Good read: "India's Lanka dilemma"

India has a Tamil problem as well set out here:

India burnt its fingers badly in the aborted Indian Peace Keeping Force mission (1987 to 1990). And after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE on May 21,1991, India has refused to officially mediate in the dispute, despite being urged by both the LTTE and the government in Colombo to do so.

To wholeheartedly support Colombo's crackdown on the Tamil LTTE would spark resentment in Tamil Nadu.

To talk to the LTTE would mean giving legitimacy to a outfit which New Delhi (and the United States) has banned as a terrorist outfit. Last week, the European Union agreed 'in principle' to list the Tigers as a terrorist outfit too, despite warnings that this could jeopardise the already-fragile peace process.