Click to play videoNew Delhi: In a post-26/11 environment the Home and External Affairs Ministries have been trying to assert themselves with regard to Pakistan and it is fast turning into a turf war between the North Block and the South Block.
Two months before the Lok Sabha elections, Home Minister P Chidambaram is guarding his turf. He is realising he cannot afford to play down Tamil sentiments with the war in Sri Lanka claiming civilian casualties, and he's now almost sounding like Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, MDMK leader Vaiko and fellow Tamil politicians.
“We are not happy that the Sri Lankan government has resumed hostilities. LTTE must lay down arms and come to the negotiating table," Chidambaram said.
The emphasis is clear, Chidambaram wants the Sri Lankan government to hold its fire.
On the contrary, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been lending his quiet support to the Sri Lankan administration. Mukherjee is definitely doing some tightrope walking, reassuring a concerned Karunanidhi that he will convince Colombo to be careful about civilians.
Within hours of Chidambaram's outburst, Mukherjee issued his clarification. “Along with military offensive, the Sri Lankan government should ensure that the lives of innocent civilians should be protected,” he said.
It is clear that Mukherjee unlike Chidambaram is not exerting pressure on the Lankan government to rein in its forces and he is also not asking Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and LTTE leadership to head for the negotiating table.
For quite some time now, this turf war between the two heavyweights in the Union Government is becoming more pronounced. Mukherjee put his foot down when Chidambaram wanted to make a trip to the US in mid-January while Chidambaram's Pak initiative has not gone down well with South Block.
With the Prime Minister away, it doesn’t look like this relationship will be prospering.
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