304million Indians without electricity but India wants to supply Sri Lanka electricity!
Posted on October 13th, 2016
Shenali D Waduge
Nearly 400 million Indians have no access to electricity. Although India has less than a fifth of the world’s population, it has close to 40 percent of the world’s population without access to electricity.”
So says Sunila S. Kale, assistant professor of international studies. Without spending money to provide for Indians, the Indian Government wants to supply Sri Lanka electricity through a submarine cable. How fair is this by the Indian people? This suggestion has been mooted over several years but has been delayed in view of Sri Lanka having to bear the cost of laying the submarine cable under the Sethusamuram canal. All we can say is that this proposal looks to be another sell-out if Sri Lanka agrees for no country hands over national security assets like food security, energy security, water security, port/airport security into foreign hands – especially to a neighbor that created, trained and funded 30 years of terrorism and is continuing to destabalize Sri Lanka. Just imagine how much we would have to suffer without electricity when Chief Ministers of India start throwing tantrums against Sri Lanka! The thought itself suffices to enter into minimum nationally non-detrimental dealings with India.
Facts about India
- Population 1.3billion (2nd populace country in the world)
- more than 50% of its population below the age of 25
- more than 2000 ethnic groups
- 80% are Hindus / 13.4% are Muslim / 2.3% Christian / 2% Sikh / 0.8% Buddhists
- 41.03% of the Indians speak Hindi
- Literacy 74%
- 22% of population below poverty line
- 7.8% unemployed
Electricity in India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90yDhODiXE – 5 Indian state villages without electricity
- 304million Indians do not have electricity (some figures say 400million)
- India is the third largest electricity producer & consumer in the world, only after US & China
- In India a village is considered electrified if public places in the village and 10 per cent of its households have access to electricity
- As of April 1, 2015, according to government numbers, 18,452 Indian villages were still un-electrified.
- as of March 10, 2016, for around 300 villages, the status said: Village declared electrified by discom [power distribution company]. GVA yet to visit the village for verification.”
- The villages Panalomali, Kusadangar, Patyetapali in Odisha and Sunwara in Madhya Pradesh — all counted as electrified villages — have no people residing there. http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/on-paper-electrified-villages-in-reality-darkness/article8397038.ece
- Frequent power outages lasts for a whopping 10 hours!
- Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicober, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are, among states, affected to a significant level due to power cuts – Power shortages are most prominent in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odish
- Bloomberg report says India has missed every annual target to electricity production capacity since 1951
- Due to frequent power cuts 61% companies suffer more than 10% loss in production
Security guards have to be trained to pull out screaming people from elevators when they get stuck in between floors.” http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/standpoint-how-do-people-in-india-cope-with-power-cuts-2133519
Water in India
- India ranks 120th out of 122 nations for its water quality and 133rd out of 180 nations for its water availability.
- only 18% of a total rural population of 833 million Indians have access to treated water. However, 41% of the rural population, or 346 million people, own mobile phones. (Source – UNITUS Seed Fund)
- one-third of rural households in India are reached by piped water supplies.
- 2011 census estimates that 138 million rural households, or about 685–690 million people, lack access to safe drinking water.
- in Bihar, less than 2% of the rural population receives treated water.
- WHO estimates that, in India, about 38 million people are affected by waterborne diseases each year, of which over 75% are children; 780,000 deaths are attributable to contaminated water and more than 400,000 can be attributed to diarrhea alone.
Health, hygiene & sanitation
- 638 million people defecate in the open
- According to the Public Health Association, only 53 per cent of the population wash hands with soap after defecation, 38 per cent wash hands with soap before eating and only 30 per cent wash hands with soap before preparing food
- Only 11 per cent of the Indian rural families dispose child stools safely. 80 per cent children’s stools are left in the open or thrown into the garbage.
- only 32% of rural households have their own toilets
- less than half of Indian households have a toilet at home
- A staggering 70% of the rural population have minimal access to health care that are miles away from their home town
- According to the Medical Council of India (MCI), the total number of registered doctors in the country is 9,36,488 as on December 31, 2014. as on 31.12.2013 auxiliary nurses midwives are 7,56,937 & registered nurses/midwives are 16,73,338
- India produces 50,000 doctors a year
- 2.1million Indians suffer HIV
Food
- India ranked 97th of 118 in hunger index194million Indians are starving for food (but India dropped parippu over Sri Lanka’s North in 1987 just to show its might)
- 23021% of its population undernourished21% of its population undernourished21% of its population undernourished21% of its population undernourished21% of its population undernourished
- 44% of under-5 children underweight44% of under-5 children underweight
- 7% of them dying before they reach five years
- More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet, most Indians live on less than Rs 100 a day. An estimated 29.8% of India’s population lives below the national poverty line.
