The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has now added insult to assassination. In an interview, the chief negotiator of the LTTE and one of its principal ideologues, Mr Anton Balasingham, has admitted to killing Rajiv Gandhi. He has described the assassination as ?a monumental historical tragedy? and expressed regret for it. The disingenuousness of this statement is breathtaking. Mr Balasingham believes that this admission will placate the government of India. He has appealed to the latter to be magnanimous and to forget the past so that a negotiated settlement can be made to the ethnic question in Sri Lanka. The expression of regret thus becomes a bargaining chip, a part of the quid pro quo. Mr Balasingham and his group obviously feel that a cold-blooded political murder can be easily overlooked and forgotten. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi had been planned by the LTTE to the last detail. Obviously, the LTTE expected to make major political gains from the murder. It has taken them 15 years to come to the realization that the murder had, in fact, backfired. Hence the expression of regret, and the grovelling.

An apology for the past has a touch of the bizarre about it. By definition, the past cannot be undone. So what purpose does an apology serve? It has become clear that apologies of this genre are usually made with an ulterior political motive, and this takes away the ring of sincerity. The timing of the LTTE?s apology is significant in this context. Rajiv Gandhi?s widow now wields enormous political power in India. She may not be in government, but it is difficult to think of an important political decision being taken without her consent. The apology is directed as much to Ms Sonia Gandhi as to the government of India. The statement of the LTTE can do no more than bring a wry and sad smile to her lips. The very people who had made her a widow and her children fatherless want to negotiate with the government headed by the party of which she is the undisputed leader. And the only ploy the LTTE has is an unqualified expression of regret. The irony of this cannot escape Ms Gandhi. The government of India, on its part, has rejected the apology in no uncertain terms. This is the only possible response. The apology is really beneath contempt. The only way to peace the LTTE should know is an unconditional laying down of arms.