In the most gruesome and sad incident, an air-force raid on a school killed scores of children. Initially the Government refused to confirm these deaths but after the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission confirmed the deaths of the children, the Government reluctantly accepted responsibility but claiming those killed to be child warriors of the LTTE. While there is independent documented evidence suggesting that the LTTE does coerce, recruit, and employ children in their war against Sri Lanka, the morale claims of the Government in targeting children, even if they were meant for war, is dubious. The TN Assembly sharply rebuked this action castigating the Government for the lapse. The Sri Lankan Government protested vehemently with the resolution saying that the resolution was based on disinformation floated by the LTTE. The normally fractious TN political sphere closed ranks in absolute solidarity to reject the protestations of the Government. As an aside, the TN Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi revealed that his interventions and mediation efforts with the LTTE was thwarted by the visit to the island of Tamil extremist politician Vaiko who quickly trashed it as pure nonsense challenging Karunanidhi to reveal the nature and substance of his dialogue with the LTTE. Karunanidhi’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was co-accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi but has since been absolved of blame. Pending further revelations of substance, these statements are nothing but cheap political ploy to break Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).

Meanwhile, India has apparently proposed a political formula to resolve the crisis. The Indian proposal is based on the Federalization proposal of the Sarkaria Commission which seeks to accommodate legitimate interests and aspirations of all sections by allowing proportionate representation. While India has not implemented the Sarkaria recommendations, it has an overall better Federal and inclusive structure than most nations. The most important aspect is the clear division of power between the Federal and State Governments. India is also offering Sri Lanka the services of its Constitutional experts to reframe the island nation’s lob-sided Constitution.

This is a welcome initiative by India that has been reclusive from the tussle after the well-meaning but disastrous initiative to induct the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka. Following the deployment this force ended up fighting the LTTE, which interestingly received massive support from sworn enemies such as Buddhist hardliners such as then Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa and the Janata Vimukthi Peramunna (JVP). Later, when the LTTE assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, India banned the group, cut off all ties, and went into hibernation over the issue. Therefore, the initiative is a welcome change of mindset.

However, India needs to do more than mere Constitutional advice. Firstly, it needs to immediately dispatch relief supplies to Jaffna and offer services of doctors, engineers, and non-combatant experts. Secondly, it needs to demand an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the FDL. Thirdly, it needs to extract a promise from the LTTE, perhaps using third party interlocutors, that it will stop attacking Sri Lankan Navy and Army positions. Fourthly, it needs to assume leadership of the donor community that will hold the Sri Lankan Government responsible for not violating the ceasefire, encouraging local militia, and targeting Tamil civilians. Fifthly, it needs to be ready to deploy monitors to be part of the SLMM. Sixthly, it needs to start resume dialogue with the LTTE, even if it has to do this through intermediaries who are not part of a political party. Seventhly, it needs to demand a clear political consensus from Sri Lanka to deal with this issue—if one follows several actions of the Government, it is becoming increasingly clear that the political entities do not want peace and want to go back to the old ways of treating the Tamil areas as colonies.