Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The intervention of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka represents one of India's most significant and debated foreign military operations.
It was part of India's efforts to mediate the ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese majority government and the Tamil minority seeking a separate state (Eelam).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In July 1987, Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
India agreed to send troops (the IPKF) to help implement the accord, which promised devolution of power to Tamil regions.
The IPKF's mission was to maintain peace and disarm various militant groups, including the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
The Quagmire:
The mission quickly turned sour. The LTTE refused to surrender their arms and entered into a brutal guerilla war with the Indian Army.
Furthermore, the Sri Lankan government itself became hostile to the presence of Indian troops, seeing it as an infringement on their sovereignty.
By 1989, there was a growing consensus in India that the mission was a failure and was costing too many lives and resources.
The Withdrawal:
When the National Front government under V.P. Singh came to power in India in late 1989, they prioritized the withdrawal of troops.
The last units of the IPKF left Sri Lankan shores in March 1990.
The operation ended without achieving its primary goals of peace and disarmament, and it left a lasting impact on Indo-Sri Lanka relations.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The IPKF was withdrawn in the year 1990.
The correct answer is Option (C).