A New India

Chapter 117: Rohan–Senanayake Pact - I

The monsoon had hit Delhi hard this year, with torrential rain hammering the city for days.

The sky outside Rohan's office was heavy and gray, but inside the Prime Minister's residence, there was a sense of urgency not caused by the weather.

With the Indo - Swiss Dairy project signed and working towards achieving new goals and target in the dairy industries, Rohan found himself in another dilemma which he didn't thought would come 10 years before it should have.

The issue of the Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka.

This issue had surfaced with an intensity that could no longer be ignored.

Rohan sat at his desk, staring at the rain streaming down the windows. The reports in front of him laid out the situation in stark detail.

Hundreds of thousands of Indian Tamils, brought to Ceylon decades ago by the British to work on tea and rubber plantations, were now stateless.

With independence, Ceylon had started to reconsider their place in the country, and tensions were rising.

The Sri Lankan government, led by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, had been under increasing pressure from the Sinhalese majority to resolve the issue.

The Indian Tamils had become politically inconvenient, too numerous to ignore, yet not considered part of the country's fabric.

The calls for their repatriation to India were growing louder, and Rohan knew that soon, his government would need to respond.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. KP Singh, the External Affairs Minister, entered the room, carrying a file that looked far too thick for comfort.

"Prime Minister," KP greeted as he took a seat across from Rohan, "we've received the latest communication from Ceylon. It seems the situation is escalating faster than we anticipated."

Rohan exhaled, feeling the weight of the words. "What are they asking for, KP?"

KP Singh adjusted his glasses and opened the file. "Prime Minister Senanayake's government is facing growing unrest from the Sinhalese nationalists. They're pushing for a quick resolution to the Tamil issue. Ceylon is suggesting the repatriation of most of the Indian Tamil population, over 600,000 people back to India.

They want to grant citizenship to a small portion, but it's clear they're looking to offload the rest of the problem onto us."

Rohan leaned back in his chair, frowning deeply. "That's not a solution, KP. That's just shifting the burden. These are people who have lived there for generations, people who've worked and built their lives in Ceylon. You can't just uproot them and expect them to fit into a country many of them have never seen."

KP Singh nodded, his face serious. "I agree. Repatriating over half a million people is not only impractical but dangerous. We don't have the infrastructure to absorb them, and if we don't handle it correctly, we could end up with severe unrest here in India."

Rohan tapped his fingers on the desk, thinking aloud. "We need to approach this carefully. Senanayake is in a difficult position. The Sinhalese majority is pushing hard, but he knows that Ceylon can't afford the economic fallout of losing so many laborers. The Indian Tamils have been the backbone of their plantation economy. Without them, their agriculture sector could collapse."

KP Singh raised an eyebrow. "So, what are you suggesting, Prime Minister? We can't let them wash their hands of the problem entirely, but we also can't afford to let this escalate into a full-blown crisis."

Rohan stood up, walking over to the window, watching the rain pour down in thick sheets. "We need a compromise. Something that acknowledges the legitimate concerns of Ceylon but doesn't abandon the Indian Tamils. We'll have to take back a portion of the population, yes, but not without a plan. And the ones who stay Ceylon must grant them full citizenship."

KP Singh sat quietly for a moment, thinking through Rohan's words. "A partial repatriation?"

Rohan turned around, nodding. "Exactly. We take responsibility for those who genuinely want to return to India, but Ceylon needs to commit to integrating the rest. They can't keep them stateless forever. We'll need to work out the numbers, of course, but this can't just be about shifting the burden back and forth."

KP Singh scribbled down notes. "And the ones who come back? How do we handle their resettlement?"

Rohan moved back to his desk, sitting down again with a sigh. "That's the tricky part. We've seen what happens when people are displaced without a plan. It leads to poverty, unrest, and long-term social instability. We need to integrate them into our national development efforts."

KP Singh looked thoughtful, nodding. "The Indo-Swiss Dairy Project was a model for this kind of approach. We trained farmers, gave them land, built infrastructure. We could apply the same principles to the Tamil returnees."

Rohan's face lit up slightly. "Exactly. We have ongoing agricultural projects in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Punjab. These are regions where we've already established infrastructure. If we bring the returnees into these programs, offer them training and land, we can avoid the mistakes of the past."

KP Singh jotted down a few more notes. "We'll need the cooperation of the state governments, but I believe Tamil Nadu and Kerala will be willing to help. Many of the returnees will have ties to those regions."

Rohan nodded. "Yes, but we can't overload one state. This has to be a national effort. We'll need to distribute the responsibility across several states to make sure no one region is overwhelmed."

KP Singh raised a critical point. "Prime Minister, we'll also need to manage the public perception. People are going to see this as an influx of refugees. If we don't control the narrative, it could lead to backlash."

Rohan's face grew serious again. "You're right. We need to frame this as a national development effort, not a refugee crisis. These people are skilled laborers, and if we integrate them properly, they can contribute to our agricultural and industrial sectors. This isn't charity this is an investment in our future."

KP Singh sat back, his expression thoughtful. "I think we're on the right track. But what about the negotiations with Senanayake? How do we approach this?"

Rohan leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "We need to show him that this is the best option for both countries. If Ceylon pushes too hard for repatriation, they'll destabilize their own economy. But if they work with us, we can find a solution that benefits everyone."

KP Singh nodded in agreement. "I'll begin drafting a proposal based on partial repatriation. We'll need to meet with Senanayake soon to discuss the details, but I believe we can find a compromise."

Rohan sat back, his mind already moving ahead to the negotiations that would follow. "We'll call it the Rohan–Senanayake Pact. This has to be more than just an agreement on paper. We need a clear plan for the future of these people, both those who stay and those who return.

No matter what happens we must keep our stance strong and clear to everyone involved in this that India is willing to help Ceylon but if the Tamil people are persecuted we won't be Silent"

KP Singh replied "I will forward this to the Ceylon but I am not sure if we can get ourselves involve with this or if we should involve ourselves with their domestic politics"

"KP the question is not whether you want to or not, the moment these people start getting persecuted which i am sure they will, the people in India especially Tamilian who have close connection to them won't stay silent, so instead of being forced to take action, it is better we prepare for the worst before only"

Rohan took pause and continued

"Let's just hope it works. The stakes are too high here and any wrong step by us can push us to a side where we don't want to go KP. If we don't handle this correctly, it could destabilize both countries. Right now I just want to focus on development, for the last few years I had to focus on problems instead of development, all I ask is few years of peace"

KP Singh stood up, gathering the papers in front of him. "I'll start working on the details. We'll need to meet with the cabinet and brief them on the situation. And we'll need to open discussions with the state governments about the resettlement plans."

Rohan nodded. "Let's move quickly. We don't have much time. The longer this drags on, the harder it will be to control the outcome."

As KP Singh left the office, Rohan sat back in his chair, staring at the reports in front of him. The Tamil issue had been continuing for years, but now, the pressure was mounting.

If they didn't act soon, it could explode into a full-blown crisis.

But Rohan believed there was a way to turn this challenge into an opportunity.

The rain continued to pour outside, but inside, Rohan's mind was already focused on the future.