India Imposing the Malaysia-Singapore Model for Sri Lanka-Tamil Eelam

By Dilrook Kannangara

There is a widely held myth that India will disintegrate if Tamil Elam is created in Lanka. It is human nature to succumb to unsurmountable pressure. Since Indian pressure cannot be overcome without thinking outside the box, Lankans comfort themselves convincing themselves that India will not make their worst dreams come true. But our worst dreams are coming true by the day. Lankans who took things easy claiming that India would never allow the disintegration of Lanka are in for a rude awakening. India is now running with the Tamil Elam baton coordinating between the West, Tamil Diaspora, Tamil Nadu and TNA controlled Tamil Elamists. Finally all their interests have converged into one thrust.

USA, EU and India work tirelessly to impose the Malaysia-Singapore model for Sri Lanka; and Tamil Elam (the name of the separate independent nation they plan to create.)

Malaysia-Singapore

Under pressure from mighty China, Malaysia was forced to separate Singapore from its territory. As most Chinese imports and exports pass through the Strait of Malacca, China wanted a foothold there. With a 76% majority of Chinese in Singapore, Singapore became the perfect foothold. Today over 40% of Singapore’s exports go to China. It closely follows Chinese policy changes and adopts them as appropriate. Singapore promotes Mandarin in place of Han Chinese dialects following Mainland China.

Singapore is ruled by Chinese with the full concurrence of China. Level of democracy, human rights, political stability, state businesses and governance are very closely connected with Chinese policy requirements. At the same time Singapore maintains sufficient flexibility to remain competitive in business. A perfect gateway for China to the free world at a time when Hong Kong was under British colonial rule. Malaysia had no response to immense Chinese pressure than to let go its prized territory. Chinese rule of the Malacca Strait through Chinese ruled Singapore has kept mainland interests well intact for the past 47 years without any hiccups.

Undiluted Chinese majority in Singapore area when it was part of Malaysia was the enabler of separation. It happened over the years. To understand how shifting and changing population helped separation, ethnicity of these two nations can be analysed. Going by today’s population, Singapore has 76% Chinese while Malaysia 24%; the combined entity 31%. Most of them arrived in Malaysia during the British rule.

Malaysia would be a first world country and a regional power had it retained its strategic treasure – the “Singaporean” territory. However, all three nations in the puzzle are contended with the current state of affairs. No attempt is made to further divide Malaysia.

This is what India tries to achieve to secure its southern border. A separate Tamil nation in Sri Lanka covering areas closest to India will ensure Indian interests are looked after in terms of defence, shipping and surveillance. At the same time it will satisfy the craving for a Tamil nation. A compromise with Tamil Nadu, Tamil Diaspora, Sri Lankan Tamil leaders and US-EU leaders has been reached from the looks of things. If created, Tamil Elam will be run by Lankan Tamil leaders who essentially venerate, worship and idolise Tamil Nadu leaders. Disintegration of India will not happen. Instead the thrust for disintegration will be exhausted by giving them a territory where they would be supreme leaders while enjoying the benefits of being part of India. It will be an enviable position for Tamil Nadu leaders who would not even dream of separation thereafter.

Best of Both Worlds

Why wouldn’t India disintegrate following the creation of Tamil Elam? The proper question to ask is why would it disintegrate? By being part of India, Tamil Nadu and other states have direct internal access to the world’s fourth largest economy which is tipped to be the third largest in the next decade! Former Soviet and Yugoslav republics broke away because they had no economic benefits of being part of the unions with bankrupt economies. It will not happen in India as long as the Indian economy performs as widely anticipated.

As part of India, Tamil Nadu and other states have the protection of world’s sixth most powerful nation. Such protection cannot be obtained any other way. Conversely, they will have to face the wrath of this powerful nation if they ever try to separate.

Hindu religious and cultural bonds bind all Indian states together; and also Tamil Elam once created. They all know that division will be inimical to all their broader cultural, religious and social interests.

