Sri Lanka-LTTE talks and Indian troop withdrawal
Sri Lanka-LTTE talks and Indian troop withdrawal
Premadasa, who took office as the new president, had been repeatedly inviting the LTTE to peace talks since early 1989. The endless war in the northeast and the JVP insurgency in the south had spread violence throughout the island of Sri Lanka. Premadasa feared that the Indian army might be permanently stationed in the northeast using the war against the LTTE as an excuse. The JVP had also been waging its insurgency under the slogan of anti-Indian aggression. Therefore, Premadasa wanted to hold talks with the LTTE and withdraw the Indian army.
Since the LTTE also wanted to put an end to Indian aggression on Tamileelam land, they decided to accept Premadasa’s invitation. The talks were held without any conditions. The fact that the Premadasa government joined hands with the LTTE against the Indian occupation angered the Rajiv government. While Indian soldiers were shedding blood for the benefit of the Sri Lankan government, aiding the Sinhalese army, the Premadasa government was standing by the LTTE, which was a source of shame and anger for India. The LTTE’s shrewd diplomatic maneuvering led to hostility in Indo-Sri Lankan relations. Premadasa publicly announced the withdrawal of the Indian army. The situation became embarrassing for the Indian government, which had claimed to have come to maintain peace at the invitation of Sri Lanka. The Indian army was forced to leave Tamileelam, humiliated and with its face covered in soot.
India could not bear to see so many plans formulated, so many political and diplomatic dramas staged, so many crores of money spent, so many lives sacrificed, and in the end, leaving empty-handed, without achieving what it had hoped for, and humiliated.
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
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