Getting it right in Lanka

While making it clear that India had no sympathy for the LTTE, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee has done exactly the right thing to stress that the Sri Lankan government needs to ensure safety of civilians caught in the fighting in the north, and that the military's gains are a major political opportunity for Colombo to try and restore peace in the Tamil areas.

It is indisputable that while the LTTE seems on the verge of a total defeat, the resolution of the 'ethnic conflict' in Sri Lanka does not hinge on military success against the Tigers. Colombo must be seen to be able to envisage and deliver a devolution of power to the minorities, including the Tamils. Indeed, it has been the very inability to do that which has led to the institutional disempowerment of the minorities, and which was also a catalyst for the civil strife.

Given traditional Sinhala majoritarianism, Sri Lanka has not been able to accept the minority demands for sharing of state power. And it remains to be seen whether, given the ethnic triumphalism that has marked it, the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime will be able to reverse that majoritarian impulse. To that end, India must exert whatever influence it has to impress upon Colombo that a permanent solution can only be found with an inclusive distribution of power that ensures the protection of minority rights.

Internally, Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Colombo also represents some sort of face-saver for the DMK in Tamil Nadu, which has been under stress to pressure the Centre to intervene. The immediate task for New Delhi is to try and ensure that the imminent danger - of high civilian casualties given the large number of people caught in the last remaining battle areas - does not come to pass. The DMK, which has been deploying the Lankan Tamil issue in its political manoeuvrings in Tamil Nadu, needs to change tack and delink the Tamil rights issue from the LTTE. On its part, Colombo must understand the safety of the trapped civilians is a precursor to the larger task of delivering post-LTTE reconstruction and inclusive governance in the minority areas.