“It was a calculated vote against Sri Lanka” – India’s Military advisor

The Hindu: Lt. Gen (Retd) Prakash Menon, Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat, on Monday said that India’s vote against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meet in Geneva was a “calculated” vote cast in the national interest.

Saying that Sri Lanka had not done enough as it promised, the official said though the Island Nation had won the war, it might lose peace in the long run. Menon was speaking at a seminar on ‘Challenges to India’s National Security in 21 Century’ jointly organised by the Indian Army and the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras.

 “You can say that the Central Government was influenced by coalition politics. But, in the end it is all about national interest. It was a calculated vote…they (Sri Lanka) have not done enough or they are not doing what they promised to. Definitely, our voice is in that direction,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, University of Madras Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies Gopalji Malviya  said that there was an urgent need to define ‘federal crime’ and formed a national agency to counter the same.

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Chairman and former Director General of Police R. Nataraj laid stress on evolving a ‘National Internal Security Strategy’ to deal with internal security issues.