A long-felt need
With the visit of a high-powered
Lankan delegation to India, a long-felt need has been fulfilled.
The two countries will form a committee on security matters,
which is essential given the two countries' proximity to each
other and the danger posed to both countries by the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
This would hopefully lead to greater cooperation between the
two SAARC neighbours in the spheres of defence and combating
terrorism. Sri Lanka, for instance, has been calling for a joint
reconnaissance/patrol mechanism in the Palk Strait which would
make life much harder for LTTE operatives engaged in weapons
smuggling and human trafficking.
India was the first country to ban the LTTE, following its
assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since then,
India has kept a close watch on the organisation.
Recent actions by Central and Tamil Nadu Governments indicate
that India has taken cognizance of the LTTE's capability of
causing mayhem in India as well. It recently declared no-fly
zones over vital nuclear installations in Tamil Nadu and
enhanced naval and onshore patrolling in coastal areas
especially in Tamil Nadu.
India has constantly voiced its opposition to the creation of
a separate state in Sri Lanka and reiterated its commitment to
Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity. But India's
reluctance so far to play a more pro-active role vis-a-vis Sri
Lanka's conflict must be seen in the context of its post-Indo
Lanka Accord involvement through the IPKF.
The then Government became hostile to the IPKF's presence,
spurred on by extremists on both sides and the IPFK was
withdrawn. However, in an ironic twist of fate, some of these
very same parties now advocate a greater role for India in
solving Lanka's conflict.
In fact, nearly all political parties in Sri Lanka now agree
that the ethnic conflict cannot be resolved without India's
active help. President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated in a recent
interview that India's help was vital in resolving the issue.
Geopolitical and social factors bind both countries and it is
imperative that they work together on battling terrorism and
evolving a solution to Lanka's vexed conflict.
Now that a start has been made in security cooperation and
with the political process underway in Sri Lanka, there is every
reason to believe that India would play a greater role. There
have been suggestions that India should become a Co-Chair of the
Lankan Peace Process, along with the US, Japan, Norway and the
EU.
India must also be mindful of elements in Tamil Nadu stirring
communal sentiments using the situation in Sri Lanka. The threat
by maverick politician Nedumaran to cross Indo-Lanka waters
illegally to distribute food in the Jaffna peninsula on
September 12 must be assessed and appropriate action taken.
We are not aware whether the Sethusamudram controversy was
discussed during the Lankan delegation's deliberations in New
Delhi, but Sri Lanka has voiced its concerns on several
occasions.
There should be further consultations between experts in both
countries on this issue so that Lanka's concerns regarding
environmental, commercial and security factors can be taken into
account and addressed in a fair manner.
Sri Lanka and India must also address economic issues,
including the further development of trade ties. The two
countries pioneered Free Trade Agreements in the SAARC region
and turning it into a Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement will be a boost for trade links.
Both countries should also take the lead in turning SAARC
into a borderless region encompassing the free movement of goods
and people. Sri Lanka has already proposed a singe currency
mechanism for the region, based on the lines of the EU's euro.
These initiatives should succeed in order to achieve
prosperity for the entire region, not just India and Sri Lanka.
Musical heaven
If music be the food of love, play on, exhorted Shakespeare.
Indeed, Luciano Pavarotti gave the world food for thought in the
form of opera music. His unique voice helped millions of people
the world over to become ardent opera lovers.
Along with compatriots Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (The
Three Tenors) this son of Modena shattered the stigma attached
to classic music among ordinary music lovers. Pavarotti went
further by collaborating with pop starts including Bono and
Spice Girls, cutting across artificial barriers in music.
Having shot to fame in 1963 in London's Covent Garden,
Pavarotti literally introduced opera music to more than 800
million people worldwide when he teamed up with Domingo and
Carreras to perform operatic music at the 1990 Soccer World Cup
in his native land. Suddenly, half the world knew all about
Puccini's Nessun Dorma aria from Turandot.
Although beset by medical problems, Pavarotti kept on
showering the world with his musical talent. He was one of the
few musicians who could hit a string of high C's with ease.
His special timbre from the bottom up the very top of the
tenor range was unmistakable and inimitable. But he had a knack
for giving up the serious nature of opera when occasion
demanded, joining popular stars for gala performances that
shocked purists to the core.
Pavarotti, who goes on his final journey today, will leave an
unmatched musical legacy. His recordings of a vast number of
famous operas and his Three Tenors performances alongside the
two Spanish opera giants will continue to be played in countless
homes throughout the world. Tomorrow's opera singers and
musicians will learn immensely from this man who gave his life
for music.
No one could have put it more musically than Bono, who dueted
with Pavarotti on a single about the plight of the Bosnian
people, when he said that Pavarotti was a "great volcano of a
man who sang fire". Indeed, Pavarotti was not only an opera
singer, he was an opera himself. |