Therefore stakes are very high for Indian states to separate from the union. Sri Lanka’s division has absolutely no bearing on the unity of India. In fact the division of Sri Lanka to create an Indian suckling will further unify India as it will be the first ever sign of a capable world power. All other super powers managed to annex neighbouring areas they wished to occupy. It is India’s turn now and what easier target it has than Sri Lanka?

Benefits of a Tamil Nation in Lanka

India immensely benefit from a Tamil nation in northern Sri Lanka. Tamil Elam will have to depend totally on India for cultural, linguistic and religious ties. It has no option. It will also have to totally depend on India for protection from Sri Lanka and allies. Economically Tamil Elam will be an infant clinging onto its mother for sustenance. Once Indian plans for Trincomalee materialises, both Tamil Elam and India will benefit vastly. It will be exactly the China-Singapore relationship plus more due to proximity.

India plans to connect Rameswaram to Mannar by building a rail bridge which will be an engineering marvel. Once connected to the Lankan railway grid from Mannar, it can take goods to Trincomalee from which point it will exist to the sea towards the large shipping lane running south of the island bypassing Hambantota and Colombo. The additional advantage of doing this through Tamil Elam and not Sri Lanka is because the former will be a totally dependent vassal state of India than Sri Lanka ever can be.

Using Tamil Elam’s dependence on India for security, India will set up military bases in Tamil Elam. India already has many military bases in Indian Ocean islands. Keeping confrontations away from its mainland and still retaining the ability to exert military pressure is the key advantage of this strategy. Gone are the days when home turf was sacrificed to assault the enemy which could attract nasty retaliation into home territory.

Tamils around the world have limitless benefits of an independent Tamil nation. Today North America, Europe, South Asia, South East Asia and Africa have millions of Tamils each. An independent nation will be able to take the Tamil point of view to global forums without having to rely on anyone else. No compromises will be necessary. As at now only a Sinhala leader spoke in Tamil at the UN. Tamils had to rely on a non-Tamil even to take their language to the world and most Tamils disagree on his right to represent Tamils. In addition, Tamils will be a global economic power among third world nations. Already the aggregate of the economic strength of the Tamil Diaspora easily rival (if not exceed) the national economy of Sri Lanka. All their economic clout will be leveraged to build a Tamil national economy in Tamil Elam which will be totally theirs; benefiting only Tamils and controlled solely by Tamils for Tamils.

Free education, free medical facilities and other benefits that are currently drawn from Sri Lanka can be very easily replaced (or exceeded) by India and the Tamil Diaspora. Already India is building 79 schools in the north and financed the complete modernisation of hospitals in the north. In addition, India builds over 50,000 houses for Tamils in the north. Economic benefits far outweigh these expenses.

USA and EU will also benefit immensely from the creation of Tamil Elam. They will have more options to counter China in the region. Further, they will have the Tamil Diaspora support in doing so – a significant migrant vote base!

All in all, USA, EU, Tamil Diaspora, Tamil Nadu and TNA have come to a viable compromise to create a win-win situation for all of them. Who is standing in their way?

Is There Any Hope for Sri Lanka?

While we must not give up hope, it is foolhardy to build our future on myths. India is actively disintegrating Sri Lanka through the manipulation of Tamils. There is little hope left to retain Sri Lanka as one nation.

In order to survive, Sri Lanka must take decisive steps to economically strengthen ethnic Sinhalese (they contribute disproportionately larger numbers to defend the nation both at the battle front, the propaganda front, political front and the diplomatic front), economically weaken pro-Indian groups in the island, reach out to other regional nations to counter the Indian threat, retain military presence in the north, convert the north into a multiethnic region, deport all Indian illegal immigrants, abolish Indian imposed 13A and other peripheral laws relating to it, reassert unique Sri Lankanness through its unique language, culture and religion that can differentiate it from India and introduce a nationalist economic policy.

These courses of action are hurtful to some sections but are beneficial to the nation. A Tamil nation in the north will incite separation of the east and the central hills too.

Sri Lanka may have won the many battles against Tigers, but Tamil Elamists and India are certainly winning the war; the war to create a Tamil nation which will be a suckling of India, an extension of Tamil Nadu and a homeland for the Tamil Diaspora!