MEHER VANI

Upasni Maharaj’s death
anniversary is on Dec 24

Remembering Upasni Maharaj

By Cyrus Khambata
NEW DELHI (Syndicate Features): Upasni Maharaj was a Perfect Master. He was the chief disciple of Sai Baba.
It was during December 1915 that the young Zoroastrian from Poona to whom Sai Baba had uttered “Parvardigar,” wandered in a dazed state to the Khandoba temple where Upasni had been living for three years on water and was reduced to a skeleton. He was naked, sitting outside on the steps of the temple as the young man slowly walked forward with folded hands. Looking directly at him, Upasni picked up a stone and …in Meher Baba’s own words, “When I came near enough to him, Maharaj greeted me, so to speak, with a stone which he threw at me with great force. It struck me on my forehead exactly where Babajan had kissed me, hitting with such force that it drew blood... with that stroke, Maharaj had begun to help me return to ordinary consciousness…”
Was Upasni Maharaj angry with this young man? No! His face had a sweet victorious smile and the young man’s bloody face did too! Smiles of victory were on both their faces! The young man did not run away but approached closer to Upasni; finally they embraced. Upasni kissed the wound, and then took him inside Khandoba’s temple, where they stayed for two days alone. No one knows what occurred during those two days, except that Upasni revealed to the young man his own divine identity of being the Ancient One. This was young Merwan’s (Meher Baba) first meeting with Upasni Maharaj.

Maharaj died on the 24th December 1941.
The following is an account of his last few days in the physical body. On 12th
December, while in Poona, he was heard uttering, ‘I am tired...I am tired of it...I shall close it up...I shall close it up very shortly.” He returned to Sakori on the 19th December and gave darshan for two days, but throughout he complained about a pain in his chest.
Three days later, on 22nd December, he left for Satana, where the construction of a temple, in honour of his birth there, was nearing completion. Pressing the workmen to finish the temple soon, he enigmatically said. ‘The sun is setting…The sun is setting”.
Upasni spent one restless night in Satana and the next day he called the contractor in charge of the temple and told him, “My task is done. You have to take care of the rest. Now will you allow me to depart? Can you manage in my absence?”
The builder, ignorant of the irony of the Master’s questions, bade him farewell. Upasni arrived at Sakori in the evening of 23rd December.
Upasni’s usual custom whenever he returned from outside Sakori was to bow to the bamboo cage as soon as he stepped out of the automobile, but that day he went directly to his hut. In the early morning of 24th December, Upasni complained of a severe pain in his heart.
Godavrimai (his chief woman disciple) who was resting nearby was awakened from her sleep by a voice calling, “Are you still asleep? The time has come, child, when you are wanted.” Startled, she awakened and found Upasni in pain.
Upasni requested a mustard plaster and resting, said, “I will be all right in 15 minutes.” He lay down and appeared to be sleeping while those around him were afraid to disturb him. Then, after two or three hours when his devotees saw no physical movement, they grew worried and called a doctor who came and declared that Upasni had left the body.
The burial ceremonies were performed in Sakori the next day, 25th December 1941 according to Hindu customs.
His body is enshrined at Sakori, where thousands visit to pay homage to the Perfect Master whose supreme role was to reveal Divine Knowledge to the Avatar of the Age - Meher Baba. (Syndicate Features)

PAKISTAN- SRI LANKA SCENE

Pakistan gives duds to Sri Lanka, creates a stinking scandal for Rajpakse govt
By M Rama Rao in The National Herald, India
New Delhi, Dec 23, 2006: Pakistan making a killing in arms supplies to Sri Lanka but these deals are proving to be a costly embarrassment to Colombo. Cluster bombs have turned out to be duds while 200 of the 500 electronic fuses have been found to be defective and hence of no use. Several others are either of substandard quality or second hand items. According to a report the situation turned grim at the air headquarters when it was noticed that the bombed dropped by Lankan Air Force fell like stones in the target area.

Pakistan finds in the desperation of Rajapakse government for arms and spares a lucrative market worth $ 250 million, which is almost equivalent to the total Pak defence exports in a year. Islamabad is going the extra mile to help Colombo by sourcing the supplies from Ukraine and a few other Central Asian Republics. It is making a huge profit even after paying heavy kick backs and heft agent commissions.

Pakistan reluctantly provided replacement s for the entire lot of fuses. These were flown in by a chartered An-32 transport plane. "God only knows if the specially flown material will work", rues a Lankan source.

