Sri Lanka's relations with India

                               India’s Relations with new Government in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka,defeated Mahindra Rajapaksa in the presidential elections is good sign for India because he was close to China and giving lot of access to Colombo port even Chinese navy also was great concern for India’s security also towards maritime security.The sequence of events is important because Sri Lanka is a vibrant,robust democracy in Indian Ocean island.In this connection,India has two responsibilities to give the new regime a helping hand and prevent the competitive politics of Tamilnadu from casting its shadow across the Palk Strait.Sri Lanka has quite conclusively shown that it has its won checks and balances that work best without outside interference.New President of Sri Lanka Mr.Sirisena won because he was able to divide the the Sinhala Buddhist vote.His victory is significant because it was the result of a rainbow coalition of the Sinhala Buddhist,Tamil and Muslim votes.In earlier,there were interventions by West-based Human rights organizations warning of violence and worse,unleashed on the people by Rajapaksa regime.There were reports that Rajapaksa brothers planning an army coup to prevent the expression of popular will.In the light of the massive turnout of voters on Election Day and the exemplary transition that took place the next day.Rajapaksa had narrowly edged out his challenger.If Rajapaksa would have been charged with stealing an election.Encouraged by western do-gooders,there would have been a call for street protests and demands for sanctions against the regime.Sri Lanka has been a long-term victim of their motivated propaganda.Ever since the LTTE was put out of business,the Human rights outfits have been shouting war crimes from the rooftops.Now that Rajapaksa,the architect of the military victory,has got his impression,it is likely that the diplomatic pressure on Sri Lanka will ease conseiderably.President Sirisena will not be in any position to allow international human rights observers to take up the past –the innate self-respect of Sri Lankans will not allow it.So,will the UN Human Rights Council age vote to censure Sri Lanka for its alleged lapses? If it chooses to drop the resolution.It will be a positive step.But allowing bygones to be bygones will also signal that the strictures were really aimed at the Rajapaksa regime.But Rajapaksa has departed to mull over the big mistakes

The credit for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political demise goes to his infamous brother Gotabaya,whose writ ran across the Sri Lanka and who abused power in the name of the Mahinda Rajapaksa so he was badly defeated in Presidential election in Colombo.The secret plot to unseat Mahinda Rajapaksa was hatched one year ago in London,Colombo between an odd group of left and Right wing politicians.The momentum for Operation Topple came through defections from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party,the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.The verdict was more of an anti-Rajapaksa vote with Mr Maithripala Sirisena making an impressive dent into the Sinhalese votebank.It was this dictator style and single-mindedness of purpose,useful in battle,that enabled the Rajapaksa to defeat the LTTE root and branch in Sri Lanka.It was the most comprehensive military victory against insurgency and terrorism in recent history but harsh use of military that killed 40,000 civilians in the closing stages of war.On the other hand,relations with India are being reset.The foreign policy of the previous regime which was described as paranoid by foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera during his recent visit to New Delhi meet with Prime Minister Modi and External affairs minister of India Sushma Swaraj.India’s strategic self-marginalisation in Sri Lanka followed the defeat of LTTE in which New Delhi played a generous role but without any quid pro quo.That honour went to China for its military assistance that New Delhi refused.Colombo overplayed its cards by allowing a Chinese conventional submarine to dock in Colombo port twice in September and October last year.Colombo has to stay the course after the first 100 days to avert the anticipated political and economic volatility.It has the potential to develop into a Singapore.New Delhi must seize the moment but leave Colombo alone to settle the Tamil and other issues.

                                                           By ANIL KUMAR UPADHYAYA
                                                        

Date-21/1/15 Place-New Delhi