SUNIL JAYASIRI 
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Manmohan likely to attend CHOGM-report
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Taking a difficult call, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to go to Colombo to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting keeping in mind that it is in India's strategic interests to remain engaged in its neighbourhood, The Times of India reported.
The decision was firmed up after a meeting of the Congress core committee on Wednesday where the political fallout of the PM attending the CHOGM was evaluated in some detail before it was felt the benefits outweigh the downsides.
The decision is not an easy one for the government as the Tamil Nadu assembly has passed a resolution unanimously calling on India to boycott the CHOGM in view of issues related to Tamils in Sri Lanka. The resolution went further in demanding that India should move for Sri Lanka's suspension from CHOGM.
In taking a bold decision to go to Colombo despite political sentiments in Tamil Nadu, the PM has prioritized the need to ensure India does not lose vital clout with the Sri Lankan government allow other powers like China to gain stronger leverage.
The government has argued that even to influence Sri Lankan behaviour, and ensure a better deal for Tamils, India needs to retain its communication and clout with the Mahinda Rajapakse government.
While not travelling to Sri Lanka will be read as a severe snub to the island nation and can harm India's goodwill severely, the government is also leaning on the reported support of northern provincial council chief minister C V Wigneswaran for the PM attending the CHOGM.
In deciding to protect its key interests in the neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region, the government has an eye on Pakistan as well. Islamabad does not have a large economic presence, but it can be expected to undercut India's interests in the CHOGM.
The Sri Lankan government has also been quite deft at flashing the China card at India and given the continuing crisis in Maldives, India may not be in a position to allow relations with Colombo to deteriorate.
Managing the domestic situation, admit sources, will be challenge but Congress hopes the situation may blow over by the time the Lok Sabha election is due in April, 2014.
There is bound to be a blow back and the backing the anti-Lanka resolution received from all opposition parties in the Tamil Nadu assembly, including the Congress, speaks volumes of the stakes involved.
Political sources said that while sentiments in Tamil Nadu remain raw, India has a task to ensure that Colombo delivers on meaningful devolution of power in the northern Sri Lanka and guarantee equal rights to its minorities.
The PM's decision to attend the CHOGM, it is hoped, will make Sri Lanka more amenable to make good its promises to New Delhi. (The Times of India)
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