While applauding the decision of Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of boycotting the Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka as a protest over the genocide committed against the Tamilians in Sri Lanka in 2009 by the same current Sri Lankan government, I strongly condemn the attitude of Indian government under the same Premiership of Dr. Singh to remain silent over the said genocide when it was committed by the same Sri Lankan government.
The current boycott by the Indian Premier is just an eyewash to please his would be Tamilian opponents in the coming general election. This boycott is not out of firm conviction but only a lip service and to please Tamilians in South India to get their votes in the coming election in 2014. Dr. Manmohan Singh is a doll in the hands of Sonia Gandhi of Congress Party, he got no proper strategy to direct India in the right direction as a Premier. He is a very weak Premier of the mighty country India and because of this the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is gaining upper hand in the Hindi Belt.
If in the coming election BJP comes to power and Modi becomes the premier of India, it will be only because of the weakness of Dr. Manmohan Singh. In the election campaign oratory currently going on, Mr. Modi inspite of having so many defects easily out beat Dr. Singh.
Is Commonwealth relevant anymore to play its constructive role in the member nations conflicts and in their conflicting happenings? Is Mother country Britain enjoying real allegiance from the member countries? Or this organisation is become like a Jaycee Club for exchanging pleasantries? As a Mother country Britain should have been very forceful to stop Sri Lanka from committing genocide on Sri Lankan Tamils who were asking their democratic and fundamental rights for freedom. Britain remained silent, India remained silent and other member nations too remained silent to the rapes and other atrocities committed on innocent Sri Lankan Tamilians.
Just because Sri Lankan government enjoyed the benefits of independence and sovereignty over Sri Lanka that does not mean Sri Lankan government must allow its military and Police Force to treat Sri Lankan Tamilians so brutally in an inhuman manner. Where was the conscience of the World, Britain and India gone during that time? India should be ashamed to call itself the country of Sages and Mahatmas who would never remain silent to the cruelties committed on its door steps.
During his hey days in eighties Col. Muhammad Gadhafi as the head of his country Libya while attending the Non-Align Summit in a strongly worded statement said, “Non Align Organisation is become a big joke” because it cannot solve any problem of any member country.
In the same manner, I feel in the context of above mentioned one incident of Sri Lankan genocide, Commonwealth is also become a big joke .and as such it should come to an end.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.