Operation Pawan
- Context (TOI): Soldiers of Operation Pawan were remembered at the National War Memorial in Delhi.
- Operation Pawan was carried out by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in late 1987.
- LTTE disarmament was a part of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord in the aftermath of Sri Lankan civil war.
- IPKF was inducted on 30 July 1987. The first IPKF operation was launched on 9 October 1987.
- IPKF was successful in taking control of the Jaffna Peninsula from the LTTE after a two-week-long war.
- The operation was terminated on 24 March 1990.
- Though it achieved its stated objectives, it is often criticised. It does not receive “formal” commemoration at the National War Memorial, Delhi. However, Sri Lanka has built a memorial for it.
Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
- It was signed in Colombo on 29 July 1987 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayawardene to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict.
- The Sri Lankan government agreed to give the nation’s provinces more power and autonomy and withdraw its troops. The Tamil separatists were to surrender their arms as well.
- However, LTTE declared their intent to continue the armed struggle for an independent Tamil Eelam and refused to disarm.
- 13th Amendment: It created Provincial councils and promised devolution of power to provinces, including Sinhala areas. Official language status to Tamil was also promised. However, successive governments have not implemented it.
