Premadasa threatened war with India- Mehrotra

16 September 2012 10:23 am - 11 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

Then Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa threatened to go to war with India in 1989 if Indian troops were not pulled back, the then Indian high commissioner in Colombo has revealed.

Lakhan Lal Mehrotra has told Indian Foreign Affairs Journal that Premadasa held out the sensational threat when he called on the president at his Colombo office.

The president told Mehrotra that if India did not agree to withdraw its military, he would announce on state-run television that Sri Lankan forces had taken charge of the country's north and east.

"And then if the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) resented, there would be hostility and war," Mehrotra quoted him as saying.

Mehrotra reportedly replied: "Excellency, I have come here to discuss peace with you, but if you want war you will have it."

He added in the journal's Oral History column: "These words, delivered in a very serious manner, brought him down. I was observing him keenly; he was not expecting that kind of reply.

"He was virtually shaking and could not speak for a minute or two."

Other Sri Lankan leaders, including the late Ranjan Wijeratne, who was the foreign affairs minister, suggested to Mehrotra that he should calm down.
Mehrotra said he told Wijeratne that he always stood for peace but the president seemed to only think in terms of war. "In that case we should part company and face the consequences."

Mehrotra says that at one point earlier, Premadasa also threatened to abrogate the 1987 India-Sri Lanka Agreement under which the Indian Army was deployed in the island's northeast to end Tamil separatism.

Premadasa reportedly said that he did not care if there was a rupture in diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka.

He also said he would declare Indian troops in his country an occupation force and it would hurt New Delhi's reputation.

Mehrotra says he told the president: "We will take care of our reputation."

The president then angrily retorted: "It will cost me my political future and your next visit will be for my funeral!"
Mehrotra says: "These were the exact words he used."

In a tumultuous time for India-Sri Lanka ties, India deployed its troops in Sri Lanka's northeast under a 1987 bilateral pact. The agreement was signed by then president J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka and then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of India.

But Premadasa, who was then Sri Lanka's prime minister, never accepted the 1987 agreement. When he became president in late 1988, he pledged to send the Indian troops home.

In June 1989, after entering into talks with the Tamil Tigers, he publicly demanded that India take back its troops by July 1989, causing a diplomatic furore.
After intense backroom discussions in which Mehrotra played a major role, India eventually pulled back all its troops by the end of March 1990.

Mehrotra, however, says that once Premadasa realized that India would be taking back its military, he hugged Mehrotra and praised his diplomatic skills. Mehrotra also quoted the late Jayewardene as telling him that while he did not trust the Tamil Tigers, Premadasa "will learn his own lessons".

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) eventually assassinated not just Rajiv Gandhi but also Premadasa and Wijeratne. The Sri Lankan military crushed the LTTE in May 2009. (IANS - New Delhi)

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 11

Shyam Sunday, 16 September 2012 10:21 AM

Very old cake!

I Hussein Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:07 AM

Utter rubbish. R Premadasa was not that stupid to say such things like going to war with India. He must have mentioned about the 'egg shampoo' IPKF withdrawal, which we entire Srilankans (including the LTTE) were totally against of.

vinayagamoorthy Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:00 AM

Indians Breed the terrorist against Sri_lanka. The current situation and foreign Policy is good. WE must Invite Chinese President to Sri-Lanka for a State visit.

DMirror Fan Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:26 AM

Brave President. But it never can be repeat again as SL Army is trained by Indians.

Sinhabahu Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:32 AM

Premadasa Senior challanged India and backed up. Now the Junior is challanging his own party. What a coincidence !

ravi Sunday, 16 September 2012 11:48 AM

"WE must Invite Chinese President to Sri-Lanka for a State visit."

is to make Sri lanka a slave State?.

It seems that you are dreaming that Lanka will become Chinese Colony.

dangoda Monday, 17 September 2012 02:42 AM

Son also like his dad. Always fight for nothing.

Dulani Monday, 17 September 2012 04:01 AM

Time for a book deal by coming up with stories that cannot be verified 20-odd years later.

sampath Monday, 17 September 2012 08:39 AM

Wonder why Sajith never told this during his many speeches...

ARAFATH Monday, 17 September 2012 11:49 AM

Thanks to India Sri lanka was thoroughly messed up for last thirty odd years .India has more enemy than friends in the region.beacuase it is using its hegmonic attitude towards all the country.but china or USA or any other imperialist are not good replacement.but maintain a degree of distance and doing diplomacy for the interest of the people of the country,region and the world at large is much better.don't say small country can't do it.look at Malaysia,Singapore.

raviraj Monday, 17 September 2012 04:53 PM

don't compare SL with Malaysia or Singapore that's an insult to those great nations

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Premadasa threatened war with India- Mehrotra

Comments - 11

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

‘Spike in blast fishing’ poses renewed threats to Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Most Viewed in News

Complaint lodged over Piumi Hansamali's possession of Gota’s Range Rover

New Visa procedure implemented

Two racing drivers arrested over Fox Hill tragedy

Train fails to halt, crashes onto Colombo Fort platform

Street food vendor arrested for verbally harassing foreigner

SL on alert on possible genocide allegations by Canada

MIRROR CRICKET

Is Chamari Athapaththu Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketer ever?

Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings

Chamari Athapaththu sets big goal for T20 World Cup

How does CSK get best out of Pathirana?

TODAY'S HEADLINES

SL took minimal steps to punish officials who committed human rights abuses: US report

Iranian President’s visit Sri Lanka withstands western pressure

25 tons of solid waste disposed along Sri Pada route

Temperature rises to ‘Caution’ level

Sri Lanka secures third spot in South Asian Kurash Championship 2024

Athapaththu back atop ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings

Army forms committee to probe Diyatalawa Fox Hill Supercross accident

Indian cricket manager indicted for Legend Cricket League match-fixing allegations