While Tamil Nadu struggled to come to terms with the huge void created by the death of its former Chief Minister and much revered leader, Jeyaram Jayalalithaa, the news of her passing away was received with mixed reactions in the political circles in Sri Lanka.
Undeniably, the ‘Iron Lady’ of Tamil Nadu played a pivotal role in the lives of the Lankan Tamils, if not the Tamil politicians, both, national and peripheral. Her political campaign appeared to have more or less an equal focus on the woes of the Tamils across the Palk Strait, just as much as she was heedful to the woes of her own people within the state. It was however, deemed as political opportunism by her critics.
Many a time, the Lankan Tamil politicians, especially, the TNA turned to her to elicit desired solutions from the Government in Colombo. Before Jayalalithaa was weighed down by her deteriorating health, she made it a habit to openly champion the cause of self determination for the North and East Tamils in Sri Lanka. Hence, her political might was frequently sought after by the TNA, which represented the majority Tamil vote.
Although as a sovereign nation Sri Lanka had always focused its relations with the Central Government in India, Indian foreign policy was perpetually influenced by the Tamil Nadu State. She was at one time accused of being pro-LTTE, but immediately changed track in 1991, after the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber.
Resolution
In the early phase of Eelam War IV, before 2009, she even said that collateral damage and deaths of civilians were natural in any war. But, when the war crimes and human rights issues took center stage in the State, and internationally, she changed her stance, passing resolution after resolution in the State Assembly, calling for an international probe into charges of war crimes against President Mahinda Rajapaksa and others. One resolution said that genocide had taken place in Sri Lanka and a referendum be held among Sri Lankan Tamils on the setting up of an independent Eelam. She also called for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka.
However, as if to suggest that the rhetoric was to be only on paper, she took no steps to ban Tamil Nadu’s trade with Sri Lanka, stop flights to Sri Lanka or close down the offices of the Deputy High Commissioner, the Bank of Ceylon and the two Sri Lankan airlines. She allowed Tamil Nadu trade delegations to visit Colombo and Jaffna for tie ups with Lankan companies.
Symbolic steps
But, Jayalalithaa took symbolic steps, such as, sending away a Royal College football team and preventing Sri Lanka cricket players from playing in matches in Tamil Nadu and preventing Lankan military personnel from being trained in Indian army institutions in Tamil Nadu.
She, however, did not try to stop them from being trained in other Indian states or the Madras University awarding postgraduate degrees to Lankan military personnel passing out of Indian military institutions. Many Sri Lanka military officers, including Gotabaya Rajapaksa, sport certificates of an MA in Defence Studies awarded by the Madras University.
However, in the aftermath of her funeral and her much felt departure, the TNA seemed to have become an introvert, showing little interest in expressing their opinion about her legacy and future Sri Lanka – India relations.
Repeated attempts by the Sunday Observer, over a period of a couple of days, to interview the TNA leader R. Sampanthan for a brief comment on her demise did not bear results. Several calls to his home and his office in Parliament proved futile. The efforts to speak to a second tier leader also met with silence or was balked at. The response by Northern Province Chief Minister was no different.
Finally, when former TNA parliamentarian and sitting Northern Provincial Council member M.K.Shivajilingam spoke, he praised Tamil Nadu’s ‘Iron Lady’ to the hilt, equating her with leaders like Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher and Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
“She profusely championed the opinion that Tamils (in Sri Lanka) should rule the areas where they dominate. She was a very bold leader,” he said, adding that no future leader in Tamil Nadu will be as influential as she was.
“Although it will not be pursued as relentlessly, I don’t think any future leader in Tamil Nadu can dodge the question and wash their hands off this issue’ Shivajilingam said.
TNA leader Sampanthan in a condolence message issued soon after her death, however, said, Jayalalithaa Jeyaram’s demise was a great loss to the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.
Besides sections of Tamil politicians who are profoundly fond of her, there are others who accused her as an opportunist politician.
Trade Union Activist, Democratic People’s Front Leader and National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages Minister, Mano Ganeshan denied that Jayalalithaa had a clear impression of the problems of the Lankan Tamil people.
“In reality, she never reached out to the Tamil people of Sri Lanka. In fact, no Lankan politician, not even the TNA members were able to approach her and strike a proper dialogue with her. That is the bitter truth,” he said.
