had been scheduled some months ago, the latest situation offers him the opportunity to make a first hand assessment of the political and military situation on the ground.

It is believed that Pakistan’s keenness to intervene with military supplies in the civil war is one reason why India, which certainly doesn’t want to abdicate its responsibility or its presence in the Indian Ocean, is taking a keener role.

On the other hand, even though New Delhi may not be directly supplying arms to Colombo, such military hardware could go through third countries, such as Israel. Sources said that India and Israel were in constant touch over the evolving situation.

At the all-party meeting, the Congress made it clear that the Government should continue to take the Opposition into confidence before deciding on any course of action. Congress leaders, voicing their concern over the thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who had earlier come into Tamil Nadu, said the Government must be “cautious” in dealing with the crisis in that island country.

Congress delegation comprising senior leaders Pranab Mukherjee and Manmohan Singh voiced its “concern on the recent developments” in the island country. Party spokesperson Margaret Alva told reporters that the Congress leaders had told the Government that it should be careful so as not to be dragged into anything from which it found itself difficult to extricate.