Peace and Conflict

Thoughts from India…

A few days before I arrived, friends told me the roads of New Delhi were blocked. No, it wasn’t a parade for Mahinda or Chandrika or Ranil. It was a a rally “to condemn the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka”.

poster.JPG
Posters like the above were easily found in the city.

Now, I don’t know much about the MDMK or Vaiko – but from Google-glancing, it appears like they are quite supportive of the LTTE.

Now, India is a big place and the people I spent time with didn’t seem to give a damn about Sri Lanka. It just didn’t feel like a priority. But maybe it is for the Indian Government, especially if there’s voices like Vaiko’s that are provocative and supportive of the guy who ordered the blowing up of Sonia Ghandi’s husband Rajiv.

In the papers in India, Sri Lanka does get mentioned. So, big mama is watching what’s going on. But, what are the implications of the watch?

Watching the news on TV, walking along the streets of New Delhi, reminded me that Sri Lanka is a small place that may get noticed, but perhaps not too deeply.

Knowing well the human rights problems and details of on-going crisis however, makes me sad that Sri Lanka is mostly ignored by the world’s media. The spotlight is on Iraq, on Lebannon… It’s US-Euro-centric. (yep – I know that’s a cliched thing to say)

If Google News foregrounds Sri Lanka – it will be only for a moment. Yet, the tragedy of the island should be up there with the tragedies of the Middle East.

Heading back to Sri Lanka… to more security checks and the yo-yo of stories about possibilities of war.