If one goes by a local version, Pakistani supplies are actually killing the troops more than the LTTE. The dummy heavy ammunition is no match to the powerful and precision oriented small arms in the Tigers’ armoury.

HEFTY KICK BACKS
Sources familiar with dealings aver that Pakistan defence companies have paid kick backs worth $ 5 million. More bribe money, estimated to be around $ 20 million has been promised on the latest orders. While there is no clear picture as to who are the recipients of the kick backs, informed sources said the ‘grease’ money was deposited in bank accounts in tax havens like St Kitts. Now that the scandal is about hit the headlines, the government is likely to be ordered soon

Interestingly, Pakistan doesn’t produce all that Sri Lanka urgently needs. They are procuring the spares Colombo wants from Ukraine and few other central Asian countries. For instance spares' supplies of $6.9 million made to Lanka in the last few weeks were actually sourced by Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT-Pakistan) from Ukraine. It made a neat profit of $ 3 million in the deal.

Colombo’s shopping list right now is General purpose bombs (MK-80 series), fuses (AB-103, AB-100, AB-100 variety), cluster bombs like 250 Kg pre-fragmented, fuel air bombs, deep penetration bombs, Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), ammunition for tanks, small arms and its ammunition. This order is worth $ 30 million. Some of these items will be up for repeat orders.

Sri Lanka is also looking for ‘refitted’ tanks (22 Al Zarar) besides armoured vehicles and jeeps. The order for tanks alone is valued at 80 million dollars prompting arms agents from Pakistan make frequent trips to Colombo.

Sources in Colombo and elsewhere say Pakistan companies have paid 20-25 per cent of the listed price as upfront commissions to their local agents, who, in turn parted with 15-20 per cent of the money as bribes to their contacts. There is no independent verification of these claims. Top Sri Lankan sources say, some of the sleaze money actually flows back to Pak officials. Again difficult to verify!

Justifying their buying from Pakistan, Sri Lankan officials say they had scouted around the world but very few were willing to supply. This is probably because of the because of the LTTE factor. Lankan armed forces are also accused of giving a go-by to human rights in their operations against the Tigers.

For Pakistan it is a win-win situation. It also gives it a tow hold to operate in India’s backyard with impunity. More over, such a huge order - estimated at over $100 million at present and expected to go up to $250 million in one and a half years – from a single country is lucrative enough for the entire Pakistan government machinery to become hyper active.

MEHER VANI

ANNUAL MEHER PREM MELA OPENS

By Arun Dixit

“Today the urgent need of mankind is not sects or organized religions, but Love. Divine Love will conquer hate and fear. I have come to awaken in man this Divine Love”, said Meher Baba, in his first public darshan in Delhi in 1952. He reached Delhi on the morning of November 29, 1952. After attending to the poor, Meher Baba, who was observing silence by then for over two decades, had set out for contacts with ‘ masts’ who, according to tradition, are god intoxicated souls. Public Darshan was given at six places in Delhi. On December 2, 1952, Darshan programme was held at the Theosophical Society Hall and at the Delhi University a day later on December 3, 1952.

Commemorating the visit, Meher Prem Mela is on December 1, 2 and 3 at the Meher Baba Centre in the Tughlakabad Institutional Area. This is an annual event for the past several years and it is a big draw for followers of Meher Baba from all over the country.

Hailed as the Avatar and the Highest of the High, Meher Baba, was born as Merwan Sheriar Irani in Pune on Feb 25, 1894, of Persian parents. His father, Sheriar Irani, was of Zoroastrian faith and a true seeker of God. Merwan went to a local Christian high school and later attended the Deccan College. When he was 19, while still in college, Merwan experienced a momentous event . . . a meeting with Hazrat Babajan, a Mohammedan woman, who was in her nineties, and one of the five Perfect Masters of the Age. Babajan gave him God-Realization and made him aware of his high spiritual destiny.Eventually, he was drawn to seek out another perfect master, Upasni Maharaj, who lived at Sakori, close by to Shiridi.

During the next seven years, Maharaj gave Merwan “gnosis” (divine knowledge). Thus, Merwan attained spiritual perfection. His spiritual mission began in 1921 when he drew together his first close disciples. It was these early disciples who gave him the name Meher Baba, which means “Compassionate Father.”