With her demise and not having a fitting substitute in the vicinity, the dominance of Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu is bound to fade away. “There is the possibility for the Indian national parties, DMK and the Congress to fill this void and I think Sri Lankan leaders should take note of this new opening,“ he said.
The Dravidian parties held power in the main opposition, as well as the state government, continuously for decades, and according to Minister Ganeshan, as a result, the central government was swayed by their politics as regards bi-lateral relations between the two neighbours. Hence, it was not possible to have a candid relationship, he said.
Speaking as ‘a Tamil politician and a government Minister,’ he said, he held the opinion that on a ‘political point of view,’ Colombo must develop a dialogue with Chennai while maintaining the traditional relationship with Delhi.
Domestic politics
Nationalist parties too were not too pleased with the role played by Jayalalithaa in Sri Lanka’s domestic politics. They saw her actions and statements as an unnecessary interference.
The Sinhala nationalsist parties accused her of riding on the woes of the Sri Lankan Tamils, to score political brownie points during elections, when there were plenty of issues needing her attention at her own doorstep.
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) National Organiser, Nishantha Sri Warnasingha said, her passing away is not an occasion to be jubilant, however, his party could not but feel relieved that another ‘external headache’ is out of the way for Sri Lanka to achieve full reconciliation among its communities.
“It was common knowledge that she used the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka to further her political career. Her concern for Lankan Tamils was not sincere,” he said, adding that the North and East Tamil’s issue was an important part of her political campaign, her actions and words spurred discord and hatred.
“She was meddling with the internal affairs of this country and at one point mollycoddling the LTTE until the outfit assassinated the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,”he said.
A senior South Indian Journalist, P.K.Balachandran, who had witnessed and covered different dimensions of Sri Lanka – India relations for nearly two decades from Colombo, said, “Jayalalithaa’s passing away is going to mean a lot for both, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.”
Larger than life
He said, she was a larger than life, Goddess-like figure whose word was law in Tamil Nadu. The decisions she took, whether good or bad, were implemented.
“Her relationship with Sri Lanka varied according to the need of the hour. When out of power, she did not care much for the island’s Tamils.”
Devastated by the murder of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE in 1991, she had turned her back on the Sri Lankan Tamils’ cause. The NGOs working in the field of Sri Lankan Tamil refugee relief in Tamil Nadu, complained she was not responsive to their needs and wanted the refugees to be repatriated. The repatriation process was encouraged subtly, if not openly.
Balachandran said, “According to the Apologists of Jayalalithaa, she vehemently took up the Sri Lankan Tamil cause to take charge of it in Tamil Nadu and prevent it from being completely appropriated by Tamil extremist groups.”
The senior Journalist said, as to what might happen in her absence, is anybody’s guess. “But, the absence of a strong leader may well mean weak reactions to the Sri Lankan Tamil issue from Tamil Nadu.”
The leaders currently in charge will be more concerned about safeguarding their own positions because, they are inherently weak and not self assured like Jayalalithaa. They can be easily controlled by the Central government in Delhi, especially, with a strong and self willed ruler like Narendra Modi.
He was of the view, at any rate, the people of Tamil Nadu are basically interested in economic development and making money. The state is number two in industrial development and has very good social welfare schemes. The successor government will try to build on these to keep themselves in power. Tamil nationalist sentiment is there, but it will be purely symbolic.
He said, even DMK leader M.Karunanidhi has been a rank opportunist on this issue and cannot be counted on to do anything substantive on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. Karunanidhi is past 90, and his son and probable successor M.K.Stalin does not have a commitment to any cause, leave alone the Sri Lankan Tamil one.
“As for firebrands like Vaiko, they have been bit players on the political stage all through, and will continue to play that role getting some attention in the media.”
But, as experience shows, Balachandran said, such media splashes cannot be converted into meaningful and tangible political action.
However bleak the prospects may be for Tamil Nadu to find a strong and charismatic leader like, ‘Amma’ in the future, it would be naive to think that in the post Jayalaithaa era Sri Lanka will be free to design her own concoction of a political solution that will appease all the communities. Sri Lanka is much too important for India to let her have her own way.