<p>Chennai: Taking over as the External Affairs Minister immediately after the 30-year-old civil war ended in the neighbouring country,<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/s-m-krishna"> S M Krishna</a> spearheaded India’s efforts to build bridges with the ethnic Tamil community in Sri Lanka and rebuild their lives. </p><p>Krishna passionately pushed the Sri Lankan government, then dominated by the powerful Rajapaksa brothers who ruled the country with an iron fist following the defeat of the LTTE, to focus on “genuine reconciliation” between minority Tamils and majority Sinhalas while arriving at a political resolution. His tenure saw the launch of a housing scheme for the war-affected and restoring several railway lines that were blown up by the LTTE. </p><p>The suave and articulate politician became the first top-ranking Indian leader to visit the war-torn Kilinochchi and the memorial built in memory of the warriors of the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) in Colombo during his second visit to Sri Lanka in 2012. Krishna did try to strike a chord with the ethnic community by making serious attempts to lace his English speech with Tamil, a language he wasn’t very comfortable with. </p>.S M Krishna: Not many politicians held positions in state, central governments like he did.<p>"I have a sense of satisfaction that all the programmes that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced for Sri Lanka are being pursued vigorously," Krishna told this correspondent on their way back to Bengaluru from Colombo after concluding a four-day visit. </p><p>Known for his grace, Krishna developed personal rapport with then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister G L Peiris which was helpful during negotiations. Krishna had also asked Sri Lanka to go beyond the 13th Amendment, which envisages devolution of powers to Tamil-dominated provinces, in arriving at a just solution. </p><p>It was during Krishna’s tenure as the Foreign Minister, India began the construction of 50,000 houses for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Tamil-dominated areas of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu and opened its consulate in Jaffna, the cultural capital of ethnic Tamils. His tenure also saw India taking up various developmental projects across Sri Lanka, including restoring railway lines in the north and in the south, and construction of the Jaffna Cultural Centre. </p><p>India had then taken a conscious decision to directly engage with the ethnic Tamils besides dealing with the Sri Lankan government. </p><p>Since the Sri Lankan issue had political connotations owing to the sentiment factor in Tamil Nadu, the MEA under Krishna had to keep in mind not just diplomacy but also domestic political considerations. </p><p>It was in March 2012, when Krishna was the Foreign Minister, India deviated from its policy and voted in favour of a resolution brought in by the West at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. </p><p>While India never supported such moves, the UPA-II government was under pressure from its ally, DMK, to vote against Sri Lanka. In 2013, months after Krishna left South Block, the country followed the 2012 formula and voted in favour of another resolution against Sri Lanka.</p>
<p>Chennai: Taking over as the External Affairs Minister immediately after the 30-year-old civil war ended in the neighbouring country,<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/s-m-krishna"> S M Krishna</a> spearheaded India’s efforts to build bridges with the ethnic Tamil community in Sri Lanka and rebuild their lives. </p><p>Krishna passionately pushed the Sri Lankan government, then dominated by the powerful Rajapaksa brothers who ruled the country with an iron fist following the defeat of the LTTE, to focus on “genuine reconciliation” between minority Tamils and majority Sinhalas while arriving at a political resolution. His tenure saw the launch of a housing scheme for the war-affected and restoring several railway lines that were blown up by the LTTE. </p><p>The suave and articulate politician became the first top-ranking Indian leader to visit the war-torn Kilinochchi and the memorial built in memory of the warriors of the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) in Colombo during his second visit to Sri Lanka in 2012. Krishna did try to strike a chord with the ethnic community by making serious attempts to lace his English speech with Tamil, a language he wasn’t very comfortable with. </p>.S M Krishna: Not many politicians held positions in state, central governments like he did.<p>"I have a sense of satisfaction that all the programmes that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced for Sri Lanka are being pursued vigorously," Krishna told this correspondent on their way back to Bengaluru from Colombo after concluding a four-day visit. </p><p>Known for his grace, Krishna developed personal rapport with then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister G L Peiris which was helpful during negotiations. Krishna had also asked Sri Lanka to go beyond the 13th Amendment, which envisages devolution of powers to Tamil-dominated provinces, in arriving at a just solution. </p><p>It was during Krishna’s tenure as the Foreign Minister, India began the construction of 50,000 houses for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Tamil-dominated areas of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu and opened its consulate in Jaffna, the cultural capital of ethnic Tamils. His tenure also saw India taking up various developmental projects across Sri Lanka, including restoring railway lines in the north and in the south, and construction of the Jaffna Cultural Centre. </p><p>India had then taken a conscious decision to directly engage with the ethnic Tamils besides dealing with the Sri Lankan government. </p><p>Since the Sri Lankan issue had political connotations owing to the sentiment factor in Tamil Nadu, the MEA under Krishna had to keep in mind not just diplomacy but also domestic political considerations. </p><p>It was in March 2012, when Krishna was the Foreign Minister, India deviated from its policy and voted in favour of a resolution brought in by the West at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. </p><p>While India never supported such moves, the UPA-II government was under pressure from its ally, DMK, to vote against Sri Lanka. In 2013, months after Krishna left South Block, the country followed the 2012 formula and voted in favour of another resolution against Sri Lanka.</p>