Women
- India is one of the 5 countries where its unsafe for women
- India has the highest number of street children in the world, as per the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- rape cases have risen from 16,075 in 2001 to 24,923 in 2012, the rates of conviction have dropped from 40.8% to 24.2% in the same period.
- India leads the world with the most murders (32,719) per year
- More than 2.3 million girls and women are believed to be in the sex industry in India, and more than 200,000 persons were trafficked into the country annually
- 15 percent of the country’s estimated 2.3 million prostitutes were children
- UN reported that an estimated 40 percent of prostitutes were below 18 years of age.
- According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), one woman dies every hour in dowry-related crimes in India
- estimated 2.4 million child workers
These statistics clearly highlights that Indian Governments have much to do to look after their own citizens who number 1.3billion rather than poking their noses into foreign countries who have governments elected to look after their citizens.
Sri Lankan advisors and consultants may be taken to India and given a paid holiday and spoon fed on the wonders of the proposal to effectively entice the clueless Sri Lankan Ministers to sign on any dotted line but in the case of areas such as food, energy, ports/airports, high security zone areas, strategic leverage areas – none of these should fall into foreign hands whereby the dangers of them dictating what is given and what is not and when it will be given and when it will not will be too heavy a price for Sri Lankans to pay. Already the yahapalana government have jeopardized the internal security mechanisms – locked up intelligence officers, needlessly hounding the rest, stranger than fiction has been the ‘accident’ at the Salawa ammunition camp, officers are indirectly told to do as they are told and nothing else and all these are signs of an appeasing government taking the country and its people to greater calamity if they do not wake up and get their act in order.
This electricity project should be once again shelved and delayed inspite of numerous underarm tactics that the Indians would play. That they are resorting to such will go to show and justify why we should not enter such agreements. It takes only a simple example. Indian fishermen are straying into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, they are coming in thousands of internationally banned trawlers to steal our fish, not only that they are causing irreparable damage to the marine/coastal bed (it is as a result of the usage of these trawlers that the Tamil Nadu coast has been ruined and there are no fish and thus the reason why TN fishermen are straying into our seas) These illegal acts end up with the navy arresting the fishermen and then releasing, arresting and releasing after Tamil Nadu politicians and CM breathes fire down the Indian PM and the Indian Government has no choice but to listen and then fire a call to Sri Lanka ordering the fishermen to be released.
Is this example not good enough to realize the danger if we are to take electricity from India – just imagine if electricity is denied until the Sri Lankan Government agrees to India’s demands and until such time we will be without electricity – food will get affected, factories will be affected, hospitals will face great calamity, homes will get affected, childrens studies will get affected – the damage will be huge. Is it worth taking such a risk?
Shenali D Waduge
https://artsci.washington.edu/news/2013-10/much-rural-india-still-waits-electricity
http://www.healthissuesindia.com/2014/02/05/sanitation-health-hygiene-india/
October 13th, 2016 at 5:24 pm
Well researched article, Shenali! Thank you!
The ANSWER to your question as to WHY India wants to supply ELECTRICITY to Sri Lanka is PRIMARILY that India wants to make Sri Lanka DEPENDENT ON INDIA whithour alternatives and self-sufficiency in order to CONTROLCONTROL ALL ASPECTS of our behaviour.
They want to CLOSE OFF all avenues to other countries such as China from gaining a foothold by making India the SOLE PROVIDER of all things to Sri Lanka.
In this way, they gain
1. Economic dominance in Sri Lanka
2. Political leverage to force into and keep Sri Lanka in India’s orbit.
3. Create a captive market for Indian products, including electricity from the nuclear power plants being built in Tamil Nadu. This will ultimately make Sri Lanka subservient to Tamil Nadu as well, fearful that TN could turn off the Electricity and ruin Sri Lanka’s economy. That would be as asinine thing to permit given Tamil Nadu’s enmity to, and designs upon Sri Lanka.
4. Electricity is perhaps the most critical determinant of economic activity. If Sri Lanka becomes dependent on India for electricity, like a drug addict on his drug dealer, India would be able to control the DIRECTION and RATE of Sri Lanka’s economic growth. That would not be a SMART POLICY for Sri Lanka to adopt.
