Letter: India’s support is necessary in peace talks

Monday, March 27, 2000 | 9:53 a.m.

Ever since the commencement of peace talks in Sri Lanka, brokered by Norwegians and supported by the United States, "anti-peace" forces have combined hands to oppose it. It is emanating from ultra-leftists and majority Sinhala chauvinists who have worked historically together to gain power.

Reaction of Indian leftist newspapers, essentially opposition Congress Party supporters, to peace talks was unexpected. They fear if Norway is successful then the West might interfere in Kashmir, but the ruling party of India's national government has already courted U.S. help in containing Kashmir terrorists. They also fear assertion of minority Tamil identity in Sri Lanka will be a threat to India. These irrational fears have prompted them to work with anti-peace forces to misinform the Indian public, thus trying to set Indian policy against peace. It is essential that India supports the peace process for it to succeed.

The United States views India as a strategic partner. It wants a united, peaceful and prosperous India; peace in Sri Lanka will be conducive to it.

Minority Tamil parties should not give up in the peace process. If the peace process comes undone then we should know who was responsible for it, because it has repercussions beyond failure of the peace talks. Continuation of war in Sri Lanka means genocide of the minority Hindu Tamils. This will not be acceptable to the rest of the world because it is morally wrong and it will affect India even more violently than a mere Tamil-dominated federal state would.

RAVEEN SATKURUNATHAN