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CONFERENCE ON INDIA'S SRI LANKA POLICY

The Centre for National Renaissance (CNR) organized a Conference on India's Sri Lanka Policy: The Perception of the Problem and the Search for a Solution at Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on October 30, 2004. It was attended by several eminent personalities and widely covered by the media. The participants included Sri Lanka's Cabinet Minister Douglas Devananda, US Embassy official Elizabeth Manek, The Hindu editor N Ram, The Asian Age editor MJ Akbar, India's former foreign secretary Salman Haidar, Prof MD Nalapat of Manipal Academy, and Prof SD Muni of Jawaharlal Nehru University. The welcome address was delivered by CNR chairman Subramanian Swamy.

The Conference passed three resolutions after extensive deliberations over the issue:

Resolution No. 1: The Conference declares that a solution to the current problem of linguistic divide in Sri Lanka should not be so structured as to reward terrorism or permit any terrorist outfit on either side of the divide to gain any legitimacy or access to authority of the state.

“This Conference rejects the concept of that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) can be the sole person/agency of the minority Tamils of the island nation. To that extent this Conference calls upon the international community to ensure that any peace talks in Sri Lanka take into account the interests of all parties in the divide.

“Furthermore, whatever solution is found, India should ensure that the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is not forgotten, but all the accused are brought to justice under the law.

Resolution No. 2: This Conference declares that the clear and appropriate solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka arising out of a linguistic divide is a properly safeguarded federal constitution. The safeguards are to ensure that basic federal structure of the said constitution cannot be amended in the future by a parliamentary majority vote and that the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is sanctified beyond challenge.

“Since such a solution has universal appeal as also acceptance of the peace-loving people on both sides of the linguistic divide, and wide international applicability, hence the Sri Lanka government should take the necessary parliamentary approval at the earliest and declare its intention to replace the present military constitution with such a federal constitution when peace in the country prevails. “This Conference declares that the international community, and India in particular, should assist the Sri Lanka government to ensure that the essential peaceful environment prevails to implement such a federal constitution. Hence, any outfit or organization that seeks to block the implementation of such a constitution or disrupt the peaceful environment should be treated as a terrorist organization and dealt as such by the international community within the framework of the UN Resolution on Terrorism.

Resolution No. 3: Appreciating deeply the safe haven that India has provided to so many Tamils, stretching back to the ethnic violence of 1983, Sri Lankan refugees in India stand ready to return to their homeland when conditions allow.

“This Conference believes that the government of India should work closely with the Sri Lankan refugee community in India to prepare for their return to the island and to promote and facilitate their meaningful rehabilitation in an environment of safety and security that would enable the refuges to flower out and shine as proud citizens of their country. “Thus the process of preparation should provide education and skills to returning refugees to achieve self-sufficiency along with the democratic tradition of pluralism and non-violence they have absorbed and cherished in India.

“The process of preparation should also encourage and facilitate the refugees and their organization in planning and executing the return and rehabilitation process in the most comprehensive and meaningful way at the appropriate time.