The UN Secretary-General, whose office has singularly failed in initiating any effective steps against terrorism and terror-sponsoring states and is happy to pander to both, has adopted a concocted report that maligns Sri Lanka’s political leadership and military, both of which are deserving praise”, writes P. Dutta in his response to the editor of The Pioneer the Indian newspaper.

“Sri Lanka is the only country to fight and win the war on terror. Yet, this tiny country is now being castigated for doing the right thing. The sanctimonious West is accusing Sri Lanka of committing human rights violations as if the LTTE leaders and cadre were saints and their innocent followers”, he adds.

Harshly criticizing an article published in The Pioneer as endorsing “the West’s perverse bias against Sri Lanka for having achieved what bigger countries with larger armies failed to achieve”, Dutta commends the decisive victory achieved by Sri Lanka with the elimination of the LTTE.

“Terrorism, whether external or domestic, is a menace that threatens democracies around the world; while every country pays lip service to the need to fight and eliminate terrorism, nobody has shown the courage to achieve that goal”, he further says.

Here is the full text of the letter:

Sri Lanka should thumb its nose at West

Sri Lanka won a decisive victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, crushing the terrorist organization and eliminating its top leaders along with their cadre. Terrorism, whether external or domestic, is a menace that threatens democracies around the world; while every country pays lip service to the need to fight and eliminate terrorism, nobody has shown the courage to achieve that goal. The US tried to take on the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan but in the end the Americans have allowed a sense of defeatism to overwhelm them. They are now desperately looking for an escape route from the battlefield. As for India, notwithstanding the brave words of successive Governments and politicians of all hues, we have repeatedly demonstrated our lack of resolve to launch an all-out offensive against terrorists and take the battle to its logical conclusion.

Contrast this to Sri Lanka's hard won victory over the LTTE which was a terrorist organization and whose leaders, in a sense, showed the way to terrorists elsewhere how to kill and maim without any compunction. Indeed, Sri Lanka is the only country to fight and win the war on terror. Yet, this tiny country is now being castigated for doing the right thing. The sanctimonious West is accusing Sri Lanka of committing human rights violations as if the LTTE leaders and cadre were saints and their innocent followers! The UN Secretary-General, whose office has singularly failed in initiating any effective steps against terrorism and terror-sponsoring states and is happy to pander to both, has adopted a concocted report that maligns Sri Lanka's political leadership and military, both of which are deserving of praise.

Against this backdrop, it is surprising to read, that too in The Pioneer, an article that virtually endorses the West's perverse bias against Sri Lanka for having achieved what bigger countries with large armies have failed to achieve. Ashok K Mehta's article, "Colombo recalls splendid victory", almost makes out that Sri Lanka should hang its head in shame stand in a corner for having eliminated the LTTE. No less surprising in his implied suggestion that countries should desist from fighting terrorists and insurgents because of the 'diplomatic cost' involved. Who cares for what European nations and their busybodies think or have to say? Let them mind their own homes and backyards instead of playing conscience-keepers of this part of the world.

P Dutta
Ranchi