External affairs minister Salman Khurshid’s statement expressing regret last week that PM Manmohan Singh could not visit Sri Lanka must have found an echo with the man himself. But it is an open secret that PM was keen to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka. But his party bosses had other plans. Now he wants to invite C V Wigneswaran, the chief minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, to India to assuage “hurt” Sri Lankan feelings. But this proposal, too, seems to have no takers.
After the Congress party red-flagged his trip to Sri Lanka at the last minute despite pressure from the MEA, the PMO has now suggested that Wigneswaran be invited to India for a week’s visit as a diplomatic courtesy. This suggestion, which is being discussed at the higher levels of government, has the full support of MEA which had mounted pressure earlier to let Manmohan Singh attend the CHOGM meeting. But the move has been met with a tepid response from all quarters concerned. The first to shoot down the idea was defense minister A K Antony who cited political reasons in the context of the coming Lok Sabha elections. Apparently, he also expressed apprehension that if Wigneswaran is not welcomed wholeheartedly by the people and political parties of Tamil Nadu, then it could further deteriorate India-Sri Lanka relations. Antony is also learnt to have insisted that it is important to first know the opinion of Tamil political parties on the matter.
It was Antony who had played a crucial role in stalling Manmohan Singh’s trip to CHOGM in the Congress Group meeting held on October 30. He had cited possible security issues across the country if Dr Singh visited Sri Lanka despite protest by Tamil groups.
Sources said Antony felt that the opinion of Tamil ministers in the UPA government should be considered. It may be noted that all Tamil ministers in the Cabinet including Union shipping minister G K Vasan, MoS (with independent charge) for environment Jayanthi Natarajan and MoS in the PMO V Narayanasamy had opposed the PM’s visit to Colombo citing the atrocities perpetrated against Tamils in Sri Lanka as well as the sentiments of people in Tamil Nadu. Finance minister P Chidam baram was also not responsive to the idea.
“Both the senior ministers have discounted the suggestion by PMO though MEA was very keen on it. With the senior ministers, especially Antony opposing the suggestion, it is likely to be shelved,’’ said a source in the government. According to the source, it was MEA that had insisted that the country’s foreign policy be guided by the nation’s larger interests and wanted Dr Singh to attend the CHOGM. He said MEA had come up with the idea of inviting Wigneshwaran. “Only that it was routed through the PMO,’’ said the source. The PM is learnt to have a “good opinion” of Wigneshwaran, who had written to him immediately after he was chosen as the Northern Province CM. Though there were rumours that Wigneshwaran had written to Dr Singh and invited him to the CHOGM meeting, the North Province CM had denied it saying that it was just a “courtesy letter’’.
A source said Wigneswaran’s proposed visit was being planned in a way such that he would spend time in Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Kerala during his visit.
He said that the PMO had sent feelers to DMK and AIADMK regarding the proposed invitation to Wigneshwaran. The reason cited for the tepid response from Tamil political parties is attributed to the fact that he is seen as a “Rajapakse man’’ by the Tamil Nadu political leaders. “Many a time Wigneswaran had openly said that Tamil Nadu politicians use Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue for their own gains, much to the detriment of Tamils in Sri Lanka. This has not been taken lightly by TN politicians,’’ said the source.