After years of intensive training of his disciples, Meher Baba established a colony, now called Meherabad at Arangoan village near Ahmednagar. Here, the Master’s work embraced a free school where spiritual training was stressed, a free hospital and dispensary, and shelters for the poor. No distinction was made between the high castes and the untouchables; all mingled in common fellowship through the inspiration of the Master. To his disciples at Meherabad, who were of different castes and creeds, he gave a training of moral discipline, love for God, spiritual understanding and selfless service.

Meher Baba told his disciples that from July 10, 1925 he would observe Silence. He maintained this Silence until the end of his life on January 31, 1969. His many spiritual discourses and messages were dictated by means of an alphabet board initially and through hand gestures unique in expressiveness and understandable to many.Meher Baba traveled to America six times, first in 1931, when he contacted his early Western disciples. His last visit to America was in 1958 when he and his disciples stayed at the Center established for his work at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

An important part of Meher Baba’s work through the years was to contact and personally serve hundreds of those known in India as “masts.” These are advanced pilgrims on the spiritual path, who have become spiritually intoxicated from direct awareness of God. For this work he traveled many thousands of miles to remote places throughout India and Sri Lanka. Other vital work was the washing of the lepers, the washing of the feet of thousands of poor, and the distribution of grain and cloth to the destitute.

Meher Baba asserts that he is the same Ancient One, come again to redeem humanity from the bondage of ignorance and to guide individuals to realize their true Self which is God. Meher Baba has said he has come not to teach but awaken, not to establish any cult, society or organization, not even to establish a new religion. “The religion that I shall give teaches the Knowledge of the One behind the many. I shall bring about a happy blending of head and heart. I shall revitalize all religions and cults and bring them together like beads on one string”.

Bangladesh crisis: poll postponment inevitable
by M Rama Rao in The National Herald
New Delhi: The turn of events in Bangladesh make postponement of elections slated for January 23 inevitable. No nominations have been filed even though the last date for filing nominations is Dec 21. The Awami League and its allies in the 14-party coalition, the LDP formed by breakaway BNP leaders and some Islamist parties are for boycott of elections.
Under the Bangladesh constitution, the interim government must elections within 90 days after it comes to power. The D-day can however be postponed if the situation so warrants by approaching the Supreme Court, according to several jurists.

The Awami League led alliance Monday staged a rally in Dhaka where it had spelt out its plans and planks. Their five point demands: correct voters list, announce a fresh poll schedule, revamp the EC and depoliticise the administration. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury, who is also supporting the AL stand, has termed the current situation as 'uncongenial' for holding a neutral election

The updating of electoral rolls also has become a farce even in the capital Dhaka. The EC Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarker still has the cheek to declare that the total electorate figure would go up even though 1.2 crore bogus were not weeded out. There are allegations that the field staff of the election commission only visited the houses of either BNP or Jaamat leaders or of their relatives and supporters and ignored the AL workers in the revision drive which began on December 8.

What is more reports in local media allege quoting eye witnesses that the visiting EC officials were usually guided and instructed by local leaders of BNP or its front organisations, and stayed away from the houses or slums occupied by Awami League supporters. The ongoing drive is the fourth of such attempts preceding the upcoming election, which has also been mired with allegations of irregularities.

So far President Iajuddin Ahmed’s caretaker government has given no indication of ‘accommodating’ the opposition. He did ask last week end his advisors to mount a fresh peace effort but then tied their hands when he said any accord on EC revamp namely removal of two tainted Election Commissioners, SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury, must be acceptable to BNP and AL alike. Commentators and analysts are unanimous that the BNP, not President Iajuddin Ahmed holds the key for a solution.

The international community is increasingly worried over the impasse in Bangaldesh. The US envoy to Dhaka Patricia A. Butenis has gone public with her criticism. She said the interim government has failed to act neutrally ahead of January elections. Diplomats of some western countries and the European Union have also met the top brass of the BNP to make them see reason. Their message is clear: create a level playing field for free elections. In other words, they want President Iajuddin Ahmed to accommodate the Awami League demands.

NORTHEAST IN NEW FLUX
…
By M. RAMARAO
NEW DELHI (Syndicate Features): The Supreme Court ruling returning the onus of proof of citizenship back to the person charged with being a foreigner has turned the clock back in Assam but it is not as if the situation in the North-East has returned to square one. In fact the visit of Myanmar Chief of General Staff General Thura Shwe to New Delhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Manipur indicate subtle changes in which the diverse insurgencies plaguing the region will be tackled.

