TAMIL TRIBUNE, May 2000 (ID. 2000-05-02)

Hindians - People whose mother tongue is Hindi (similar to Tamil speakers are sometimes referred as Tamilans or Tamilians).

LTTE - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

US - United States (of America)

1. A News Item from Tamil Nadu: Sri Lankan Navy Attacks Houses on Tamil Nadu Coast

2. India Refuses to Protect Tamil Nadu Coast

3. A News Item from the North: Bangladesh Soldiers Attack Indian Farmers

4. Why is India Codling Sri Lanka?

5. In Case of an All-out War with Pakistan, China or their Allies…

6. Remove the Military Bases from Tamil Nadu

Here is a news item from the second week of October 1999:

India refused to act in spite of this blatant violation of its territory by the Sri Lankan Navy. We should not look at it as an isolated incident. During the past few years the Sri Lankan Navy had shot and killed more than 100 Tamil Nadu fishermen and injured many times as many in the sea. Never once did the Indian Navy come to the protection of the fishermen, although I see every time I go to Rameswaram, Indian warships standing in the sea, only miles from where attacks on fishermen take place in the sea and just a couple of miles from where houses were shot and damaged by the Sri Lankan Navy.

When Tamil Nadu fishermen were shot and killed in the sea, Sri Lankan Navy's and Indian Navy's excuse was that these fishermen crossed into Sri Lankan waters. Though it is quite possible in some of the cases (not in every case) that the fishermen strayed into Sri Lankan waters, international laws and codes of conduct do not allow such shootings. They should be warned and turned back. (This is discussed in more detail in my earlier articles.) Because the Indian Navy did not do anything to protect the Tamil Nadu fishermen in the sea, Sri Lankan Navy has gotten bold enough to attack fishermen's houses right inside Tamil Nadu. If the Sri Lankan Navy could not catch or destroy the LTTE boats in its territorial waters, it has no right to enter Indian waters. (This same Navy shoots and kills Tamil Nadu fishermen alleging that they strayed into their waters). Not only did the Sri Lankan Navy cross into Indian territorial waters but came all the way up to Tamil Nadu shore and then shoot and damage houses belonging to poor fishing families. This is illegal and breaches every international law. Police or army of one country cannot enter neighboring territory in chase of criminals, freedom fighters or enemies at war. During the Second World War, Germany never entered the neutral Switzerland in pursuit of spies or enemy commandos. If Pakistan army enters Indian territory in pursuit of those who oppose Pakistan government, what would happen? Hell will break lose! India would immediately attack the Pakistan army. But even after the Sri Lankan came all the way up to Tamil Nadu coast and shoot at our houses, Indian Navy did not retaliate, although several Indian warships were only a few miles from the place of attack. Indian government did not even issue a warning to the Sri Lankan Navy! Are Tamil Nadu fishermen, their families and houses expendable sacrificial pieces in the eyes of Hindian politicians who dominate and control the Indian government?

Here is another news item from the third week of August 1999.

There is a clear difference in what the Indian military does in cases when provocations occur in the northern border with Pakistan, China or Bangladesh and in cases when provocations occur in the south by the Sri Lankan Navy. In spite all the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen in the sea and now right on the Tamil Nadu coast itself, the Indian government restrains the Indian Navy from interfering or retaliating. Indian government does not even warn the Sri Lankan government of retaliation if the attacks continue; attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen have been ongoing for the past few years with impunity. Why is the Hindian-dominated Indian government coddling Sri Lanka? Here is an excerpt from and earlier article (written before the attacks on houses on Tamil Nadu coast) [Reference 1]:

The Indian government, dominated and controlled by Hindian politicians, has no hesitation to sacrifice Tamil Nadu fishermen to the Sri Lankan Navy in exchange for Sri Lankan government's diplomatic support or at least neutrality in its quarrels with its northern neighbors who are closer to and are possible threat to the Hindian homelands of Uttar Predesh, Madhya Pradesh and nearby areas. This raises a very serious question whether Hindian politicians who dominate and control the Indian government would sacrifice the people of Tamil Nadu (as well as other southern states far away from Hindi states) to protect their Hindi states during any future all-out war with Pakistan, China or their allies.

Before we look at the scenario of an all-out war (not a limited war like the 1999 war with Pakistan on Kargil or the 1962 war with China on Ladakh), a few points of background information may be in order.

Have you ever wondered why India has so many Air Force and Naval Bases in Tamil Nadu and other southern states? The only southern neighbor, the tiny Sri Lanka, is no threat to India and does not require all the Air and Naval Power stationed in Tamil Nadu. (In fact, as we discussed in earlier sections, Indian government is not asking the warships stationed in Rameswaram Naval Base (Tamil Nadu) to protect the fishermen of that area.) Then why are so many Air Force and Naval bases in Tamil Nadu and the south? These are secondary bases far away from the principal theater of war, namely, India's northern regions. War planes, war ships and submarines from these bases will replenish losses in forward bases; also, the long-range bombers and submarines based in Tamil Nadu will be used to carryout attacks in forward areas including enemy territories in the north. So if an all-out war breaks out in the north, India's enemies (Pakistan or China or their allies) will immediately target the Air and Naval Bases in the south. (During the 1991 mid-east war, US and NATO planes bombed Iraqi air bases as far north as Kurdistan while the ground war was limited near the Kuwait-Iraq border in the south.) It is inevitable that India's northern enemies will target their missiles and long-range bombers on Indian military bases in Tamil Nadu. This will produce enormous civilian casualties in Tamil Nadu and other southern states although we are far away from the theater of war in the north.

Since the Indian government is treating Tamil civilians as expendable pieces in their military and diplomatic strategy, and since India's military bases in Tamil Nadu will attract enemy attacks and enormous Tamil civilian casualties, people of Tamil Nadu should demand that all Indian military bases in Tamil Nadu be closed.

Some may tell me, "Don't be so self-centered. Be a good Indian and look at India as a whole, not just at Tamil Nadu." A reasonable statement at the outset. But it is the Hindian politicians who dominate and control the Indian government who are self-centered and treating the non-Hindi population as third class citizens. Let them show their "broadminded Indian-ness" by protecting the Tamil Nadu fishermen from Sri Lankan naval attacks. Issue an immediate warning that any future attack on the fishermen will result in the attack on Sri Lankan Naval vessels. Then, next time the Sri Lankan Navy attacks Tamil Nadu fishermen, Indian Navy should shoot a Sri Lankan Navy ship and disable it in retaliation. This will stop the attacks on our fishermen for good. If this happens, then we may allow Indian military bases to operate in Tamil Nadu. If the Indian government would rather continue to let the Sri Lankan Navy kill our fishermen in exchange for its diplomatic neutrality, then we say "no" to Indian military bases. If the Indian government treats us as expendable pieces in its military and diplomatic strategy, there is no reason for us to put the people of Tamil Nadu at great risk from attacks by India's northern neighbors with whom we have no quarrel or dispute as such.

TT