AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS PIECE, 19 OCTOBER, THE 'MILITARY' SITUATION IN SRI LANKA, PARTICULARLY JAFFNA, IS CLEAR ONLY UPTO A POINT. WE HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED NEAR ABOUTS TWO DIVISIONS WORTH OF TROOPS IN THAT COUNTRY; HAVE BLOCKED JAFFNA HARBOUR, ENHANCED OUR NAVAL PRESENCE IN THE PALK STRAITS AND ARRANGED FOR ALL THE NECESSARY IAF TRANSPORT SUPPORT IN ADDITION TO THAT PROVIDED BY INDIAN AIRLINES. THIS SITUATION IS AS NEAR TO 'WAR' AS ANY SINCE 1971. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY WE ARE ENGAGED IN COMBAT ON A FOREIGN SOIL, WITHOUT ANY OPEN DECLARATION OF HOSTILITIES. OUR TROOPS, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, ARE UNDER THE POLITICAL DIRECTIONS OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT. EVEN THOUGH THE CONDITIONS ARE MILITARY, OUR TROOPS ARE BEING EMPLOYED IN ALMOST A POLICING ROLE, FOR REIMPOSING LAW AND ORDER. AND THAT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY WITHOUT ANY REAL LOCAL SUPPORT, AGAINST LOCAL FORCES OF INCIPIENT SECESSION; WHOM WE HAD OURSELVES, UPTIL RECENTLY SHELTERED, ARMED, TRAINED AND ENCOURAGED. OUR ARMED FORCES ARE YET AGAIN ENGAGED IN FINDING A MILITARY ANSWER TO GROSS POLITICAL FAILURES. IT IS IRONIC IN THE EXTREME THAT THOSE VERY ELEMENTS OF SRI LANKAN SOCIETY (TAMILS), WHOSE ASPIRATIONS AND WELFARE WE HAD MADE AS OUR CAUSE, ARE THE VERY ONES THAT WE OUGHT NOW TO BE FIGHTING: THAT SIMILAR EFFORTS BY THE SRI LANKAN FORCES HAD DRAWN OUR IMPOTENT IRE EARLIER IS DOUBLY IRONIC.

IN ALL THIS IS CONTAINED A MOST PROFOUND STATEMENT ON THE FAILURES OF OUR STATECRAFT, OF OUR HANDLING OF THE INDO-SRI LANKAN SITUATION? OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S CONCEPTUALISATION AND CONDUCT OF FOREIGN POLICY; OF ITS ABILITY TO CONCEIVE DEFINE AND PROTECT INDIA.

DEFINE AMD PROTECT INDIA'S NATIONAL INTERESTS: THE MOST UNFORGIVEABLE ASPECT THEN IS THE CASUAL MANNER IN WHICH OUR GOVERNMENT HAS COMMITTED OUR SOLDIERS TO BATTLE IN A FOREIGN LAND. FOR WHAT CAUSE HAVE THEY LAID THEIR LIVES AND ARE STILL DYING IN SRI LANKA? FOR WHICH OVERRIDNING NATIONAL INTEREST? ARE WE IN THE PROCESS OF RESOLVING ANY ISSUES, OR HAVE WE COMPOUNDED THEM? HAVE WE, BY THIS ACTION FURTHERED THE NATION'S GOOD OR HARMED IT; ENSURED TRANQUILITY AT HOME IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OR CREATED CONDITIONS FOR A 'LEBANONISATION' OF THE REGION?