True, the Prime Minister has dashed any hope of repeal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act. He has, however, conceded the need to make the nearly four decade old law humane and prevent atrocities in its application in the course of counter-insurgency operations. The committee set up to review the Act after the Manorama Devi killing by Assam Rifles personnel has given its report. The Home Ministry is expected to act on its recommendations and insert safety clauses to prevent misuse of the wide-ranging powers given to armed forces personnel in disturbed areas.

This promise is unlikely to assuage local sentiments or convince the Manipuri lady who is on hunger-strike demanding the repeal of the Act and who had to be taken to a hospital in New Delhi. So emotive is her condition that it has attracted the attention of the Iranian Nobel laureate to take up cudgels on her behalf.

There is no gainsaying the fact that security personnel empowered with sweeping powers as under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act should be extremely circumspect in using it. Because use of brute force runs counter to the concept of winning the hearts and minds of the local people, which is the bedrock of such programmes as "Sadhbhavana". If insensitivity results in the repeal of such laws it will severely hamper restoring peace and tranquillity. It is the social input which has a long-lasting effect and that is why the terrorists in Kashmir have tried to undercut it by threatening the families who have sent their children to schools set up by the armed forces.
In the North-east the situation is more complex given that there are several different insurgent groups frequently acting at cross-purposes. They have easy access to sophisticated weapons because of policies of encouragement followed by Bangladesh which also allows its territory to be used for training and sanctuary. Militants are also able to make use of Bhutan and Myanmar for mounting their attacks. All this calls for special diplomacy to secure the cooperation of these neighbours for ending cross border terrorism.

A couple of years ago Thimphu took the extremely brave step of launching operations to sweep the militant sanctuaries and training camps at the foothills close to North Bengal – Assam corridor. Unfortunately, while several hundred were killed or captured many members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) had managed to escape into Bangladesh because of flaws in the deployment of Indian security forces on the border. This is another reason why it has become necessary to ask the Royal Government of Bhutan to conduct another operation against ULFA.

Of greater urgency is getting the military government in Yangon to execute a similar operation against terrorist/militant camps on its territory. A plethora of Indian insurgent groups have set up camps on its territory; many like the Nagas share ethnic and tribal affinities with villagers on its side. Indian has often sought and obtained Myanmar military assistance to clear out concentrations of Indian insurgents operating from there. However, Indian support for the release from house arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi has grated on Myanmar’s nerves.

This time, however, they did try to help by attacking some of the rebel camps but discovered that the weapons and firepower available with the ULFA, Naga and other insurgents was better than that available with the Myanmar army. So the junta has asked Delhi for military wherewithal to conduct sweeping operations on its territory. India has provided several truckloads of arms and munitions the Myanmar army but the requirement of certain specialised equipment like helicopter guns ships and sensors is beyond the ability of the Myanmar army to operate and hence may require more direct involvement of the Indian Army in the operations inside Myanmar.

In the long-term perspective India will have to do what it has done on the Indo-Pak border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir -- set up an electrified border fence -- along the India-Myanmar and the India-Bangladesh border to control the insurgencies. The fence itself would have to be patrolled day and night and, therefore, a road must also be laid along its entire length. Otherwise, as in Bangladesh earlier, it would prove to be inadequate.

The visit of Chief of General Staff General Thura Shwe Mann to India recently was intended to iron out the modalities of India-Myanmar operations against the northeast insurgents. There is some hesitation over ‘joint operations’ but there definitely is a requirement to share tactics so that Indian troops seal off the border particularly in the section where the elements of surprise and concentration of fire power can be used to decimate the militant hideouts.

Contiguous areas of the border are a dense jungle and mountainous terrain. India cannot afford the luxury of allowing the terrorists to slip out of the dragnet and from a "hammer-and-anvil" operation, which in military terminology means driving militants into ambushes laid out for them and eliminating them.

This time of particular interest is the ULFA which is again on its killing spree. It is also resorting to indiscriminate bombing attacks in crowded localities like markets. The talks between the government and the Ahom rebels have broken down; there is no prospect of resumption of the dialogue. The eminent citizens' initiative has collapsed because ULFA insisted on demanding sovereignty. While ULFA has bases in Bangladesh mostly, Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) has camps on both sides of the India- Myanmar border.

