JR Jayawardene’s biography states that the politics of Sri Lanka changed during the two days that the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi spent with the then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Bandaranaike, who came to Sri Lanka on April 27, 1973, for an official visit. JR In his book mentions that after Indira Gandhi’s visit, Mrs. Bandaranaike’s government followed a strict repressive policy against the opposition and that Indira Gandhi was the strength of her repressive policy. It was only then that Indira Gandhi’s government decided to give Sri Lanka the territory of Kachchatheevu. Mrs. Bandaranaike showed that having Kachchathiv Island was her victory for the people of Sri Lanka. Recently, Indian Prime Minister Modi said that the Congress government’s decision to give Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka was wrong. He meant DMK in Tamil Nadu; the state government also supported giving Kachchathiv Island to Sri Lanka.
Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu when Indira Gandhi’s government decided to give Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka. DMK leader Karunanidhi supported Indira Gandhi’s decision. Even the DMK, MPs did not know the mission of handing over of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka. To reconcile the DMK party, then Foreign Secretary Kewal Singh went to Madras and met DMK leader Karunanidhi. Karunanidhi suggested that the signing of the agreement be postponed for two years, but the Foreign Secretary pointed out that it was not possible. Then Karunanidhi said that in that case he could not support it and he would not object to it. DMK did not know this decision of Karunanidhi. The MPs termed handing over Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka as a big betrayal.
It was the first time that a Sri Lankan leader silenced Tamil Nadu leaders through Gandhis. Mrs. Bandaranaike tactfully quelled the opposition from Tamil Nadu against the transfer of Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka through Indira Gandhi.
In the last days of the war, Mahinda Rajapaksa also followed the strategy adopted by Mrs. Bandaranaike to suppress the resistance in Tamil Nadu against the war. Karunanidhi also held the post of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at the end of the war. Karunanidhi’s DMK. was pro LTTE. Karunanidhi and DMK party pressured the then ruling Congress government in India to intervene to stop the war in Sri Lanka and call for a ceasefire. Karunanidhi threatened to withdraw the support given to the Congress government and topple the government if this is not done. Amid opposition in Tamil Nadu, then Mahinda’s adviser Basil Rajapaksa went to India and met Indian External Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Basil gave assurances that civilians would not be harmed by the war. External Affairs Minister Mukherjee on 27 October 2008 after meeting Basil traveled from Delhi to Chennai and met Karunanidhi. After the meeting, Mukherjee told the media that Karunanidhi had withdrawn his threat to topple the Congress government. After that meeting of Mukherjee, Karunanidhi and DMK’s war protests stopped.
This is how the Bandaranaikes and the Rajapaksas used Gandhi’s Congress governments to silence the Tamil Nadu leaders on Sri Lankan issues. Sr Lanka also got the island of Kachchatheevu. and also won the war. “
