Building bridges: LTTE seeks to renew ties with India

Building bridges: LTTE seeks to renew ties with India

Sunday, January 16, 2005 (Colombo):

Can India ever be friends with the LTTE? The answer in New Delhi may be a categorical 'no' but in Northern Sri Lanka, it is an altogether different story.

The LTTE has said that it is willing to "forget the past" and engage in unconditional talks with the Indian government to reconcile differences in the larger interests of the Tamil people.

The outfit was banned by the Indian government after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

LTTE chief V Prabhakaran is among those wanted by Indian courts to stand trial in the case.

Peace accord

The assassination followed the failure of the Indo-Sri Lankan peace accord, which led to Indian troops battling LTTE fighters in northern Sri Lanka.

Hundreds of Indian soldiers and LTTE fighters were killed.

Building bridges is not what the LTTE is known for but the militant group is now reaching out to India.

"The feelings about death that happened in the past will spoil the living today. We trust the wisdom of the Indian polity and their goodwill towards their neighbours.

"We want the Indian government to know that we respect the integrity and sovereignty of India while also asking them to recognise that the Tamil people are engaged in a reasonable struggle for peace and justice," said S P Thamilselvan, Head, Political Division, LTTE.

Gaining acceptance

The LTTE needs India's recognition as a first step to being more acceptable to the world community.

If New Delhi lifts the ban on them, it could prompt Western powers especially the UK and the US to reconsider their ban on the Tigers.

This in turn would put diplomatic pressure on the Sri Lankan government.

Such pressure the Tigers believe will help break the deadlock, which is facing the peace process with the Sri Lankan government.

Emotional bond

The talks aim to give more autonomy to the Tamils in the north and the east.

Perhaps because of this calculation, the group is ready to talk to New Delhi without preconditions.

"It is not a pre-condition at all. As long as the proscription continues we cannot legitimately make a claim or represent ourselves or develop a process of dialogue," said Thamilselvan.

That is an appeal, which finds support amongst Tamils in the LTTE controlled areas.

They say there is an emotional bond that the Tamil people in Sri Lanka share with India and reconciliation with India is something that they have been praying for years.

"Sonia Gandhi forgave Nalini, one of the accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assasination case and that gives me some hope. I am sure the UPA government would consider an appeal to re-establish links with the LTTE and the Tamil people," urged R Nithyananthan, Tamil Poet.

Avoiding contact

The Indian government says that it is open to relations with Sri Lankan Tamils but does not recognise the LTTE as their sole representatives.

India has been reluctant to have any contact with the Tigers since it banned the organisation about 15 years back, which is why it has also avoided any direct role in the three-year-old peace process in the Island nation.

Nevertheless, the LTTE says it is sincere about building bridges with New Delhi and hopes that India will change its stand.
from ndtv.com