An India Sri Lanka Agreement (ISLA) was signed, thirty six years to date, on 29th of July 1987 to bring peace to the island nation in the throes of a violent insurgency having its roots in the ethnic discord between the majority Sinhala and minority Tamil communities. Consequent to the signing of the ISLA, India had deployed an Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in the Tamil predominant Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, at the ostensible invitation of Sri Lanka Government (SLG). The operation was codenamed Operation Pawan.
Shorn of manipulated political and parochial viewpoints, this tri-service operational venture was a big success. The IPKF had succeeded in achieving the politico-military objectives spelt out in the ISLA, within a time span of under 18 months. The Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka had been amalgamated into a single constitutional administrative entity. General elections to the unified Provincial Council had been successfully held. A duly elected civilian government had been sworn in as the Northeast Provincial Council. LTTE, the dominant Tamil militant organisation opposing the ISLA, had been marginalised. Defunct civil infrastructure had been restored. Overall environment conducive to recommencement of private enterprise had been established in Northeast Sri Lanka.
At this stage, the Sri Lanka Government, pursuant to diverging interests with the Indian Government, called for the withdrawal of the IPKF from its sovereign territory. After protracted negotiations, a political decision was taken to deinduct the IPKF from the island nation.
Militarily speaking, it was the most vulnerable time for the IPKF. The LTTE, opposed as it was to the IPKF presence in the Northeast province, was being surreptitiously armed by the SLG. The probability of Sri Lanka security forces turning hostile towards IPKF at an opportune moment could not be negated. As the deinduction progressed, the IPKF in Sri Lanka would become numerically inferior to the antagonist forces arraigned against it.
One has to just look at the disastrous withdrawals by the armed forces of the US from Vietnam, and the successive ruinous pullouts by USSR and US from Afghanistan, to comprehend the pitfalls that can arise in this most vulnerable time for any military force. It goes to the credit of the IPKF military hierarchy that the force maintained its poise and balance till the end to ensure an incident free and successful culmination of this protracted military operation, despite the presence of strong hostile forces.
True Legacy of IPKF – Operation Pawan
Seven decades post-independence, a resurgent India is articulating its aspirations to take its rightful place in the world forums. India showcases its right to be recognised on the world stage based on its demographic strength, strong economic fundamentals, rich and diverse cultural heritage, and reasonably hard military power. In short, its Comprehensive National Power (CNP) comparative to most of the great powers of the world.
The current leadership of India has been clear in pronouncing its vision in the Parliament, to reunite POJK and Aksai Chin with India, and set the definitive goal to make India the second largest economy in the world by middle of the 21st Century. India also continues to provide safe sanctuary to a Tibet’s Government – in – Exile with aspirations to liberate Chinese Occupied Tibet (COT). It also needs no gains saying that an economically expansionist India is bound to invite hostility from the dominant geopolitical forces in its near abroad. This will mandate it to be prepared for Out of Area (OOA) military operations to secure its economic and geopolitical interests.
But policy pronouncements are not enough. Unless backed by a revitalised and reorganised military competent to safeguard its economic aspirations, all aspirational talk is mere rhetoric. More than anything else India needs a change in the existing timid mindsets of those ensconced in the corridors of power in the South Block. This is where the IPKF comes into the picture. Its creation and quiet consigning into the dusty cupboards of South Block represents all that ails the body politic of India, preventing it from assuming its new role in the comity of nations. India’s future path to greatness shall be marked with supreme sacrifices by its warriors who, if confined to the dustbin of state apathy, may weaken the national resolve in critical times.
The true legacy of the IPKF and Operation Pawan lies not only in the enormous sacrifices made by the armed forces personnel to safeguard the national interest in a foreign land, with near 1200 Killed In Action, more than 3,500 seriously injured and maimed for life, hundreds of wives rendered widows, children left fatherless, and parents left without support in old age. But also, in the enormous resources employed by the nation in this 32 months long venture and the tri-services institutional set up of Headquarters IPKF which was raised to control this mammoth military operation. This organisation in a true sense is the first tri-services organisation in the operational field and is the rightful forerunner to the future Theatre Commands now under consideration. This seamless deployment of inter-service resources towards achieving a common national and military goal in the operational field needs to be evaluated in depth.
The ghost of the political failure to see through to the end its first geopolitical foray in near abroad continues to impact Indian policy establishment even in the present times. As of now, against the backdrop of a provoking Chinese presence in Sri Lanka, India is struggling to adopt a coherent strategy to deal with the continued intransigence by SLG to implement the political solution concurred in the ISLA.
This is why the ISLA – IPKF – Operation Pawan chapter should be of contemporary relevance to India. The policy and execution pitfalls, the proposed restructuring of the military, the institutional requirements that can safely navigate change of political affiliations in central governance structure, can be strengthened by lessons emerging from an in-depth study of the ibid interlude.
The Aftermath
Currently the People’s Republic of China has established deep inroads into the corridors of power in Sri Lanka. The LTTE, the dominant Tamil militant organisation opposed to the ISLA and fighting for an independent Tamil nation in Sri Lanka, has been annihilated. The merger of the unified Northeast Province has been constitutionally undone through judicial intervention by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Tamil grievances continue to be unaddressed by the Government of Sri Lanka. India seems to be devoid of any geopolitical options to pursue its interest in its own backyard.
But the most interesting facet is to recognise the elephant hiding in the room. It is the ISLA, lying dormant in a state of suspended animation, not repudiated by either of the two signatories, and waiting for a probable resurrection! Does this hint at future possibilities?
What is even more interesting is that Sri Lanka has erected a War Memorial, prominently laid out in their capital city of Colombo, to honour the IPKF. A commemoration service to honour the supreme sacrifices by the soldiers of IPKF to uphold the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is held here on 26th of January and 15th of August every year. High Indian dignitaries, including the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Indian military Service Chiefs, visiting Colombo have paid homage at this war memorial.
But in India, public commemoration of supreme sacrifice by IPKF personnel is not held. The Government of India, in 1987-89, is charged with engaging in Operation Pawan in pursuit of its political, rather than national, interests. The wheel has turned full circle as the national interest of public commemoration of the supreme sacrifices by its armed forces continues to be held hostage to perceived parochial interests.
Some things never change.
Col RS Sidhu (Retd)
Veteran of IPKF Sri Lanka Operations
