US concerned about IDPs, peace process: ambassador-designate to India

The Ambassador-designate of Obama administration to India, Tim Roemer, appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Wednesday, said the US is very concerned about the internally displaced people, resettlement, reconciliation and a peace process to go forward. “I think that’s something that would be important for the next ambassador, to continue to work with the Indian government on, to see that the Sri Lankan situation moves in a peaceful process, with reconciliation as a high goal”, he said in his testimony. While appreciating India’s role to US in Afghanistan, about Sri Lanka, the nominee was appreciative of India’s humanitarian aid.

“With respect to Sri Lanka, the Indian government has sent high-level, I think their foreign minister and their national security advisor have been there if not once, twice. They have committed 20 million dollars in aid. They have pledged another 100 million dollars in aid,” he said.

The nominee was of the opinion that it is important for US to “grow the middle class in India spiritually and economically” so that they can buy US products and exchange trade.

Academic circles of India said that this is an area of overlapping interest between the two governments. The Indian Establishment in the last two decades has been grooming the growth of such a class for the benefit of its own capitalism, they said.
Tamil circles, while recognizing the importance of strategic partnership and agreement between US and India in resolving their long-standing national question, said that so far either the competition or connivance of US and India have brought in only misery to Eezham Tamils.
Adding comments, they said: “Both US and India have made a mistake in allowing China and Pakistan to militarily meddle with the national question in the island. So far in contemporary history, China has not demonstrated anywhere that its political culture is capable of resolving issues of the kind faced in the island of Sri Lanka.”
“Only US and India have to do it. US have a long global experience. India actively helped liberation movements in Asia and Africa in the past. Both have to see the realities of the deep divide in the island and the humanitarian questions involved. They have to seriously work together in conceiving a model to identify their geopolitical interests with the aspirations of Eezham Tamils who are always victimised by the geopolitics of the region,” the Tamil circles said.
However, an Asian diplomat in a Western country was sceptical. India at the moment has no idea or preparedness for any innovative political solutions other than appeasement with Colombo for maintaining its status quo, he said, adding that the US may have to put an extra effort to convince India.
In his opinion, the US, which was the first to tilt the balance against Tamils, cannot now simply pass the blame only on India and China. Any change in the outlook has to be again first demonstrated by the US and it is now perhaps time for it to consider strengthening the politics of Eezham Tamils by removing all proscription.