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India and Pakistan should join hands to help Sri Lanka By APARISIM GHOSH May 4, 2000 Web posted at 4:30 p.m. Hong Kong time, 4:30 a.m. EDT As the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam score victory after sensational victory over the Sri Lankan army, the government in Colombo is calling on India for help. New Delhi is naturally cautious: the last time it sent out the cavalry--Rajiv Gandhi's ill-fated Indian Peace Keeping Force--to help the Lankans, it was a disaster. The IPKF failed to quell the Tigers, and the island's Sinhalese majority grew to hate the foreign army tramping around on their soil. The Indians eventually had to withdraw in disgrace.
Here's an idea: the Indian and Pakistani militaries could pool their resources to help Sri Lanka. While they're doing so, why not bring the Bangladeshis and Nepalese in, making it an all-subcontinental affair? It's unlikely any of the countries will send soldiers to Jaffna (where the ghosts of the IPKF still loom large), but they can and should send hardware--helicopter gunships, naval vessels and all manner of arms and ammunition. They should also lend the Lankans expertise in troop management and battle tactics. Remember, all South Asian armies have substantial experience in dealing with insurgents in hostile terrain. Combining the resources of four armies would require unprecedented communication and cooperation between India and Pakistan, and the long-term benefits of that are obvious. Such a venture would undoubtedly win the blessing of (and, more to the point, financial assistance from) the United Nations. Here's an opportunity for Delhi and Islamabad to show the world that they can put aside their interminable bickering and, like mature nations, do the right thing by a neighbor in need. Will any of this happen? Probably not. But if we dismissed ideas just because they were unlikely to come to fruition, the world would be a sadder place. Sound-off about the news in South Asia to TIME Write to TIME at mail@web.timeasia.com Search for recent Asia Buzz
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