India As Sri Lanka's Saviour

There are recent news reports that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has temporarily decided to release a loan of $2.5 billion to Sri Lanka to overcome current economic crisis. It is also speculated that the IMF board of directors met on July 24, 2009 at its Washington headquarters to take a final decision in this regard. Sri Lanka is certain that the board of directors of IMF will fulfill anxiety to receive the loan.

Violation of Human Rights
The IMF is pointed out that Sri Lanka has successfully thwarted all attempts made by the West to block the loan to Sri Lanka citing human rights violation.

The IMF recalls, at this juncture, the statement of US Secretary to State Hilary Clinton at a media briefing precisely two months ago that the time was not opportune to release this loan to Sri Lanka.

However, the US officials claimed later that US was not obstructing the loan being released to Sri Lanka, the stance taken by the US and the West to teach a lesson to Sri Lanka for committing war excesses when the Vanni war was at its peak was transparent.

Meanwhile, Reporters Sans Borders (RSF) based in Paris has also expressed views regarding this loan.

Victory Over LTTE
The Sri Lankan Government which has emerged victorious in defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the graveyard of thousands of Tamils continues to suppress media freedom. Under these circumstances, IMF should release the loan to Sri Lanka only after obtaining a written guarantee from Colombo that it will safeguard and respect media freedom, said RSF in its letter to IMF.

The silent resistance posed to the release of this loan to Sri Lanka by US and the objections raised against the loan by several humanitarian organizations such as RSF have failed to prevent the IMF from releasing the loan. In short, Sri Lanka was successful in obtaining the loan overcoming all resistance.

India's Assistance
The vital point is that the India has assisted Sri Lanka in obtaining this massive loan of historical significance from the global financial body.

It is an open secret that India behind the screen backed Sri Lankan Security Forces in is offensive against the LTTE.

There is another. When the Western world tried to appoint an international commission to probe into the allegation of human rights violations against Sri Lanka, Colombo successfully defeated the attempt with the support of friendly nations. The same India helped Sri Lanka to defeat western pressure on that occasion too.

However, the diplomatic circles are of the view that even at this juncture, India played a silent role to clear all obstacles placed against the loan being released to Sri Lanka. It is believed that US withdrew its efforts in blocking the IMF loan to Sri Lanka on pressure exerted by India.

Future Prospects
Sri Lanka has reached a compromise with New Delhi regarding offering a solution to restore the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. Diplomatic circles point out that India ensured the IMF loan being granted to Sri Lanka to reciprocate Colombo's assurance of resolving the ethnic issue.

Will India which is acting as the saviour of the Sri Lankan Government come forward to ensure that justice and fair play being meted out to Sri Lankan Tamils who are subjected to hardships and agony as a result of a three-decade war? Will New Delhi act realizing its responsibility and commitments as a neighbour country?