Tigers a threat to India's sovereignty

Top Indian intelligence expert warns :

NEW DELHI: A top Indian defence expert has warned that India should take the threat posed to shipping in Indo-Lanka waters by the LTTE more seriously, as it could impact adversely on the country's sovereignty.

Colonel R. Hariharan, a former military intelligence specialist in counter insurgency and a member of the IPKF, was quoted as saying by the Indian Defence Website that New Delhi should not ignore the threat by the Tigers to the country's sea going vessels taking a political angle. "Is there a political angle in this issue involving national security? It should not be. If so, it would be dismal because it is at the cost of national sovereignty, and security of vessels flying the Indian colours," he said.

"With all these happenings in proximity of Indian waters involving Indian vessels and citizens, one would have expected the Government to react more visibly. However, it had continued to follow its policy of maintaining a stony silence despite the act of piracy by an insurgent group involving a vessel flying the Indian flag," he added.

Hariharan noted the incident involving the Indian trawler 'Sri Krishna', hijacked by the LTTE in March, 2007. It was sunk in Maldivian waters.

On their release from custody, 11 members of its original 12-member Indian crew confirmed that it was LTTE that had arrested them after taking over their vessel for transporting weapons.

He said this pointed to a conscious effort of the LTTE to elude Indian and Sri Lankan Navies' surveillance to smuggle weapons.

The LTTE hijacked a Jordanian ship Farah III in distress off the coast of Mullaitivu on December 23, 2006. It was carrying 14,000 tons of rice from India to South Africa which had been seized by LTTE.

"Then the Government of India ignored the whole affair. This attitude is all the more surprising, considering the readiness with which it had expressed its "concerns" as and when Indian fishing boats trespassing into Sri Lankan waters are rounded up or driven off by the Sri Lankan navy," Hariharan commented.