By Sanjeev Kumar Patro
Bhubaneswar: After ‘The Struggle (Aragalaya)’ in 2022, the Island nation has chosen its anchor on Sunday. The poll outcome of the tiny island assumes global proportions. Even celebrated American foreign affairs author Robert Kaplan had once said in maritime security perspective, Sri Lanka is considered as ‘Monsoon Asia’ among other countries such as India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh.
Such an anointment by an American foreign affairs writer underscores the importance of Lanka, even, to the United States of America.
SRILANKA SIGNIFICANCE
Since the island nation is very strategically located in Indian Ocean Region (IOR), it has the potential to affect the maritime security of the region. And both India and China considered it a strategic asset for them.
Two-thirds of world oil passes through various trade routes located around the nation, moreover, its proximity to the regional markets and security of Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs), the strategic importance has been high, even, for countries like the US and Russia.
In order to gain the leverage in the Indian Ocean region, China is making big endeavours to wean away Sri Lanka from Indian influence. The Chinese government is trying to gain an upper hand via the Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI) and a closer economic and political ties.
China has a very friendly relationship with the Rajapaksa family that ruled Sri Lanka for more than a half century. In 2000s, it’s China which provided arm support to Sri Lanka, when the then defense minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa launched a military campaign against Tamil Tigers.
More so, when Mexico raised the issue of use of heavy weapons in war and atrocities against civilians in the United Nations, it’s China who blocked the attempts made by Mexico.
The then President Mahinda Rajpakse had publicly thanked China for its support to quell the Tamil guerrilla warfare in Jaffna.
China had a very significant influence over the Rajpakse family. Reports in 2015 suggested that over $7.6mn went from majority of state-owned Chinese corporation to Rajpakse’s campaign expenditure.
However, when Colombo witnessed ‘the Aragalaya’ - anger against Rajpakse family ,which foreign observers trace the trigger point to closer economic cooperation between Rajapakse and China government, the Chinese proactive politics has received a jolt.
The election results shows Rajpakse scion garnering mere 2.6% votes sums up the tale of anger against the cosy political rule by Rajapakse family.
IMPACT ON INDIA
After the fall of India friendly Sheikh Hasina’s regime in Bangladesh, all eyes now rivet on the poll outcome of the island nation. The pro-China stand taken by the former president Mahinda Rajapakse had strained the ties between the two nations. Now take a look at the mains players’ tilt.
Anura Dissenayake’s JVP: Anura Dissenayake, the leader of National People’s Power alliance, is the leader of the main party in the alliance - Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). The JVP claims to be the new communist party of Sri Lanka.
The JVP was formed on July 9, 1970 by Rohanna Wijeweera, a disillusioned leader from the old communist parties (Peking-Moscow) in Sri Lanka. JVP means People’s Liberation Front. JVP has opposed the 1987 India - Sri Lanka peace accord signed by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi and SL President JR Jayawardhene.
The party has been traditionally opposed to India’s interference in the civil war and internal affairs of Sri Lanka. The JVP, along with other Sinhala Buddhist Nationalist parties led an anti India campaign in 1987-90 against the IPKF (India Peacekeeping Force). The party had than opposed by coining a political discourse called “India expansionism.”
As such, the JVP-led NPP has no anti-India stance, like Mahinda Rajpakse, though it has left leanings. But it cannot be called a pro-China party. The party was against sale of national assets. It had opposed the acquisition of Sri Lankan ports, airports and renewable energy sector by Adani group. Anura Dissenayake, in a Television programme, vowed to cancel the energy agreement, where Sri Lanka is purchasing renewable energy from the wind farm of Adani in Mannar.
Dissenayake, also, has strong views with regard to Indian fishermen ‘poaching’ Sri Lankan waters.
DISSENAYAKE INDIA VISIT IN 2024
At the invitation of Indian Government, a delegation of NPP led by Anur Dissenayake visited India in the month of February this year. The visit clearly hints at how India had considered the party a key player in Sri Lanka politics, much before the general election.
During the 5-day visit, Anura Dissenayake had met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval.
The NPP team also had gone on site visit of key agricultural and industrial hubs in India. The team had also made a trip to Indian business giants like Tata Motors and Indian multinational cooperative giant Amul. The NPP delegation visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram.
During the visit, Anura Dissenayake had made a following big statement.
“India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour and has become a major political and economic centre.”
Foreign observers infer the statement as positive and they observed that when it comes to political and economic decisions, the NPP would “care about how it will impact India,” writes the Institute of South Asian Studies.
