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The Indian factor

The importance of the Indian factor in the evolution of the peace process in Sri Lanka cannot be overestimated.

It is not because India is our closest neighbour. Sri Lanka has economic, political and cultural relations with India dating back to several thousands of years. Moreover, the very development of the ethnic crisis has made India an inextricable factor in its development and solution.

Several million strong Tamil community in South India, particularly those in Tamil Nadu consider the Sri Lankan Tamils their blood brothers. Besides, Tamil Nadu has been home to hundreds of thousands Tamils who fled there at the time of the anti-Tamil pogrom of July 1983.

One should not forget the sacrifices of the Indian Army during the IPKF mission in Sri Lanka following the Indo-Lanka Accord of June 1987. Nor can one forget the repercussions of that mission.

Peace in Sri Lanka is to the advantage of India, said Inder Kumar Gujral, former Indian Prime Minister during his short visit here during the last weekend. India would like to see Sri Lanka united and prosperous, he said.

India has been quite appreciative of Sri Lanka's efforts to solve the ethnic problem. It has offered invaluable assistance and has offered fresh assistance towards the success of the current peace initiative too. Prof. G. Peiris, Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Constitutional Affairs yesterday told the media that India has promised Constitutional expertise that would be of help when a solution is worked out in the final talks with the LTTE.

The international community too has understood the importance of India in the Sri Lankan peace process. The Norwegian government has also taken great pains to keep New Delhi informed of the developments in its facilitation mission here. The same is true of world leaders like the US and the UK.

The Sri Lankan government has also kept the Indian government informed about the progress of the peace initiative and a close cooperation exists between our two countries. The LTTE and the TNA have also acknowledged the important role that belongs to India.

That is why, in spite of its bad experience of the past, the LTTE Leader was all out to send a conciliatory message to India during his press conference. In spite of anti-LTTE pronouncements of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the TNA also issued a special press release requesting its supporters not to antagonize India and expressed hope that Tamil Nadu and its Chief Minister would support the Tamil cause.

India is a longstanding friend. Sri Lanka needs her assistance at this time of need. All peace loving forces should understand and value this assistance.

South Asian unity, especially Indo-Sri Lankan unity would go a long way in safeguarding the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka today and tomorrow.

Tax in kind

Tax in kind is prevalent in under developed communities where the laws of commodity production prevalent in modern day capitalist system do not operate. This is so especially in backward communities.

We do not know how far this practice is prevalent in our country at present. However, we were reminded of the practice in perusing yesterday's newspapers which reported a Senior Police officer allegedly asking for fowl, cattle etc. in order to issue armaments to a police station. This seems to be a new tax in kind.

On investigating further we came to know that this practice is not peculiar to the police service or to the hinterland.

In fact, it has been alleged but rarely proved that such tax in kind, including the human kind of the fair species as well, is the norm in certain industries and in certain professions in making appointments and providing services.

As in the case of chicken where some prefer broilers while others prefer fragile and aged birds, tastes differ in the selection of the tax in kind.

Whatever the taste, tax in kind has to be eliminated not because it violates laws of market capitalism but because it is a slur on social morals.

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