Lankan nationals, troubled though they are, must not be allowed to stay in India

Sri Lanka, the ‘emerald island’, has once again brought alive the image of a teardrop in the Indian Ocean. The island nation which saw assassinations, murders,

mayhem and terrorism for almost three decades thanks to a despot by the name of Velupillai Prabhakaran had returned to normal as the Sri Lankan Army wiped out the last of the LTTE elements by May 2009. Interestingly, when Sri Lanka catches a cold, India sneezes. The nonstop influx of refugees from Jaffna to Tamil Nadu cost India dear as a former Prime Minister fell victim to Prabhakaran’s suicide bombers. Tamil Nadu became a safe haven for LTTE terrorists who had a free run across the State, thanks to the patronage offered by some Dravidian leaders. All unpleasant

activities ended up as Lankan security forces eliminated the terrorists. Security experts and counter-terrorism specialists had made Sri Lanka’s win against the LTTE a case study, and the annual Defence Seminar organised by the Defence Ministry emerged as one of the most sought after training ground. Things took a turn for the worse last month as anarchy returned to the island republic with vigour that saw the overthrowing of a democratically elected President.

The international media portrays Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the deposed President, as an embodiment of corruption. A close scrutiny of the recent past shows that Rajapaksa had inherited a legacy for which he has been held accountable. The “Aragala Bhumiya” (site of agitation/revolution) is in the south and not in northern Sri Lanka. Life in Jaffna peninsula continues to be normal and there is no justification for the influx of refugees to Tamil Nadu, which has seen hundreds of Lankan Tamils reaching its shores. If they have genuine issues, India should try to resolve the same but they should not be allowed to stay here. The remnants of the LTTE are seen moving freely in Tamil Nadu and it is an open secret that most of the Tamil chauvinist leaders are on their payroll. The near unanimity among Dravidian politicians for the release of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins sentenced to life imprisonment has to be seen in this background. The “refugees” are part of a vast human trafficking network with its hub in Tamil Nadu and this is surely not in the country’s interest. India cannot afford to lose any more lives in this tussle.