Will India topple Ranil’s government too?
Posted on April 13th, 2016
Upul Joseph Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today
India maintained strict silence on Ranil’s visit to China. Only India is aware of the secret behind that silence. Subsequent to Mahinda’s defeat, his brother former Defence Secretary Gotabaya said at a conference that Indian Defence Adviser Ajit Doval had told him to halt the Colombo Port City (Chinese) Project. Gotabaya said, his brother’s government got involved in problems with India because of the decision the government took not to halt this project. If Doval had told Gotabaya to halt the Colombo Port City Project then there is no reason for them not to tell the same thing to either Maithri or Ranil. However, during his tour of India it was reported that India had given their approval for the project.
The maintenance contract for the roundabout close to the Colombo Port City Project at the Galle Face had been handed over to the Kingsbury Hotel located nearby during the period of the Rajapaksa Government. Recently when the Kingsbury Hotel expressed their willingness to hand over the maintenance to another institution, the Indian Oil Company (IOC) expressed their desire to take over the contract of maintenance.
IOC is also in charge of the project of renovating fuel tanks in Trincomalee. At the same time IOC is in charge of the Trincomalee Port Development Project as well. We do not know how China interprets the taking over of maintenance of the park near the Chinese Port Project by IOC. The government has not yet agreed to hand this over to the IOC. Maintaining a silent policy about Ranil’s Chinese Tour and the Chinese Port Project and remaining silent on the IOC taking over maintenance of the park near the Chinese Port Project depicts the secret behind India’s silence. During Mahinda’s Government, India wanted to establish an Indian Consul General Office near the Hambantota Port. It is not that Ranil is unaware of India’s fear regarding his visit to China and the Chinese Port Project. Ranil says that he pointed out to India that the Chinese Port Project will not be a threat to the security of India.
However, India had a keen eye on the manner in which Ranil’s agenda for his trip to China was prepared. We do not know whether Ranil was aware of that. He took preparation of his agenda for his trip to China to Temple Trees from the Foreign Ministry. The agenda was prepared secretively at Temple Trees. Therefore, India found it difficult to obtain information on it. The other thing is that when Ranil went to China, President Maithripala Sirisena met a group of German parliamentary representatives in Sri Lanka. Here Maithri said, that Sri Lanka will not act in a manner that will cause a threat to the security of another country because of a relationship with a certain country. Maithri gave that message to India. Germany is a country that is interested in the Chinese impact on Sri Lanka. When Maithri visited Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more interested in the topic of Lanka-Chinese relations. She showed that during Mahinda’s Government Germany was not happy regarding Lanka-China relations.
America
It is no secret that Western countries led by India and America helped to bring the Maithri-Ranil Government to power. The main reason for this was that Sri Lanka was under the influence of China. However, we do not know how they will analyze Maithri-Ranil getting close to China. The Bandaranaikes had close ties with India. However, in 1962, during the Indo-China war, Prime Minister Sirimavo acted as a peacemaker depicting that she was working towards an attempt to halt it, but there was an accusation that she acted in a manner that was advantageous to China. There was a suspicion that a secret agreement had been reached by her to hand over the Trincomalee Port to China if an Indo-China war took place. In 1964, India supported the UNP in overturning her government. That was against her government’s preference to China. In 1970, when Madame Sirimavo came back into power, she was accused of having helped the JVP in their 1971 uprising. Although she had a very close relationship with then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi during the Indo-Pakistan war she allowed Pakistani Aircraft to refuel in Sri Lanka. However, India did not fall out with her.
During Ranil’s visit to China, Chinese media reported pleasant news to India. That is that when the Chinese Silk Route Port Plan is being implemented, China will not depend on or have any hopes regarding Pakistan harbours or about Pakistan itself. Chinese media had stated that it was due to threats of terrorism in Pakistan. This was a very auspicious message for India. India is most fearful of this Chinese Port City Project due to the possibility of China getting together with Pakistan. Just as the Chinese media have given the message that Pakistan is not secure, it has given a signal to India as well. A signal has been given that the Chinese Colombo Port City Project will not be a threat to the security of India by Maithri-Ranil changing the agreement on the Port Project. How will India accept these signals? It is difficult to say whether India will renew its ties with the Rajapaksa’s to teach the Maithri-Ranil Government a lesson.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:09 pm
It is a huge threat to Sri Lanka if India helps Mahinda regain power to disrupt the good deals done by Ranil. Most pro-Indian politicians are in fact in the Mahinda camp – Vasudeva, Dayan and GL Peiris. For the first time in history, visiting Indian PM Modi, visited a former president. It shows strong residual ties he has with India. Driven by these, he may be fooled into believe he can get Indian help to replace the UNP regime. In that event, people must support the UNP, not Mahinda. However, Chandrika is India’s darling, not Mahinda. If India wants to replace the UNP regime, it will once again pick a pro-Chandrika pawn to do its work. Mahinda is also unacceptable to the west due to allegations of war crimes.
