World Notes SRI LANKA

When India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sent extra troops to Sri Lanka early this month to help end fighting by the island's Tamil separatists, the assumption was that the operation would be relatively quick and painless. After all, India's soldiers outnumbered the roughly 2,000 members of the ragtag Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam more than 3 to 1, and had the backing of Sri Lankan President Junius R. Jayewardene. But the offensive dragged on, offering little hope that the guerrillas will give up their four-year battle for an independent Tamil homeland.

In an effort to control Jaffna, the Tamils' last major stronghold, India last week increased its Tiger-fighting force to an estimated 11,000. A scheme to isolate Tamil leaders by offering conditional amnesty to the rebels' rank and file fizzled, however, when no Tigers accepted the offer.