A pall of gfoom fell on the Sri Lankan capital. Colombo overlooking the Indian ocean, which, as it appeared, was fast carrying the shocking news with Us waves breaking on the shores.

The enthusiasm, the scheduled SAARC summit generated among the people concerned, soon vanished with the announcement of the postponement of the summit and the next round of diplomatic maneuvering began in a changed phase of the situation.

Helpless by his biggest neighbour's unexpected stand only 24 hours before the opening of the summit. President Premadasa appealed to all the heads of state or government by telephone to save the situation. But he could not reach his message to the King of Bhutanfarho was away from the capital reportedly to tackle a law and order situation tn the southern part of his country.

The prompt response to his appeal was learnt to have come from Bangladesh and Pakistan who soon launched diplomatic

eilorts to salvage tne summit They contacted all the heads of state or government, but none except the Maldives President Mamoun Abdul Gayoom responded positively

President Gayoom was reportedly first reluctant to Join the "get together" in Colombo since the summit had already been cancelled But as current Chairman of the SAARC he could not avoid coming to Colombo to perform the "postmortem"

Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had first agreed to attend only the opening day's ceremony of the SAARC showing domestic affairs as reasons for his brief stay during the meet. But he later declined Premadasa s special invitation for a bilateral visit. Rao is learnt to be facing a tough challenge in the by-election on November 12. which he will have to win to remain Prime Minister and save the Congress from a leadership crisis: Different circles in Colombo believed that. Rao s refusal to visit Colombo concerned more a policy matter than his being preoccupied with the by-election.

Though the SAARC summit was postponed at the insistence of India, the concerned quarters are still skeptical about holding a successful summit in Colombo in December this year.

A number of Indian newspaper* put the blame for the collapse of the summit squarely on New Delhi. Some newspapers, as quoted by the largest circulated English daily of Sri Lanka, the Daily News, also speculated on the possibility that India had wrecked the summit by Instigating the Bhutanese King to stay away. The charge was however later denied.

The Hindu, a dominant newspaper of India, described the Summit's collapse as "Almost a death blow to an organisation that was ailing". "However, the absence of Bhutan's King could not have been the moat compelling reason to cancel the summit". The Hindu said, describing the Kings absence as a procedural problem surmountable by the presence of a royal representative in his place. It also accused New Delhi of doing nothing to keep the summit

alive.

The Times of India said that the cancellation was a "direct and an inevitable result of the frictions that have developed tn Indo-Sri Lanka ties". New Delhi also felt that Premadasa would urge the SAARC members to isolate India at the summit the paper said.

The Sri Lankan dally car tied a Reuter report on Friday from New Delhi which said a senior Indian official, who had asked not to be identified, said on Thursday that the problems between Bhutan and Nepal had caused the collapse of the

In his November 1 letter to Premadasa, the Bhutanese King described the problem as a terrorist problem. He said,"I would like inform you that owing to the current disturbed situation in southern Bhutan and the threat by terrortet* to carry out acts of sabotage and subversion during the period of the SAARC summit, my presence in the country I* absolutely essential." )

The Indian official's statement and the King * letter indicate that ft is an insurgency problem being encouraged from across the border. Observers In Colombo tend to view the problem as a reflection of the latest geo-political situation In the subcontinent

Related story on pag 5