The comments by Kapoor came days after the LTTE carried out a daring air and land attack on an airbase deep in the hinterland of the country.

Colombo has made a number of requests for arms supplies, Kapoor said adding that the government was looking at these.

He also said that India was training personnel of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

The Times of India reported earlier this month while India has been providing “largely defensive” equipment to Sri Lanka till now, sources said the supply of “some clearly offensive weapons” could not be ruled out since India does not want China or Pakistan to step into the vacuum, much like what happened in Myanmar in the 1990s.

An indicator of this unease in the Indian defence establishment had come earlier this year when national security advisor, M. K. Narayanan had publicly asked Sri Lanka to refrain from seeking arms from China or Pakistan.

The remarks had created a furore in Lanka, especially since Narayanan had added that India would not provide weapons with offensive capabilities to the island nation.

The government, of course, has to keep political sensitivities in Tamil Nadu in mind all the time as far as weapon deliveries to Sri Lanka are concerned, with its partner DMK frequently voicing its concern over the plight of Tamils in the island nation.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed