The interception of a lorry load of gelex boosters bound for the armed forces of Sri Lanka by the Manamadurai (Thamil Nadu) police and subsequent release comes as no surprise. Reacting to news  when it broke out the Sinhala dominated media wasted no time to allege that the gelex boosters were bound for the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam (LTTE).

The news item even appeared  in the official website of the Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka  which claimed "The Tamil Nadu police are reported to be on the trail of Indian agents involved  in smuggling gelex boosters for the LTTE after unearthing a major manufacturing hub in Chennai. "

We have been telling the leaders of Thamil Nadu for donkey years that Delhi  is taking them for a free ride by  professing  non-supply of  lethal weapons  to Sri Lanka while doing exactly  the opposite!

The Telegraph carried a news item on October 11, 2006 titled "Sri Lanka Military clears arms export to Sri Lanka" which claimed the Indian armed forces have cleared military hardware for export to Sri Lanka after Colombo requested a number of items. 

Chief of Naval staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, told The Telegraph in a no-nonsense  interview in plain English that "Military items for export had been  cleared for security. The policy so far has been not to give them (Sri Lanka) offensive weapons. But our instructions from the government are we must do everything to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Sri Lanka" Prakash said. 

"We have been in dialogue with DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation).  We can now export some types of sonars, radars, electronic warfare suites and some makes of naval guns."  (Emphasis ours) 

The Naval Chief further acknowledged that some exports to Sri Lanka have been cleared and Colombo has requested Delhi for "a lot of things" and "As far as we are concerned, military-to-military relations with all our neighbouring countries are very good - Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh.... " 

The interception of a lorry load of ammunition bound for Sri Lanka merely confirms what  Arun Prakash told The Telegraph two months before in October.  

The supply of arms and ammunition could not have been effected without the knowledge of Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivasankar Menon. In so doing, they have dropped the fig leaf of their much flaunted impartiality and exposed their nudity.

It is an open secret in South Block circles that both M.K. Narayanan and Shivasankar Menon who are Malayalees are anti-Thamil and  anti- LTTE baiters. Notably Narayanan has written many articles demonizing the LTTE before his appointment as Defence Advisor.  When a person with such credentials is the Defence Advisor to the Prime Minister, it is not difficult to surmise the type of advice he will proffer.

In August, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave an assurance to MDMK General Secretary Vaiko that India will not do anything to reinforce the Sri Lankan armed forces. But, the interview by Arun Prakash to The Telegraph makes gobbledygook of Prime Minister's assurance to Vaiko.  Delhi's continued and studied indifference to the spate of killings by the Sri Lankan armed forces is yet another confirmation that India is indulging in empty rhetoric and using kid's gloves in dealing with Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka has increased its defence spending for 2007 to US$ 1.3 billion dollars - an increase of 28% over 2006 budgeted expenditure.  The Army's shopping list includes 4 MIG fighter planes from Ukraine, 20 T-55 Main Battle Tanks, 5 C-130 transport aircraft, 10 Baktar Shikan anti-tank guided missile weapon systems, 300 warheads and 2 training simulators. This list is by no means exhaustive. 

President Mahinda Rajapakse by  blocking A-9 highway,  capturing LTTE controlled areas and unleashing a series of  retaliatory or pre-emptive air and artillery bombardment from air, sea and land causing  terrible civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure is readying himself for a final war!  The re-introduction of the notorious PTA is a prelude to such a war on the Thamil people, although he  camouflages his real intention by taking cover under the cynical ploy of fighting "terrorism."

 There should be no misgivings in anybody's  mind that Rajapakse has embarked on this military adventure counting on the military hardware supplies from India, China, Pakistan and US. 

It is time the unsuspecting TN leaders like Vaiko, Dr.Ramadoss, and Thol. Thirumavalavan and Chief Minister M.K. Karunanidhi realise the stark fact that Delhi is taking them for a free ride by indulging in sweet double talk.  

Thamil Creative Writers Association - Canada