The other faction of the NSCN led by Isak Swu and T. Muivah has presented a blueprint of self-governance which cannot be acceptable to any Government in Delhi. However, a ceasefire is negotiated every six months and by and large it holds. Unless the Government demonstrates an ability to control its own territory (admittedly difficult given the dense forests) insurgent groups will always try to take advantage

Nepali Maoists steal march over Indian Maoists
Edit by M Rama Rao in The National Herald
The visit of External Affairs Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee to Kathmandu coincided with the draft Nepali constitution getting approval of all concerned and the Maoists getting back to the drawing board for transforming their outfit into a political entity. He did not meet the Maoist leaders and confined his meetings with the Prime Minister Mr Girija Prasad Koirala and his colleagues in the government. Expectedly his decision invited criticism in the local media but political circles did not see any thing wrong. Mr.Mukherjee told a questioner at his press conference that he was on an official visit to Nepal and hence confined his dealings to official interlocutors. He did not meet the King, who has lost his stature under the interim statute. India’s position on the pro-democracy movement that had brought in a sea change in the political landscape of the Himalayan kingdom between February 2005 and April 2006 is a matter of public record. It needs no fresh elucidation. More over, as Mr Mukherjee stated, ‘India goes by the desire of the people’ on the issue of monarchy and he decided to meet the leadership of the government ‘as it exits today’. In a sense, by not meeting the Maoist leadership, the External Affairs Minister can be said to have offered a breather to the Maoists, who are facing the wrath of Indian Maoists. The Communist Party of India (Maoists) has taken to task the Nepali Maoists supremo Prachanda in the recent past on many occasions. They ticked him off for the praise he had heaped on New Delhi for brokering a peace pact between the Maoists and the mainstream seven party alliance led by Nepali Congress last year. In a manner of speaking this agreement signed in New Delhi paved the way for ‘baptism’ of Nepali Maoists into mainstream politics. The question is why Indian Left wing extremists are critical of Prachanda and co.? Obviously they are still unable to read the dynamics of politics in the 21st century. Ideology of any kind cannot remain a dogma. It must adopt itself to prevailing situation at any given time. Unfortunately, Indian Maoists have not come to terms with the truism. Consider the latest comments what the Communist Party of India (Maoists) spokesman. In a statement, he said, “Prachanda’s praise for India's role in bringing about the agreement creates illusions among the masses about India rather than preparing them for fighting the Indian expansionists who are keen on skirmishing Nepal in future”. What a testimony this statement is to the fact the Indian Maoists are still harping on time worn rhetoric. Also to a worry that sooner than later they too under pressure to revisit their revolutionary strategies.
Be as that may, interest is bound to be focused in the days ahead on the way Nepali leaders are inching their way to declare the country as Republic. Already, the interim statute has stripped the King of all powers and removed any scope for him to stage a comeback. It has made the Prime Minister the de facto interim head of state. In their anxiety to move away from the King, the authors of the constitution have invested the Prime Minister with massive powers but did not incorporate any provisions to remove him. Their argument is that the interim government would be run by consensus and as such there will be no scope whatsoever for arbitrary exercise of powers by the prime minister. Consensus politics is not the forte of Nepal politicians. This is the reason why Nepali Congress, the Grand Old Party (GOP), has become the amoeba of Nepal politics. Already the Nepal Sadhbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) has decided to hit the roads with a call for Madhesh Bandh on December 25 against the interim constitution

