[Reader-list] India accused of complicity in deaths of Sri Lankan Tamils

[Inder Salim]

Thanks dear  Sengupta for pointing out wrong sound used to Dr. Binakay
Sen, ( singh )
this also surprises me that how our immediate  sounds and meanings,
can dominate ‘the subject’ , and can alter our perceptions even ,
unwittingly.
'Singh' just happens to be a  popular sound where i live presently....

'Kashmir', crept in on its own, while talking Tamils problem in Sri
Lanka, .........
perhaps,
i felt  it might stimulate another round of healthy debate around the
issues, which are home to some most painful wounds ; wounds gifted by
the immediate present than past, but
i am afraid that we still dont have a clue.

defeating ‘a terrorist’ or his will,  simply can not solve the
problem, as something other kind of violence replace is, with some
other form, some other nuance of it, full of vengeance, completely
removed from any ethical or moral considerations of normal living.

See, if the main-stream life style was the ideal form of living why
then most of the forms of violence are controlled by the very
political system of which are part, and even celebrate that…

the state violence against its subjects which we happen to see not as
terrorism ,  not only breeds terrorism , but other forms of
encroachments of the subject, often annihilating her/his base.

Perhaps, we need to study the modern, developed/developing modes of
living more with suspicion than with a blind acceptability. A
seemingly peaceful system that compels a society to a particular
destination is not necessarily friendly.

Not let us see it from other angle:
Americans defeated its armed original inhabitants and we got Americanism.
Australia  defeated its unarmed aboriginals, but it now all white,
racist society,

Bias against a community is deeper than we may believe, I once
happened to interact with some French in Alsace, where there is the
only French concentrations camp, and  there are just few few jews
around, but the hate against them is so loud, which surprised me,
there is no question of unemployment or exploitation and any community
but the difference easily translates into politics of hate , which
obviously brought the right wing majority in Alsace during last French
elections. It was that time

Coming back to issue of Tamils in Sri Lanka: the equal distribution of
resources and share in power is just utopian, and so the conflict is
inevitable, defeating them at the moment has not eradicated the
problem at the core…

Regarding Kashmir issue, I wish there was some new politics, some new
wave of humanism, some new urge to restore forests and love for music
and poetry. Alas, the politics of defiance was bereft of such vital
nuances, and given the complicity of Indian greed to maintain the
territory only gave white washed that possibility.

nothing will erase the essential of what is at  people’s heart .
Unfortunately the freedom struggle  was contrived and only resulted in
the violence , and an excuse for Indian Security Forces to kill and
rape kashmiris. Sad.

Thinking  of Constitution of Kashmir as  thorn in the eye of Indian
Nationalism is just one obsolete form of expression, on the contrary
accepting it and letting them live on their own terms might heal, but
I am afraid, now everybody is opportunistic… so nobody is really clean
to point a finger at the other

But human will can not fail without a struggle,
My pessimistic view can be limited

