Indian Dilemma

“In this situation, the legitimate government elected by the people has to fight with the LTTE terrorists to safeguard the unitary state, democracy and to establish peace for all citizens including Tamil and Muslim minorities.”
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by J. Wasala

(March 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) History says that native Sri Lankans are descendants of a group of Indians migrated from Eastern India, led by a prince called Vijaya in the sixth century B.C. They have colonized the north central region of Sri Lanka and a lineage of kings of the same clan was able to achieve the highest level in economic, social and cultural development of Sri Lanka during a period of more than a millennium.

In the third century B.C. Emperor Asoka of India sent his own son, Arahanth Mahinda Thera with the priceless gift of sublime Dhamma to be delivered to his friend Devanampiyatissa, the king of Sri Lanka. Thus Buddha Dhamma was accepted by the majority of Sri Lankans, and today it is said that the greatest gift given to Sri Lanka by India is this Dhamma of Gouthama Buddha of India.

This priceless Dhamma preached by the Buddha for the emancipation of mankind was lost to India a few centuries ago. Sri Lanka is preserving it to date, in its pure form, on behalf of India for the benefit of the whole world.

Emperor Asoka again sent his own daughter - Theri Sangamitta to establish an order of nuns in Sri Lanka. She was so pleased to help Sri Lanka, that she brought with her a sapling of the sacred Bo Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment at Lumbini in north India.

While India has lost the original Bo Tree, its sapling that was brought to Sri Lanka and planted at Anuradhapura is venerated even today with traditional daily rituals and protected with highest honour by Sri Lankan Buddhists.

Again in the fourth century A. D. Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamala of India brought to Sri Lanka, the Buddha’s sacred Tooth Relic and entrusted it to Sri Lankan Buddhists for protection. This relic is being protected and venerated to date at the Temple of Tooth at Kandy.

Sri Lanka’s historical affiliations with India could be said unique as there are no other two countries in the world which have such long standing mutual feeling of affectionate friendship toward each other. Sri Lanka’s native Buddhists generally regard India as their ancestral home, Mother Country (in Sinhalese Maw Rata) and its people, sisters and brothers. This is evident from the fact that an average Sri Lankan Buddhist’s ambition is to make a pilgrimage to India at least once in his lifetime.

After the spread of Buddhism, there were tens of thousands of monks, many of them Arahanths (enlightened ones) to guide the rulers and the people. Hundreds of massive edifices, well-planned monasteries, a very intricate water management system, (many of them in the form of ruins today) could be attributed to that ancient gift given by India, i.e. Buddhism.

Famous classics of India such as Mahabharatha, Ramayanaya have amply demonstrated the very close social and cultural relations that existed during times ancient times. On the other hand the Indian historians have benefited immensely by the Sri Lankan ancient history book Mahavamsa in compiling some aspect of Indian History.

Gradually, people from south India migrated and settled down in the northern part of the island and Arab Muslims also came as traders and developed their own settlements. In the past the majority Sinhalese lived with these two minority groups Tamils and Muslims without any discrimination.

After gaining independence from the British rule in 1948 the understanding of the leaders of India and Sri Lanka was so close that they gradually developed mutual, personal friendship. In 1971 when there was the uprising of marxist rebels against the government, it was India’s fullest cooperation and assistance that helped to bring the situation back to normal within a few days.

Again in 1988 when the Sri Lanka government had to fight with separatist terrorists - the LTTE, it was again, India which helped with military assistance.

This terrorist movement started when a few Tamil political leaders spread the idea that Tamils should get a separate Tamil Eelam of their own and that not through a political process but through violence.

The LTTE was thus born and the Sri Lankan Government’s repeated requests for negotiation were being rejected and their terror tactics were causing the murder of hundreds of innocent civilians daily.

In this situation, the legitimate government elected by the people has to fight with the LTTE terrorists to safeguard the unitary state, democracy and to establish peace for all citizens including Tamil and Muslim minorities.

If the Sri Lanka Government fails to eliminate terrorism and if LTTE establishes a Tamil Eelam in the north of Sri Lanka, how it will affect India.

Already, the LTTE has infltrated India and was able to murder no less a person than the Prime Minister of India - Rajiv Gandhi.

It is well known that some within the Tamil Nadu state have very close connections with the LTTE.

If at all there happens to be a Eelam State in northen Sri Lanka it would definitely join hands with the Tamil Nadu State of south India. Considering the past activities of the LTTE, and its brutal nature, it will be a serious threat to India in that it will sow the seed of destabilization and disintegration.
- Sri Lanka Guardian