India feared exodus of displaced people during Sri Lanka’s war, never concerned about LTTE’s fate: Menon

India’s interest was in ensuring civilian casualties were minimised to the greatest extent possible   

By Kelum Bandara   

India was primarily concerned about the humanitarian impact of the Sri Lankan civil war, particularly the safety of Tamil civilians, but never bothered about the decimation of the LTTE, former Indian National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said.   

In an interview with Daily Mirror on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference organized by Pathfinder Foundation, he reflected on India–Sri Lanka relations during the last phase of the war. He was part of the Troika Mechanism, a diplomatic framework designed to coordinate India’s engagement with Colombo on conflict-related decisions.   

“India’s interest was in ensuring civilian casualties were minimised to the greatest extent possible,” Menon said.   

“We were also concerned about an exodus of displaced people crossing into India, particularly Tamil Nadu.”   

 He said that the LTTE was a terrorist group which had killed a Indian Prime Minister, and India was not concerned about its fate.  

Our focus was on the Tamil civilian population and the broader stability of Sri Lanka,” he added.   

The former official also described Sri Lanka as a permanent aircraft carrier for India, underscoring the strategic significance of the country. “What happens in Sri Lanka affects India, and what happens in India affects Sri Lanka,” he said. 

See full interview on page 4