Fri, 2012-07-13 00:40 — editor By Shenali Waduge
India’s comments, actions and gestures never
happen without reason and become accentuated by their Sri Lankan mouthpiece the
TNA ever willing to carry out anything and everything India orders. Thus, the
diplomatic tempos being thrust on Sri Lanka are all nothing but pressure points
to clear Sri Lanka’s military presence along the coastal fronts leaving Sri
Lanka open to India’s whims and desires.
Therefore, we should not shrug the links to the
greater plan currently being carved by India in continuing its efforts to
destabilize Sri Lanka, whilst pretending to be a friend. Mullikulam is
important because of its location within the small strip of area connecting
India through a ferry service perfect to advance India’s grandiose plans to interfere
in sovereign Sri Lanka.
There is much
to read between the lines. The diplomatic chidings regarding Indian fishermen,
the TNA’s sudden concern for 81 non-Hindu families, the uproar over their
displacement and demand for them to be resettled while insisting that the Navy
camp be remove dare intricately linked. At the back of our mind should always
remain the 50,000 sponsored Indian homes and the question of who these homes
are actually meant for. With only a handful of the 297,000 refugees saved by Sri
Lanka’s military remaining to be resettled it begs to question whether these
50,000 houses are being earmarked for a greater Indian plan!Let us see what this fuss is all about and derive at possible conclusions how it has become a trend to use electronic media, Tamil Nadu leaders, the TNA, Christian and Catholic NGOs and their representatives to become mouthpieces simply to use these naïve people to advance their ulterior motives. Mullikulam is not the first such instance.
The Mullikulam Navy camp area comprises around 10acres with 2000 acres surrounding which is mostly jungle terrain. Within the current area of the camp there is a Church which is possibly about 100 years old, but now in decrepit condition and 32 houses most of which are partly destroyed and in bad condition. Bishops from Mannar arrive every Sunday for religious prayers.
We are well aware of the fixation to issue inflated civilian casualties and numbers and it came as no surprise when internationally it was relayed that 200 families have been purposely displaced by Sri Lanka’s military. Contrary to these false propaganda is the fact that there are not more than 110 (81 families) people at the center of the issue. Also true is that these people had been living in parts of Mannar since 2000 which would obviously explain why the houses are in bad condition and why the condition of the Church is no better. What is more these families do not have any title deeds either despite the TNA’s calls that these people be given their land. The people too are well aware that they do not possess any title deeds and so are ever grateful to be given built homes within an enclave that they can carry out their livelihood. Even the children of these families had been receiving their education in Mannar and there is no evidence of any school being run pre-war in the area.
The navy has provided the people plenty of facilities. Contrary to the accusations of inhumanness of the armed forces, it is the navy that provides water through bowzers, the navy has also facilitated the people with toilets and navy doctors attend to the medical needs of the people. The navy has also gone to the extent of making a clear path in order for these non-Hindus to attend Church on Sundays from the makeshift homes they currently live in. There are enough of food purchasing outlets and there is a significant presence of NGOs and Church involvement to assist the families as well.
The livelihood of these people naturally depends on the season with men (40 or so) taking to fishing during season and during off season attending to agriculture (paddy cultivation and vegetables)
The issue at hand appears to be that having realized the importance of Mullkulam, India does not desire to have the naval camp present and India is doing what it knows best to create a scenario of embarrassment for the Sri Lankan Government and its military. This is a modus operandi that India is famous for. The naval camp was created in2008 and it has now been turned into the North Western province naval headquarters housing 1500 sailors and 25 officers.
It is for Sri Lankan authorities to realize that India remains only another neighbor in the South Asian region and India has no right to be dictating how our coastal areas are to be run. If the people in question are satisfied with the arrangement that they are to be built 32 houses close to the paddy field and fishing area and just 4km from the Church to which a bus service is promised to be arranged for them to go to Church on Sundays what is India’s and TNA’s problem when the people are extremely happy with the arrangement offered through the Government. Why does India and TNA want to use these people who had abandoned these houses decades ago wish to insist that they remain in order to use them as a ruse to demand the closure or removal of the Navy camp?
If these people are to be given homes, to be close to fishing and agriculture and to be given electricity when their homes will be gifted once complete has anyone given these people anything better over the years except to use them to promote lies about hartals and complaints which are being relayed over electronic media?
To make matters worse while India and Tamil Nadu are often up in arms about harassment of Indian fishermen do they forget to mention that it is Indian “fishermen” that come poaching into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters and they come in trawlers and crafts with 500 or1000 Indians inside leaving Sri Lanka’s navy in a tight situation on how to arrest and who to arrest.
It is not difficult to really connect what India’s plan is to use different strategies to demand Sri Lanka’s Government remove its strategic bases from the coastal areas especially in areas that India finds it easy to steadily bring in illegal Indian immigrants and house them over time to be used when the time is right. Thus, it is important to always remember the 50,000 Indian housing scheme and checklist who exactly each house has been awarded to. We have not forgotten that 30 years is a very long period that illegal immigrants would have been arriving in Sri Lanka and these Indians are now living as Sri Lankans and that is why we cannot make sense of the population figures in the North and East especially pre-war.
What Sri Lankans must remember at all times is that with the LTTE now no more, India has to now think of different ways to infiltrate Indians into Sri Lanka – in the South it is happening through bogus commercial ventures and open visas systems in other parts it is taking place through our waters. Never has there been an important time than now to protect our shores and Sri Lanka’s Navy needs to be given the fullest backing and public support.
