Colombo: President Jayawerdene has squarely blamed India for actively supporting the Tamil separatists in Ceylon. He was speaking on the occasion of the formal State dinner hosted in honor of visiting British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. ‘‘Tamil separatists are trained on the Indian soil and sent back armed with sophisticated weapons,’’ he charged. “‘Separatists are given honored and privileged seats on the dias with Indian leaders,’ he said. Ceylonese army patrols have intercepted a number of boats carrying well trained Tamils carrying weapons in the straits dividing the two countries. Ceylon is buying more patrol boats from England to effectively apprehend the insurgents.
Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, has, however, denied the charge and has termed it as uncharitable and uncalled for. In 197] Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, also used to similarly deny charges of training “Mukti Bahni’” which along with the Indian army ultimately succeeded in creating an Independent country, Bangladesh, out of Pakistan.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 19, 1985
