Sri Lankan military forces took control of LTTE‘s last bastion, Mullaittivu, last week. This, along with the capture of Kilinochchi on January 2, signals the beginning of the end of Tamil Eelam‘s fight for a sovereign socialist Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka, lasting nearly three decades. The war to de-establish LTTE has cost a lot of lives of rebel tigers and that of Sri Lankan military, apart from that many hapless civilians.
Many of the Tamil Tigers have laid their lives for the liberation cause, and many have fled from their territories. Velupillai Prabhakaran, supremo of LTTE, also seems to have slipped from the Sri Lankan forces. He could have escaped from the island nation to anywhere in the Indian Ocean. The search for Prabhakaran continues, and no one knows his whereabouts.
What does this mean to India? Indian government is looking to get Prabhakaran, when captured, to India for a trial for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Indian government has also made it clear that they show no sympathy to LTTE, even as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Karunanidhi has appealed to the Indian government to persuade Sri Lankan government for a ceasefire.
The tough stand of Indian government against LTTE could worsen the terror situation that India is already facing. India, until now, was mostly facing terrorists originating from North-West neighbor namely Pakistan. But now things could change.
Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and many other extremist organization have enough wealth to support terror activities. Also, there is speculation about the aid given by the US to Pakistan to fight terrorists being used to fund terrorists against India. There was news about Somali Pirates being used by Islamic terrorists originating from Pakistan to distract Indian Navy prior to the Mumbai attack on 26th November.
Money deprived rebel organization, LTTE, could now become the ally of rich Islamic terrorist organizations. Al-Qaeda, and LeT with support from ISI could now use LTTE for terrorist activities in India. The poverty stricken, ill fated Tamils from Northern Sri Lanka can easily be manipulated and lured by money to act in terms of Islamic terror organizations.
Infiltration of terrorists to India, which until now was happening mostly from Northern (Pakistan, PoK) and Eastern (Bangladesh) sides could now happen from Southern side. The access to Southern India to Islamic terrorists would become easier with the support of LTTE. There possibly is support for LTTE from few Tamils in Tamil Nadu (a case of desecration of Rajiv Gandhi’s statue has been reported, and also keep in mind that Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Sriperumbudur). This could prove fatal if LTTE and Islamic terror organizations shake hands. This access to Southern states could be used to transport explosives and other ammunition required for terror activities in South India. Prime targets could be Chennai and Bangalore, which until now had escaped from major attacks by Islamic terrorists probably because of the distance.
The fall of LTTE might prove fatal to India if the situation is not handled properly by the Indian government. I am not supporting LTTE, neither am asking Indian government to support. I just want the Indian government act in time to get the Navy patrol Indian ocean efficiently and check the infiltration of refugees and tamil tigers, and of course, to push Pakistan to eliminate terror organizations in its soil.
Prevention is better than cure.
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