On the other hand, if Mahinda continues to support Ranil to deal with China and abolish executive presidency, he is on the right track. SLFP loyalists (some of them were rejected by voters) continue to run the party thanks to Sirisena holding the top post. If executive presidency is abolished, they lose their ministerial perks as UNP doesn’t need them. As per the SLFP party constitution, if there is no executive president, the SLFP leader will be elected by a vote within the party. Mahinda stands to win. Therefore, the first priority of Mahinda should be to get UNP, JVP and TNA help to abolish executive presidency.
April 13th, 2016 at 8:12 pm
No government was more friendlier to India than MR’s government. Yet they acted against him. Why ?
1.It cannot be China projects including Port City. Otherwise why should they approve it now ?
2. Only reason is they want to completely take over Sri Lanka , bit by bit. They forced 13A and now not a single politicians is against it. In other words it has become the norm. Mahinda was ( and is ) fully committed to it and he likes to give more. No doubt on that. But yet they defeated him. Why ???
Only reason is they want even more. So they conspired to install this LTTE government.
3. When MR is ready to give more to them, They will definitely defeat the LTTE government. It may come after two years ( 18-20 months to go). They will get hold of MR again and history will repeat.
4. By the time they defeat MR again, game over for Sinhalese.
April 14th, 2016 at 5:49 am
Will Port City will be another Pettah or Fort? That is what the question for Indian Empire and Indian colonial parasites.
Over the time Indian Empire and Indian colonial parasites have successfully managed to divide the Sinhalese, alienate Sinhala Muslims and Chritians away from the Sinhala Budhdhists.
Numbers of Sinhala voters are dwindling due to lower birth rate, early death, and overseas employment.
Indian colonial parasites are breeding like rabbits and they are sucking the wealth of the country.
Wake up, unite and stand up to the Indian Empire and Indian colonists.
April 14th, 2016 at 5:54 am
first,don’t fall for Upul Joseph’s stories.He is a story writer for kollywood films.
What India now wants is to take cover under uncle sam’s underpants to save it self from its perceived threats from China,its enemy no1.
In 1987 it did its utmost to stop the Yankees coming to this island,now they are doing even better get them here in trico so that they can creep in the pants
April 14th, 2016 at 2:36 pm
India wants to rule Sri Lanka too. Their forced 13A is now accepted. They want to push CIPA or ETCA through the three blind mice (MR, RW, CBK).
The Sinhalese must wake up and unite. When Mahinda or the next SLFP government comes to power with a majority of dedicated Sri Lanka lovers (from all communities), then only can we face up to India. The next SLFP government should get minimum 150 seats among it’s coalition parties. Then we can overturn 13A.
I hear ETCA cannot be changed by parliament, therefore the professionals and the general public must make a stand so that Ranil and/or Sirisena cannot sign the agreement.
April 14th, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Kumari,
“The next SLFP government should get minimum 150 seats among it’s coalition parties.”
Last SLFP government had 160 odd seats but did not care anything of Sinhalaya let alone 13A. Last election manifesto is promising “implementation of LLRC(=LTTE)” within 1 year. Luck they did not win otherwise it those recommendations are already fulfilled. Now at least we can talk about it.
Tell me 1 SLFP MP who wants to remove 13A.
April 15th, 2016 at 12:47 am
Coming to think of it… CHINA is the ONLY country which does not care a twopence for our internal problems. It has not once evoked the word ‘TAMILS’.
All non-Indian South and South-East States are placing themselves voluntarily within the China ambit. Wherever the Chinese settle down, they integrate well with the local population. Nowhere in those respective countries have the Chinese bulked themselves with the idea of federalism or separatism.
At the moment Sri Lankam especially under Ranil, is doing a tight rope walk with three balancing poles in her hands: India: USA-West; China. To counter weight his shift to China, Ranil is dangling the carrots of Federalism for Tamils and the Hanuman bridge which will literally trasform the North-East of Sri Lanka into an extension of Tamil Nadu. The Human rights and War Crimes matters are the balancing pole Ranil uses with the USA-West alliance.
Yet the strongest balancing pole in Ranil’s hands is CHINA. It is to be expected that when the China projects (especially the maritime silk route and the Port City) get going China will render the other two balancing poles superfluous.
A word about Ranil…he was always a BOOK CRICKETER. The pitch conditions and the ground realities never mattered to him. He was always caught up in the balancing game, trying to give all the card holders their share. He has not changed, and he cannot change.
This is why a Sinhala peoples movement is an absolute necessity. and where are the Monks, the ‘guardian deities’ of the country? Only the monks can give. such a movement or movements leadership. Politician cannot for obvious reasons. the ‘hoi poloi’ too cannot being incapable. Only the MONKS can. But where are they? It could well be presumed that modernity and well-being (there is hardly a difference today between a monk and a layman), have corrupted monks as well.
The Sinhala have no patriotic leaders, and the Sinhala are a heavily divided people. All Tamils vote TNA exclusively. The Sinhala vote for parties that are at loggerheads with themselves. If the imminent Tamil Threat is to be met and overcome, the party system as to go. A one Sinhala party system has to be introduced.all the Sinhala must rock around the Sinhala cause.
With the party system gone no foreign powers need intervene to overthrow one party in favour of another of their choice.
I once again insist that ONLY the MONKS can save Sri Lanka fromthe TAMILS
Mario Perera
Kadawata
April 15th, 2016 at 3:55 am
Some further thoughts on the matter of why Lanka is destabilised by INDIA :
Whenever the UNP comes into power with ultra west motives, INDIA goes into panic mode, especially with a Cold War in place.
* During the Cold War times of JRJ, INDIA imposed the 13-A.
* The 6-A was rendered useless.
* J.N. Dixit, the Indian Envoy of that time, was a virtual ‘Vice Roy’ in Sri Lanka then. He probably had a lot to do with the trumped up 1983 Riots too – the Riots allowed the Tamils to claim Refugee status in the west (only way to get there), and form the Tamil Diaspora which acts against the unitary state of Lanka. Dixit, a Chennai born Catholic, died of a heart attack when the Tsunami struck in Dec 2004.
It is the Contain China program that displaced MR govt. Let us not forget that America actually trained the Lanka Army (Weerawila), during MR times, as well as located the LTTE arms ships.
INDIA is caught in a bind. INDIA DOES NOT WANT TO BE RE-COLONSIED VIA LANKA. India suffered greatly under Colonisation, far more than Lanka.
Common ground with INDIA and the SE Asian region : None of the countries want re-Colonisation.
April 15th, 2016 at 4:50 am
I agree on Fran’s Dixit comment.
My conclusion is that Indians (thereby India) have very little self confidence. That is why they jump up everytime Sri Lanka raises her head. During JRJ’s time it was Yankees coming to Trinco, during Mahinda’s time it was Chinese assistance to us.
I thought Indians wanted us to be a strong unitary state. That’s what would give them strength. These stupids are undercutting the neighbours, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan etc etc. When Hilary Clinton visited India’s three women Chief Ministers during her tenure as Secretary of State, it was not with any love for India. It was to create divisions within. I don’t expect CIA to have a change of heart now. India must work for the benefit of its neighbours and strengthen the stability and prosperity of the region, it would be more for India’s benefit.
April 15th, 2016 at 6:22 am
INDIA’s way of protecting herself from foreign ‘take overs’ is to ‘take over’ all the smaller countries around herself. But INDIA herself is the main bulwark for the west against the perceived strength of Russia (less due to NATO membership of Russia) and China.
For Lanka, friendship with INDIA and the west is one thing, but total ‘take overs’ tantamounting to re-Colonisation is a whole another thing, not acceptable.
The world will be truly a strong and kindly and life supportive place to live in only if every country feels secure in itself for its citizens. The Pursuit of Happiness is a good thing, not warfare. The VOLUNTARY control of populations through birth control and Family Planning a very good thing by every country that has already reached its limits with resources. At present, the world has more human beings on Planet Earth as never before.
NB: One in every four New Yorker in the US is INDIAN (educated INDIAN, no doubt).
April 18th, 2016 at 6:50 am
Let me tell one thing that no one will believe and I have said this earlier in this forum.
In 2005 India backed Mahinda over Ranil. At that time India concluded it would be hard to negotiate with Ranil but would be easier to deal with Mahinda like thyyhave done before with SWRD and Family and JR all Indian suckers.
Then they paid Fonseka and failed. This time (2015) they got Chandrika and paid her well to do the job.
April 18th, 2016 at 9:07 am
INDIA is zig zagging the political field of Lanka and other areas to prevent INDIA being re-Colonised, and also to contain breakaway sub-state of Tamil Nadu.
INDIA also uses Lanka as a sacrificial goat from time to time.
Thus Lanka is constantly de-stabilised.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:19 am
If one like it or not India is the elephant in the room, not Ranil India could be a big bully which has the green light of some a powerful country.One only have to remember when India did the Parippu drop without our consent.US Undersecretary of the state justified India’s stand as a regional power. I remember the private concern observed by the SL Hi.Com General Artigalle in London.