I was often said when Indira Gandhi was assassinated,Jaffna mourned Mrs Gandhi more than Delhi did.Tamil politicians like TULF leader Amruthalingam were taunted by their Sinhalese counterparts,who asked them what would the orphaned Tamils do now that their mother is dead.There was a reason for that because Indira Gandhi possibly was the only leader who pursued Indian interests from holistic nationalist point,than any of her predecessors or those who followed(Including her father and her son)
Like in Sikkim Indira Gandhi had laid ground work for a possible push to encourage secession of Tamil dominated Lankan NE(including the jaffna peninsula) from Lanka and perhaps even a possible merger with India.Indira Gandhi was not averse to sidelining exalted principles if the outcome served the national cause.On principle we should not have been interfering in Bengal or Sikkim,but national interest demanded it.Indira Gandhi actively courted Tamil politician and political groups,while the same time funded,trained and bank rolled Tamil militia,including the LTTE.She was the past mistress in the art of keeping contending groups off balance,while ambitious Sinhalese nationalist were kept earnest,the Tamil activists,militia and politicians were played off against one another,all the while India remained in control.This was how thins were until her death.
For all his vaunted political charm and talent for getting along with everyone,Rajeev Gandhi's incompetence in the art of playing hard politics outweighed all his other accomplishments.The way he single handedly ruined the congress party's stature as national party for good may have only concerned political scientists and congress veterans,but what he did to India's cause in Srilanka was disastrous to say the least.
Rajeev Gandhi's foreign policy doctrine was complete reversal of Indira Gandhi's 'Indian interest first' and a throw back to Nehruvian internationalism.Rajeev Gandhi now perceived the Tamil struggle in Lanka as secessionists and because India was fighting against Sikh secessionist,by extension India would oppose all secessionists.It scarcely mattered that Sikh secessionist were fighting against us and Tamils in Lanka weren't.Rajeev Gandhi started formulating a 'devolution plan' for Srilanka,which became the basis for the 1987 Indo-Lankan accord.Jayawardene who practically signed off the northern peninsula,jumped at this god send opportunity and agreed in toto with Rajeev's grand plan,even if had to host indian troops.So what if he had to humor the Rajeev Gandhi the statesman,as long as India helped keep him retain territories that was considered as lost,it was fair deal,no it was a jackpot.
Rajeev Gandhi complete unraveled all of Indira's tactics and strategy with respects to Lanka one after another.Indira gave no iron clad commitments on Srilankan unity,Rajeev made India a guarantor of Lankan unity.Indira Gandhi kept a balance between the contending Tamil groups,Rajeev allowed the LTTE to gain supremacy in the jaffna peninsula,by looking the other way as LTTE liquidated its rivals.When LTTE became powerful Rajeev made a complete turnaround and started actively supporting the TULF,this led to LTTE targetting the TULF leaders,which finally led to LTTE assassinating Amruthalingam,which led to India officially snapping ties with LTTE.
Rajeev Gandhi should never have put Indian forces on ground,this only helped take the heat off the beleaguered Srilankan army,which was bearing the brunt of the Tamil militia campaign(including the LTTE).This made all Tamil groups to suspect Rajeev motives,was he furthering India's cause or Srilankan.as if this wasn't bad enough,the troops who had gone to ensure peace,now began to forcibly disarming Tamil militia,even though the pricniples that had been agreed upon in the Indo-Lanka accord were yet to be implemented.By the time the IPKF was forced to depart from the Lanka,they had practically disarmed all tamil militia groups with the exception for the LTTE.India had achieved in the matter of few years,what the Lankan army could not in over a decade of entrenched guerrilla warfare.
We practically drowned every single chip we held in Srilanka down the palk strait,and we shed our own blood and that of innocent Tamils in Lanka who looked up to us for support,in the bargain.