5. Using the supply of Electricity as a pretext, India would send more and more Indians to settle in Sri Lanka to maintain its systems and build more facilities. What would our own engineers do when the plum jobs are given to Indians? Sit still and SUCK OUR THUMBS PERHAPS?
6. The supply of electricity from India would arrest the development of an independent and sovereign electrical power industry in Sri Lanka, and would halt all RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS in Sri Lanka. With most electrics engineering jobs handed over to Indians, there would be no jobs and growth opportunities for our own engineers, compelling them to migrate to other countries while Indians replace them in their own Motherland! WHEW!
7. Renewable energy has high capital costs but zero fuel costs, whereas fossil energy has low capital costs but high fuel and environmental costs. Renewable energy is the wave of the future, and has a vast growing global market. Give Sri Lankan engineers the hands on experience manufacturing, building and maintain these plants in Sri Lanka as a means of gaining the experience to penetrate the global market. If we give away that opportunity to Indians, how are we Sri Lankans going to compete in the global market place to transform Sri Lanka into a technology and knowledge driven powerhouse of productive people living permanently and prospering in their own Motherland?
The LACK OF VISION of the Yamapalanaya GOSL of what is in our own national interest ASTOUNDS me!
Govern Sri Lanka for the LONG-TERM BENEFIT of all of our own citizens, and not the short-term profit of a select few elitists, the separatist minorities, and foreign powers!
October 14th, 2016 at 2:44 am
India has over 400 million poor people and over 40 million people in India are unemployed. If this ETCA is signed and the Hanuman bridge is built all these desperate people in India will come in droves to Sri Lanka since the socio-economic situation of Sri Lanka is a million times better than the socio economic situation of India. I would urge the uncaring and cruel Indian government to provide basic housing, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, education, food and clothing to these desperately poor 400 million Indians rather than spending US 5.2 billion dollars in building a Hanuman bridge to Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka signs this ETCA with India it will be Sri Lanka’s end. Sri Lanka should not sign any such trade deals where people can come here to work freely, unless the country we are signing the ETCA with has a similar or a better socio-economic situation than Sri Lanka. I would urge the uncaring, corrupt and cruel India Government to immediately stop building space stations and nuclear weapons and use that money to provide basic housing, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, education, food and clothing to the 400 million desperately poor people of India which is a government’s basic responsibility. Sri Lanka should stop immediately the signing of ETCA with India and urge the Indian Government to carry out the above task rather than serving the rich people of India only which the uncaring and cruel Indian Government seems to be doing.
October 14th, 2016 at 2:48 am
Traitor UNPatriotic party wants to make Sri Lanka a colony of india and destroy China’s influence in the indian
ocean for good to please the catholic west. Traitor tamils, mussies, catholics and the diasporats will also be over the moon
since they will be edging towards their drealam and musisthan. Meanwhile Sinhala modayas are like the crab in
the boiling pot. They have no clue. They think they have the time of their lives believing catholic run UNPatriotic
party’s tom pacha.
Traitor chief die hard catholic token Buddhist Batalande Wadakaya pol pot ponil wickrama Sinhalakiller knows
this is last chance to destroy Sri Lanka, Sinhalese and Buddhism to please his masters catholic west and the
UNPatriotics voter base traitor tamils, mussies and the catholics. So he is going full steam ahead.
One day murderous
traitor chief pathala man PM says it is going to be like sweden. Next day bay of bengal. Latter is more likely with
a traitor of his caliber. No children, not being Sinhalese, so Batalande Wadakaya is like a bull in china shop. Puppet
maru (hora)sira is just a puppy in front of the murderous man. So the traitor chief is unstoppable. Sinhalaya
famous for being modays think he is a miracle man. There hasn’t been brainless idiots like the Sinhala modayas
in history of mankind to support Sinhalese murdering, Buddhism destroying, Sri Lanka destroying party like
the UNPatriotic party.
October 14th, 2016 at 9:29 am
The LACK OF VISION of the Yamapalanaya GOSL of what is in our own national interest ASTOUNDS me!.
Who is wrong ?
voters are voting for this “thattu maruwa since 1948.
No one is acting on how to change this.
October 14th, 2016 at 9:38 am
http://www.globalresearch.ca/hybrid-wars-the-us-could-manufacture-a-mess-in-myanmar/5550529
I read a nice story about burma. There was another which said, the west want all Sinhal, burma, thailand divided along ethnic lines. This should be by British Anglicans. Now it is minerals, resources, strategic importance and buddhism.
