CHOGM 2013 -Will India go the Candian way ?

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial meeting of the heads of all commonwealth nations .There are currently 54 member nations.  Every two years the summit is held in different member states. The 2013 CHOGM summit is scheduled to be held during November 10 -17,2013 at Sri Lanka.The head of the member nation holding the summit becomes the chairperson for the next two years. The member nations are the erstwhile colonies of the British empire during its colonial rule.  Queen Elizabeth is the Head of the Commonwealth nations.Since the Ottawa Summit in 1973,the queen has attended all the CHOGM summits . The 87 year old queen has now  restricted her overseas travels .The queen would be represented by the prince of Wales at the 2013 CHOGM summit .

Political parties in Tamilnadu are objecting to India's participation in the CHOGM summit at Sri Lanka .They want India to boycott the summit and are urging PM Manmohan Singh not to attend the summit as a protest against Sri Lanka's human right violations . Tamilnadu congress has also joined  the bandwagon of parties asking for a boycott by India . The Dravidan parties like DMK,AIADMK,MDMK,DMDK  want India to boycott the summit. Similarly the communists,PMK,VCT and umpteen number of small political parties want a total boycott of the CHOGM by India . The Sri Lankan minister G.L.Peries visited Delhi recently to invite PM for the meet .But PM  kept him guessing on India's plans . With elections round the of the corner in 2014 ,what  would India decide ? .So far the only nation to publicly announce a boycott of the summit is Canada.The Canadian PM has categorically said  Canada would boycott the summit .Canada is a country with the largest Tamil population outside India,barring SL. The union government can not ignore or a  turn a blind eye to the unanimous boycott call from Tamilnadu. Already the congress party is in dire straits in Tamilnadu . Congress can not afford to ignore the public sentiments in Tamil nadu on the boycott call. The union government can not continue to remain unruffled over the SL issue and Tamil sentiments in India .

The common man on the street has many unanswered questions on India's role in the 2009 Sri Lankan war and on India's stand on its relations with SL . 

• Why did India extend strategic military support to SL on its war against ethnic Tamil minority community that resulted in the gruesome genocide ?
• Why does India continue to train SL soldiers despite protests from Tamilnadu ?
• Why is India planning to sell 2 war ships to SL despite protests from Tamilnadu ?
• Why is India maintaining a stoic silence to the  killings of Tamil fishermen by SL navy ?.So far 600 fishermen have been killed and thousands grievously injured and crippled for life .

In this connection I would like to draw a parallel to  reaction of Taiwan over the killing of a solitary fisherman by the Philippines coast guard. A 65 year old Taiwan fisherman was killed by bullet shot in the neck by the Philippine coast guards,in May 2013. The Philippines sources  said the Taiwan fishing vessel had entered its waters and the coast guard fired. " This killing prompted calls in Taiwan for tough action against the Philippines. Politicians and editorial  writers said that Taiwan could not afford to suffer in silence out of fear of antagonizing the United States, an ally of the Philippines, and that a soft stance would only mean further international marginalization of the self-governing island " . The Taiwan government immediately made 4 demands on Philippines such as compensation for losses, a prompt and thorough investigation and severe punishment for those responsible, and initiation of fishery agreement negotiations between the two countries.Philippines did not respond positively to the demands within the 72-hour deadline.Then Taiwan government  imposed a total of 11 sanctions on the Philippines, including a hiring freeze on overseas Filipino workers.Philippines depends heavily on the remittance by Filipino workers form Taiwan . Then Philippines  President Benigno Aquino III apologized over the fatal shooting of the Taiwanese fisherman .The president sent an emissary to Taiwan to express apology to the family of the victim and the Taiwanese people . After ensuring a fishery agreement was signed between the 2 nations Taiwan lifted its 11 sanctions against Philippines . Tamil fishermen expects Indian government to provide succour to them like the Taiwanese government . One is at a loss to understand why GOI soft pedals all diplomatic issues with her neighbours . The problem with the union government is, it considers the 600 dead fishermen as Tamil fishermen and not as Indian fishermen.What else could be the reason for such an insensitive,callous and unresponsive government ?.On the plea of geo political strategy if India continues to remain numb and soulless to the fishermen issue,I am afraid the congress party and the union government would only alienate TN from the national mainstream. 

.

Apart from the TN politicians and the Tamil diaspora many others have also called for the boycott of the Colombo CHOGM meet .Brad Adams, Asia director of the Human Rights Watch, says that Sri Lanka should be “shunned and not rewarded” by other nations .Recently UN high commissioner for human right Navi Pillay talked about about" lack of accountability, unresolved enforced disappearances and decreasing fundamental freedoms, among other issues" in SL. Brad Adams also said "Holding the summit in Sri Lanka casts serious doubts on the Commonwealth's stated commitment to supporting human rights and democratic reform," .Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group also have condemned the Rajapaksa regime.British MP's have also called for a boycott of the CHOG summit at SL. All of them echoed the view that Heads of states  attending the summit at Colombo would mean vindicating SL's wrong approach to the Tamil's issues.

Now the host nation of the CHOG meet can have a theme for the meet .The theme for the colombo meet is "“Growth  with Equity; Inclusive Development.” Ironically the Tamils in SL are fighting for what is stated as the Summit theme. The union government would not spell out its stand on attending the CHOGM meet till the last moment fearing backlash in TN and also because of its hesitance to deal with SL in a robust way . Salman Kurshid  is visiting SL ahead of the summit . Will he explain India's stand or make demands to satisfy the dissatisfied Tamil people back home. Some others advise sending a low  level delegation instead of a total boycott. The newly elected Tamil chief Minister of the northern SL wants Indian PM to attend the summit and plead the  case of the SL Tamils. But I feel the policy of appeasement by India is not going to work in India's favour. It is high time India asserts itself as a major power of the South East Asian region.Bowing to political pressure form allies,opposition parties and the popular sentiment in TN , India was forced to vote against  SL at UN on the US sponsored resolution at Geneva.Similarly bowing to public sentiment and political pressure India might take a stand at the last moment .