As this article is written, Prabhakaran is still alive, and free, even if cornered. So my use of past tense (“was”) for him is not accurate. But I use it because whatever happens to him now, even if he escapes for now, his cult of ruling by suicide-bombing is now over. Not just India, but all humanity, and particularly Tamils around the world, have to be grateful for that. And this stunning defeat would have been brought upon him by the same irrational arrogance that Gen Joshi had talked about — in retrospect, with such prescience. He eschewed a negotiated settlement at every stage. But it is also a time when Rajapakse’s government has to be firmly told to ensure his army does not make the mistakes victorious armies usually make. The Tamil population must be comforted so they can breathe freely after decades of LTTE subjugation, and assured that this war was as much about their own dignity and rights as about Sinhala pride and Sri Lankan national integrity. This is where India, now and after elections, has to play a key role, not in finding Prabhakaran and his last surviving thugs an escape or reprieve.

sg@expressindia.com