She followed up with a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to press strongly for such a probe into alleged war crimes, when UNHRC takes up the UN report on October 1 and 2. She has also called for diplomatic efforts by Mr Modi to secure the support of USA, which apparently is now getting reconciled to a domestic enquiry by Colombo, as proposed by the latter.

For Mr Modi, it is a tough call from the powerful leader of AIDMK , whose support his Government counts on in Parliament, after having opened up a new conciliatory path for deeper Indo-Sri lankan economic and security engagements, during the just-concluded visit of Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka under its new President Maiithripala Sirisena elected in January last overturned the pro-China Rajapaksa regime, which unleashed a ruthless war virtually exterminating the LTTE, the militant outfit which had fought for an independent 'Tamil Elam' with its own brutalities, equally condemned in the UNHRC report for 'unlawful killings'.

While taking a somewhat positive approach to the need for taking steps to safeguard and uphold the human rights of all citizens, welcomed in the UN report, President Sirisena Government had been favouring a wider credible enquiry but conducted through a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission, without involving foreigners.

But citing the 'horrific' war crimes, the UNHRC report released on September 16 in Geneva said a purely domestic court procedure would not overcome 'widespread and justifiable suspicions fuelled by decades of violations, malpractices and broken promises'. Therefore, the report called for 'hybrid special court' through legislation,which would integrate international judges, prosecutors, lawywes and investigators.

In first reactions, the Sri Lankan authorities have promised to give 'due attention' to the latest report which it interprets as proposing a human rights investigation. Colombo as of now adheres to its line of ensuring a dialogue and wide consultations with all stake-holders including victims of conflict with right to justice. The aim would be to achieve 'reconciliation and durable peace', it says.

There has been some qualitative change in US stand in the direction of an internal probe, which is what bothers political parties in Tamil Nadu, which all want an international probe coupled with a demand for trial of army personnel involved in war crimes by an international court. Ms.Jayalalithaa has therefore urged that India itself should move a strong resolution for international probe when UNHRC meets on October 1and 2.

The Prime Minister has a major challenge on hand after having expressed confidence in his meetings with Mr Wickremesinghe that the leadership of Sri Lanka , with the support of people, would achieve 'genuine reconciliation and development'. But as Mr Modi rightly emphasised, he was looking at 'a life of equality,justice and dignity' for Sri lankan Tamil community in a united Sri Lanka.

At the same time, he cannot conveniently ignore the outcry from Tamil Nadu parties, chiefly the Jayalalithaa Government, for international probe into the war crimes referred to in the UN report itself, all the more so in the context of the 2016 Assembly elections. BJP is also pushing itself to become a major contender, possibly cobbling together an alliance of convenience, involving smaller p arties.

Above all, will Mr Modi be able to persuade the United States not to moderate its previous position on an international investigation into the Sri Lankan army's role in the 2009 war of liberation, which would be going against the new spirit of his dialogue with the Sri Lankan Premier Wickremesinghe. Thus, Mr Modi finds himself in a dilemma.

Indeed the larger issue of the future status and rights for the Tamils in Sri lanka in terms of constitutional guarantees for autonomy within the island republic has receded to the background as a result of the UN exposures of cruelties and war crimes in the Rajapksa “war of liberation” of Sri lanka in 2009.

A solution, however internal for Sri lanka, which does not satisfy fully the aspirations for autonomy of Tamils in day to day governance in the North and East would be unacceptable to political parties in Tamil Nadu vying with one another in championing the cause of Tamils. Tamil leaders in the island republic said an international mechanism must be the logical outcome of the UN report , which apart from highlighting horrible acts during the 2009 war, also brings out the serious shortcomings in Sri lanka’s judicial system.(IPA Service)