Patriotism is a funny word now

Author:  R Hariharan |The Pioneer| December 27, 2012

It didn’t matter if one were a student, journalist or a businessman. When the time came in 1962, we all offered our services to the country. Such was the overriding spirit of nationalism which drove us at that time. Now, things have drastically changed

The 50th anniversary of the 1962 India-China war this year, roused a lot of passions in the country. Much of it was hot air, interspersed with some critical analyses of the war and its aftermath. The analyses focused on the strategic inadequacies of the national leadership, in handling national security, that continues to this day. Even the national leaders’ suspicion of the Armed Forces’ leadership still persists, as seen in Parliament during the General VK Singh episode. 

Beatles, Bangladesh and a sitar maestro

R Hariharan

Even as the nation mourned Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar’s death, and the Indian army observed  ‘Vijay Divas’ on December 16 – the day of victory in Bangladesh, many may not be aware of the maestro’s contribution the cause of Bangladesh freedom struggle in 1971.

Book review: Sri Lanka and the defeat of the LTTE

Author: K.M. de Silva

Publisher: Penguin Books Rs 299

The story of Prabhakaran’s rise from the backwoods of Jaffna to build the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), one of the most dreaded terrorist organizations, and his fall in the battlefield can be told in many ways. Sri Lanka historian Prof. K.M. de Silva in his latest book looks at the rise and fall of the LTTE, in the larger context of South Asia and the India-Sri Lanka relationship as well.

Sri Lanka: Storm signals across the Palk Bay

Col R Hariharan

Some of the recent policy decisions of Sri Lanka affecting Indian commercial interests are sending disturbing signals that have the potential to affect Indo-Sri Lanka relations. Will these storm signals add to the political stress created by the non implementation of the much maligned 13^th Amendment to the Constitution? Sri Lanka watchers are probably already debating this question. (For an analysis of the rationale behind 13A stress see South Asia Analysis Group Sri Lanka Update No: 225 December 7, 2012 - “Sri Lanka: Consolidation of Rajapaksa Inc ” at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1083 )

Sri Lanka: Comments on Heroes Day

By Col R Hariharan

[Summary of answers to questions from media analysts on the occasion of V Prabhakaran’s birth day on November 26 and the LTTE’s Heroes Day on November 27 are given in this article.] 

November 27 used to be celebrated as the Heroes Day by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On this occasion what is your take on those who lost their lives in the struggle for Tamil Eelam?

It was instituted in commemoration of the death of the LTTE’s first battle casualty - LTTE  Sathiyanathan alias Shankar, who was killed on November 27, 1982. That was only the beginning; over the next 20 years thousands of Tamil youth sacrificed their lives to fulfil the dream of their founder-leader Prabhakaran. The LTTE used to observe the Day as a remembrance day with solemn ceremonies. But three years after the elimination of the LTTE, the families of the thousands who died can mourn them only in their hearts, without public fanfare and ceremony. I share their agony. Death of thousands of Tamil youth changed their lives and also killed their own shared dreams.

Sri Lanka: Consolidation of Rajapaksa Inc.

By Col R Hariharan

The walk out of Chief Justice Mrs Shirani Bandaranayake and her team of lawyers from a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) hearing on an impeachment motion against her Thursday was an eloquent testimony to the charade being enacted in Sri Lanka in the name of democracy. Probably it is a matter of time the PSC would find her guilty of the charges of corruption slapped against her.

Sri Lanka Perspectives - November 2012

Col R Hariharan
  
Highlights

• Judiciary and parliament are on a collision course after the parliament took up a motion to impeach the Chief Justice of Supreme Court for misconduct.

• President Rajapaksa has highlighted the need for changing the present provincial council set. This would indicate that 13^th amendment to the constitution was likely to be replaced or amended.

• Indian business in Sri Lanka heading for tough competition from China and Japan.

• Sri Lanka’s woes at the UN Human Rights Council(UNHRC) continued when the UNHRC discussed the nation’s universal periodic review of human rights. 

•  Miscellaneous: Sri Lanka army recruits Tamil women for its women’s wing for the first time.