ISI CULTIVATES NEW FRIENDS

By M RAMA RAO
NEW DELHI (Syndicate Features): The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have found a new patron saint in Pakistan's ISI, who is willing to go that extra mile to offer state patronage and safe passage to the Tigers, in return for sharing its expertise in precision bombings, and 'human' bombs. It is a 'made for each other' enterprise of mutual admiration besides necessity, long time LTTE watchers and counter terrorism experts say.
The ISI cover is crucial to the Tigers at the present juncture as theUnited States, UK and Britain and a host of countries have banned themand have thus chocked their arms and money supply routes.
On its part, the ISI views the LTTE as the 'asali cheese' (real thing) of terrorism. When compared to the Tamil Tigers, outfits like Al Badr, LeT, JeI, and JMB, notwithstanding their Islamic credentials, are 'small fry' as they have not graduated to the precision in target killing the LTTE has perfected.
This is one reason, according to counter terrorism experts, the ISI wants to utilise the LTTE 'services' for training front line foot soldiers. Most terror groups handled by ISI thus far have expertise in suicide bombing. But these fidayeen attackers are no match to Black Tigers, as the suicide squads of LTTE are known. ISI protégés only know how to carry out a RDX or bomb blast in a crowded place or a moving train. They are not experts in covering their tracts and as Malegaon, Varanasi and Sarojini Nagar blasts have shown, the trail leads the investigators to the training camps in Pakistan and often even to the ISI door-step.
In a sense, the ISI and LTTE are made for each other, says a counterterrorism expert, who has been keenly following their nexus over a long period. The ISI badly needs the LTTE expertise to widen its theatre of influence and to cover its tracts, according to him. Another expert, who had a long stint in the north east and retired as the chief of a paramilitary force, opined the LTTE fits in well with the ISI strategy of using non-Islamic outfits to execute its game plan of bleeding India and creating anarchy and communal flare up across the country.
Then how does this square up with the reality that the LTTE had made an attack on the life of Col (retd) Bashir Wali Mohammed, the then Pakistan high commissioner in Colombo on August 14, 2006.
The attack on Bashir was not to kill him but to warn him as he was seen as double crossing the Tigers, a senior Tamil source said.
Bashir was the point’s man for LTTE those days. He had befriended theTigers since June 2004 and implemented the plan conceived in Islamabadby the Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau- the holding Jehadi company of ISI.
But as is usual for Pakistan and most ISI officers, Bashir and his colleagues started playing a double game of courting both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. Like LTTE, Colombo was desperate for arms, and ammunition. It was shopping for $70 million worth of arms besides pilots who can carry out precision bombing. Some $25 million was earmarked to meet the Sri Lanka force demands.
Once the Tigers became aware of Pakistan's aggressive designs, LTTEactivated its sleeper cells in Colombo and 'put the fear of God in the ISI', as a Chennai based expert remarks with a chuckle. The Bashir Ali attack brought the ISI for the first time face to face with the ferocity of Tigers and made them to revisit their plans for Sri Lanka, the expert said. By targetting Bashir Ali but not killing him, the Tigers have sent a clear message: 'don't foul with us'.

One question that has been bothering experts is who is exploiting whoin this 'made for each other' combine – LTTE and ISI. Opinion is divided. But majority is view is that Tigers are looking at the immediate and have not come to comprehend the long term plans of their new 'benefactor'.
Politicians have a tendency not to look beyond their nose and all said and done Prabhakaran (LTTE supremo) is a politician. He needs urgently replenishments for the patrol boats and other motorised craft besides a few high calibre guns lost in the latest flare up. More over he has to deflect international (read US and EU) attention from his arms shopping and safe transportation. Pakistan fits the bill for the Tigers' immediate goals. But then every game has a price and LTTE has to subserve the ISI interests though outside the Lankan theatre.
This school of analysts opine that the LTTE may not hesitate toquickly snap the ties with the ISI if its self interests are under threat. Once the Tigers conclude that their association with ISI undermines the 'Eelam goal' and that are brought under the direct line of fire in the global war on terrorism, they will go their own way, say these analysts. There few takers for the line though.
LTTE watchers don't subscribe to the view that the Tigers have lost their punch and that they are missing their targets four out of five. Reference is to the near miss of the attack on Sri Lanka defence secretary, who is the brother of President Rajapakse, shortly after the president 'triumphantly' returned from a visit to Delhi.

"In our view, the Tigers did not want to kill President's brother or the army chief, which they could have done easily security or no security. They (Tigers) wanted to put their 'prey; on notice of their deadly mission and message is 'don't take us lightly'.

On their part, the ISI plan is using LTTE to train Indian insurgents groups like, ULFA, and other NE insurgents in LTTE camps or in the camps set up in Bangaldesh, India-Nepal border and Bhutan's foothills. This way ISI can do away with its own jehadi training infrastructure in POK, NWFP and the Sindh.Already the first batch of 15 ULFA cadres has started learning the Tigers' craft from three LTTE instructors specially flown to Pakistan. Tigers' presence is also reported from Lakhipathar camp of ULFA. Tamil Tigers are reportedly running at least two camps for Nepali Maoists and Indian Naxalites somewhere near Narkatiaganj and Ghorasahan on Bihar- Nepal border. ULFA was spotted in these camps which were first noticed in July last year.Undoubtedly, the ISI-LTTE nexus introduces a new element in Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. And by extension in India – Lanka relations.