Love
is




On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 12:06 PM, subhrodip sengupta
<sub_sengupta at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
> They are still treated as second class citizens. The gift a ring for tamil
> name shows how much are the popular want for a seggregated tamil culture.
> Beyond this, doesn't a seperate nation stste start? Do not know, but the
> statements of some retired army officer shows how Indian Peacekeeping force
> was responsible in butchering of several tamils before the LTTE surrender.
> On reading this I recall the shocking incident when NSG commando's wer send
> on a wide area prooning operation, the time involved was bound top have
> consequences. What I read was in this all clear operation the last hostages
> were hearing a live conversation ------- Indeed the all cleqar was achieved.
> Indian interests might have been well to prevent Indian Tamils from
> seperating from India, where I do support your view. AGAIN, where do we find
> heroism in an ENcumbant having spent billions of rupees on Army. oops two
> encumbants meeting a bloody end to a small entrant. After all the State will
> use repressive measures to protect it's scale and logic. Even Naxals were
> driven out by the CrPF and Indian Army. But the point they make, lets the
> moderates take the debate on and have a stand which elsewhere was not
> possible, an exception the Naxalite movement, may be because yet it has not
> been crushed. And I beg your pardon but Dr Binayek's surname is SEN not
> Singh.
>   Constitution's Kashmir a special status gives a peculiar discomfort to
> INDIAN REPUBLIC, which is rather an unmanagebly large state. You might not
> appreciate in Delhi, but go a bit interior and you'll feel where except at
> junctures of getting fund, there are healthy relations with outsiders'
> interference in administration. BUt except allotting pieces of land to
> Kashmiri pandits, my stand is unless their claim is settled,a ny kind of
> agreement on Kashir will set a wrong example for a ready to break UNion.
> There is a bodo issue and a Red corridoor as well. There are pressures by
> Fdi and you can not set an example which will break it into pieces. And as
> long as Hindus can not return to Kashmir any talks or treaty shall be
> partial. I do not praise the manner in which Army is reacting to enraged
> Public, as well, but encouraging mass rage is not good, though there might
> be talks with people about it. Who are Pakistanis to talk about Kashmir. or
> whi is a foriegn sponsored terrorist to talk on it? Yes Kashmiri Terrorists
> might be include if they are willing to though!
> Subhrodip.
> ________________________________
> From: Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
> To: reader-list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, 3 June, 2009 10:40:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] India accused of complicity in deaths of Sri
> Lankan Tamils
>
> Dear Kshmendra
>
> thanks for forward
>
> ever since IPKF  ( indian peace keeping force )  launched itself
> against LTTE i see Indian complicity in continuum
>
> the fall of Tamils in Sri Lanka was bound to happen, as no terrorist
> activity sustains itself beyond a decade or so. That has happened in
> Punjab and perhaps we see it happening in Kashmir as well. I always
> feel that 'dissent', mainly political, as and when crosses a certain
> limit of violence it only helps the state to strengthen.....strangely
> , after the fall of any terrorist outfit, i see erstwhile politicians
> acquiring more lethal looks than before.
>
> there are are reasons to fear any sign which marks the defeat of these
> Militants-Turned-Terrorists organizations because now the so called
> main stream politicians will be armed with  many excuses to quell any
> expressions that  may demand the restoration of the sensible, .......
> perhaps, because of millions of such organized state violence against
> its subjects has resulted into this present mindset of Nationalism,
> wherein we even see the story of human civilization,
>
> i see no escape for the masses, and i see no end to the possibilities
> of terror outfits throwing blood on the flowery still life on our
> routine canvas.  am i too pessimist ?
>
> We, the peaceful living entities in India have a natural consensus
> against Naxals, ( a movement by landless people ) which led to  a
> recent farcical arrest of Dr. Binayak Singh, and now strangely his
> supporters have no choice but to be thankful to an SC Judgement that
> grated him bail after two years of illegal confinement,  but the good
> judges too might not be good against the a real Naxal, if arrest, just
> on as flimsy grounds as Dr. Binayak Singh.....( Perhaps, former
> Railway minister George Ferndese  was a Naxalite,  once )... strange
> are the ways of main stream politics...
>
> i know it is not possible to understand these conflicts with one yard
> stick. and yet we see similarities,
> and some questions arising out of that, just for curiosity
>
> LTTE's success would have unnerved Indian Nation State, since Tamil
> Nadu too could have become part of it, if not now, but in future, but
> why cant there be one exclusive Tamil country with its own language,
> administration, if all the Tamils want it, why denial ? ( meanwhile, i
> have no big enthusiasm for any formations of new boarders/territories,
> but statuesque are proven sterile...  )
>
> I know the slogan like multiculturalism etc are good for the health of
> society/nation etc etc. but on the ground, Tamils in Sri Lanka were
