A danger to the region

The Tigers have spread their tentacles all over the world. Although the conflict per se is confined to Sri Lanka, their fundraising activities take place in many countries. There have been occasions when they actually carried out error attacks on foreign soil.

India was one of the first countries in the world to ban the LTTE, after the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This was one of the first instances of an LTTE terror act outside Sri Lanka.

This was a turning point for the LTTE. It lost whatever sympathy it had for the cause of ‘Eelam’ in India through the assassination of Gandhi. Tamil Nadu, many of whose denizens were earlier receptive to the ideas of the LTTE, openly turned hostile towards the Tigers in their midst. The LTTE later aplogised for their “historical mistake” but it was too late.

Now there are signs that the LTTE is increasingly using Tamil Nadu and the Southern Indian States as a launching pad for their clandestine activities against the Sri Lankan State. Recent arrests of top Tiger operatives in India indicate that not only Sri Lanka, but also India is facing a threat from LTTE elements.

The recent arrest of a Sea Tiger leader in India, along with the seizure of a boat he clandestinely purchased, signifies a renewed effort by Indian law enforcement authorities to clamp down on LTTE activity in Tamil Nadu. The detection of explosives meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka from Kerala is another case in point.

Tamil Nadu in particular and India as a whole have woken up to the danger posed by the LTTE, especially after the formation of the terror-group’s air wing. Although some Tamil Nadu politicians including Vaiko and Nedumaran have raised a hue and cry over the killing of Thamilselvan, there has been little response from the public. Tamil Nadu Police have taken a dim view of such antics, warning that supporting terrorist groups would not be allowed.

In a recent report, we quoted a senior Indian Army officer as saying that Indian defence authorities would be bolstering security measures to face any threat from the LTTE. The time has come for both India and Sri Lanka to work even closer together to crush LTTE terrorism.

Joint patrolling in the Palk Strait could be a good beginning for such an initiative. Both countries should also work under the SAARC anti-terror frameworks to combat LTTE terrorism which poses an acute danger to the entire region.

Back to the Future

Even as these words are being written, the TV screen in this room is carrying ‘live’ pictures of a cricket match played thousands of miles away. Switch over to CNN and we get live pictures of news as it happens all over the world.

Need to contact someone on the other side of the world? Just pick up the phone and dial the number - you will feel he is on the intercom. Want to send that report to your associate holidaying in Rio? Fax it or email it with just one click.

We take these possibilities for granted today, but it was one man’s vision that revolutionised communications and the way we live. And that man is not yet done with predicting the future. At 90, his mind is still a hive of activity and creativity.

Sir Arthur C Clarke, that genius who suggested the use of geosynchronous satellites for uninterrupted communications in his famous article to the October 1945 issue of Wireless World magazine, steps into his 91st orbit around the sun tomorrow.

This event is very significant for Sri Lanka as it has been his home virtually since 1956. A distinguished resident of Sri Lanka and one of the very few people accorded the country’s highest civilian honour, Clarke has become synonymous with Sri Lanka internationally.

Clarke is a giant in the international literary scene. Along with Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov, he nurtured the genre of science fiction. While 2001: A Space Odyssey remains an all-time favourite for its film interpretation and the futuristic computer HAL (fast becoming a reality), his other books have dealt with subjects as diverse as the terraformation of Mars and space elavators.

From Prelude to Space (1951) to Firstborn (2007/With Stephen Baxter) all his books give us a glimpse of the future. Some of his predictions have indeed come true while some others have not. They could be several decades or even centuries away.

Clarke once said: “Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we’re not. In either case the idea is quite staggering.” But Clarke is still hopeful that aliens will call us or at least, we will pick up one of their signals.

The discovery of life or better still, intelligent life outside our Earth and Solar System will be a fitting tribute to a visionary who has given life to new worlds and new worlds to our life. Happy Birthday, Sir Arthur.