Burma is going through the same that Sinhale went through since 1948. Butmr also got independance in 1948. The Majority ethnic group is BARMAR. Foreign influence made their country’s name Myanmar. Understand Sri lanka did the same.
Burma also have ethnic troubles in which they want to devide the country based on ethnic lines. That story reads exactly as Sinhale Story.
I read about nationalim. Nationalists don’t have dvided flags, anthem in different languages. but, we are identified by them as racists or nationalists.
October 14th, 2016 at 9:55 am
INDIA has the Resources to take care of her people. These Resources have to be organised and made available to the People. Energy can be had freely from Solar & Wind.
There is no need for INDIA to lay cables to Lanka to take over Lanka Energy Needs.
Lanka can get enough Solar & Wind Energy for internal needs. No need for cables from INDIA for energy needs. That would be another INDIAN take over of Lanka.
Question : Should INDIA fear a take over of Lanka by powerful foreign sources ?
October 14th, 2016 at 11:41 pm
Fran, It is an imaginary fear manufactured to be used to interfere in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.
October 16th, 2016 at 4:22 am
NAK,
Here is a point of view :
We think the INDIAN concerns with Lanka are mainly due to the Ports of Lanka.
Look at the extent INDIA has gone to in destabilising Sri Lanka in the last 30 yrs or so with the 13-A, the training of the LTTE in Tamil Nadu camps, etc.
When PM Nehru was in power during the Cold War years, his Panchaseela approach to international affairs, helped save Lanka. After that, the approaches were different.
What can Lanka do re her Ports ? International ownership with shareholders ? Lease out ?
And then there is also the Economy.
Put it to the People and see what they say ?
Basically, it seems to be the Ports & the Economy of Lanka : should be NOT up for grabs by anyone. The People must decide. These are the National Assets.
All the ‘nadagang’ side shows are a distraction and cover up.
October 17th, 2016 at 4:25 am
There’s nothing wrong to buy their electricity if it is for sale.Why’s there’s sudden symapthy for other people in other contries when we have our own suffering people.It’s up to their governments to care for their people.It’s not a wise argument.
October 17th, 2016 at 5:16 am
While you write and comment as I do India and Russia signed for the 2nd and 3rd stages of Nuke energy in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, India.
A Nuke Bhopal will affect us.
So they will have energy to pump electricity to our grid with minimum cost; before they can build new grids for local supply.
And they will pull the energy plug off as they do with our politics and the economy.
October 17th, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Dear Nimal,
Please read my comment above, which lists plenty of COMPELLING arguments for not buying electricity from India.
Shenali is being sarcastic when she points out the plight of India’s own citizens, just to underscore that there are devious and important reasons motivating India’s offer to sell power to Sri Lanka.
It is to make Sri Lanka addicted to their electricity foregoing own local production. It will give India a strong weapon to control Sri Lanka at will on a variety of unrelated issues. After destroying our local power generation industry by buying energy from abroad, it will be impossible to quickly change that decision later because of the high capital costs of generation and transmission infrastructure.
India is using that ploy in reverse, as an ELECTRICITY BUYER, as a weapon to control landlocked Bhutan and Nepal, by holding those countries HOSTAGE to India’s purchases of their hydroelectric power. Nepal and Bhutan are being harassed much more than Sri Lanka by India, and that, pushes them into China’s open arms, just like Sri Lanka!
October 17th, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Sri Lanka should borrow successful ideas from other countries and change them to suit Lanka needs, or put out new ideas to solve problems.
There is absolutely NO NEED for re-colonisation of Lanka.
That would be the greatest betrayal of Lanka’s people, no one would benefit or grow, except for a few Deshadrohis.
October 17th, 2016 at 6:08 pm
What India is trying here is to pre-empt Chinese investments in the power and energy sectors. Pro-Indian groups have repeatedly damaged Chinese power plants in the island to advance this plan. Thereafter Sri Lanka will be at the mercy of India. For any noncompliance, India will simply switch off.
We must be self sufficient in energy. Current power cuts are due to lack of investments in power generation, tea industry (that ruins our catchment areas) and deliberate destruction.
October 18th, 2016 at 2:44 am
Agree that any electrical power lines from INDIA will be used to control/own Lanka.
Same with excessive TRADE deals with INDIA or any other country, as proven in the past. It’s all about negative CONTROL, CONTROL, CONTROL !!
What happened to the SOLAR PARK planned by the MR govt in the Hambanthota area ?
Solar Power is the way to go for Sri Lanka. The USA is about 70% self sufficient in Energy needs. Pres Obama is using war vets to work in Green Energy projects.