> treated as second class citizens, so why cant LTTE  be seen as a just
> political expression, of course driven by obsolete protest procedures.
>
> but on the other hand how deep is the relation between violence and
> politics, we both know. quite paradoxical ...
>
> .......some  managed their territorial dissent, with their money or
> modernity, where people dont see much difference between this and
> that,  French managed it, Spain too , and  now main stream Iraqi  too
> seems to settle down with Kurdistan within one Iraq map. there are
> many examples,
>
> here in India too we are settled with Punjab issue, but with Kashmir
> issue, i guess Indian diplomacy is still at square one? or things have
> quite drifted in other direction because of ennui ...
>
> or you see it differently?
>
> with love
> is
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 3:10 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> From The Times
>> June 1, 2009
>>
>>
>> "India accused of complicity in deaths of Sri Lankan Tamils"
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent
>>
>>
>> India was accused yesterday of complicity in the killing of an estimated
>> 20,000 civilians in the last stages of Sri Lanka’s 26-year war against the
>> Tamil Tigers.
>>
>> Major-General Ashok Mehta, a former commander of Indian peacekeeping
>> forces in Sri Lanka, said that India’s role was “distressing and
>> disturbing”. Two international human rights groups said that India had
>> failed to do enough to protect civilian lives.
>>
>> “We were complicit in this last phase of the offensive when a great number
>> of civilians were killed,” General Mehta, who is now retired, told The
>> Times. “Having taken a decision to go along with the campaign, we went along
>> with it all the way and ignored what was happening on the ground.”
>>
>> Despite being home to 60 million Tamils, India has provided Sri Lanka with
>> military equipment, training and intelligence over the past three years,
>> diplomatic sources told The Times. More controversially, it provided
>> unwavering diplomatic support and failed to use its influence to negotiate a
>> ceasefire for civilians to escape the front line, they said.
>>
>> India joined a bloc led by China and Russia at a special session of the UN
>> Human Rights Council last week to thwart a proposal for a war crimes
>> inquiry, and instead supported a resolution praising Sri Lanka. In January
>> India voted in favour of a war crimes inquiry into Israel’s operation in the
>> Gaza Strip, which killed an estimated 926 civilians.
>>
>> General Mehta said that the Indian Government, led by the Congress Party,
>> wanted to counterbalance China and Pakistan, its main regional rivals, which
>> had each increased arms sales to Sri Lanka in the past few years. It also
>> wanted to avenge the Tigers’ assassination in 1991 of Rajiv Gandhi, the
>> Prime Minister and late husband of Sonia Gandhi, the current Congress
>> leader, he said.
>>
>> Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said that neither reason
>> justified failing to act when the Red Cross warned of an “unimaginable
>> humanitarian catastrophe”. India “could have saved many lives if it had
>> taken a proactive position — and it would not have affected the outcome of
>> the war,” he said..
>>
>> Sam Zarifi, Asia Pacific director of Amnesty International, said: “India .
>> . . simply chose to support the [Sri Lankan] Government’s notion that it
>> could kill as many civilians as it would take to defeat the Tigers.”
>>
>> India says that it provided Sri Lanka with non-lethal military equipment
>> and sent officials repeatedly to persuade the Government to protect
>> civilians. “We’ve consistently taken the line that the Sri Lankan Government
>> should prevent civilian casualties,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
>>
>> However, President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka told NDTV: “I don’t think I got
>> any pressure from them. They knew that I’m fighting their war.”
>>
>> Mr Rajapaksa told The Week magazine that he planned to visit Delhi next
>> month to thank Indian leaders. “India’s moral support during the war was
>> most important,” he said.
>>
>> Diplomats, human rights activists and analysts say that Delhi either did
>> not use its full diplomatic force or, more likely, gave Colombo carte
>> blanche to finish the war. India’s only real concerns, they said, were that
>> the conflict should not create a flood of refugees to India. Some raised
>> questions about Vijay Nambiar, a former Indian diplomat, who is chief of
>> staff to Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General. The Times revealed last week
>> that Mr Nambiar knew about but chose not to make public the UN’s estimate
>> that 20,000 civilians had been killed, mostly by army shelling.
>>
>> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6401557.ece
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _________________________________________
>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>> Critiques & Collaborations
>> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai..net with
>> subscribe in the subject header.
>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
>
> --
>
> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe
> in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> ________________________________
> Cricket on your mind? Visit the ultimate cricket website. Enter now!



-- 

http://indersalim.livejournal.com