Anura Kumara in India: The Village Boy Enticed by Gopis, – Lost in Vrindavan!
Posted on February 15th, 2024
By Sena Thoradeniya
Anura Kumara Dissanayaka was in India. Media reported that it was on an invitation by Indian Government. According to Indian media reports this visit was organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) affiliated to the Ministry of External Affairs and the delegation was accompanied by Eldos Mathew Punnoose, Counsellor at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
(1) Nonverbal Signals
Anura Kumara in a full suit was seen in conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar who was wearing a sherwani type Indian dress. Anura Kumara has shed both his kapati kit and military type battle dressand preferredto be like Ranil, the Anglomaniac. Milinda Moragoda the ace pro-American – Indian – Sri Lankan” was never seen in full suit while he was Sri Lanka’s envoy in New Delhi. Anura Kumara’s one-time guru, Somawansa Amarasinghe wearing a full suit, embraced RW, at a presidential election meeting held in support of Sarath Fonseka.
Anura Kumara was in conversation with Jaishankar without any aides. So, we surmise that their tete -a-tete was not in either Sinhala or Hindi. But their gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and other nonverbal signals (look at the facial expressions of Jaishankar, he was amused, how he was playing with his fingers and his posture, while Anura Kumara was somewhat bewildered, why this man not going beyond basic courtesies!) signify something else. Anura Kumara’s posture is significant.
He was not that parlor boy who kowtowed to Julie Chung. Some say he was tutored by Julie Chung how to conduct himself with foreign dignitaries after his dismal appearance before her! Anura Kumara wears a red tie; Colour of the tie worn by Donald Trump and a Sri Lankan business tycoon! The painting in the background is symbolic. Krishna with gopis (milkmaids) in Vrindavan?
2. What They Discussed?
We don’t know what Anura Kumara discussed with Jaishankar. But Jaishankar’s X message gives a clue. A good discussion on our bilateral relationship and the mutual benefits from its further deepening. Also spoke about Sri Lanka’s economic challenges and the paths ahead”.
What bilateral relationships” the External Affairs Minister of a sovereign government has with a minor party in another country? According to a media report Jaishankar has assured that India with its Neighborhood First” and SAGAR policies will always be a reliable friend and trusted partner of Sri Lanka.
Did Anura Kumara question India’s Neighborhood First” and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policies? RW meeting Indian Premier Modi in mid-July last year was lured by Modi’s Neighborhood First Policy” and SAGAR Vision, to take Sri Lanka into India’s orbit.
Did Anura Kumara question RW’s MOUs and declarations exchanged with the Indian Government, Energy and Power Connectivity, Air Connectivity, Land Connectivity, Maritime Connectivity, Trade, Economic and Financial Connectivity, People-to-People Connectivity? Does Anura Kumara know that his trip to India had been arranged at a time when these Connectivity Programmes” are already being implemented step by step? People owe an explanation from NPP/JVP whether they approve these MOUs.
Did Anura Kumara question India’s role as a member of QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, of Australia, India, Japan and the US) established to counter China, militarily and diplomatically in the Indo-Pacific Region?
3. Media Hype
A wrong notion was spread by mainstream media and social media in India and Sri Lanka respectively, that India invited Anura Kumara for discussions because of his popularity and he will be the next President of Sri Lanka and form the next government.
These reports were based on a survey conducted by USAID-funded Institute of Health Policy (IHP), Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) for Presidential Elections Voting Intention for December 2023: if there is a Presidential Election today who would you vote for? According to the SLOT, 50% of the respondents had said that they would vote for NPP. What is their sample size? These estimates were based on 522 interviews conducted in December 2023. In October 2023 their sample size was 567. From 1 October 2021 to 7 January 2024 sample size was 14941. This is a very small fraction of the total number of voters. They say that the margin of error was assessed as 1-4%. It is not necessary to emphasize that voters’ preferences, especially of floating voters change drastically with one single incident. Examples abound.
This was given wide publicity by an Indian TV channel WION (World In One News), an English language news channel based in New Delhi, owned by Essel Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate. Its journalists who are very close to Modi, include personnel of DD News, India’s state- owned Door Darshan. This group operates India’s Zee Media Corporation. WION displayed a graphical representation of the above survey results dubbing NPP as a Marxist-Leninist party! It became a momentous news item to Indian media personnel, describing Anura Kumara as island nation’s the most popular politician at the moment”.
Do these media personnel ask themselves in which country a Marxist-Leninist” party mobilizes retired military officers and other ranks into a Tri Forces Collective” (Thrivda Hamuda Balavegaya)? They should be taught the ground reality that it is only an act of establishing a para-military force. JVP was never a Marxist-Leninist party; those who witnessed its genesis and operations know this very well.
Are we to believe that RAW and CIA are naive to trust the results of a survey conducted by an unknown Institute while they have their own estimations and world-renowned analysts?
IHP results are shown by some bogus theorists who propelled Vardarajah Perumal, Premadasa and many other politicians in the South, who got plum diplomatic appointments from two Presidents and who was in GR camp initially, to urge the voters to give a chance to NPP to lead.
Anura Kumara’s trip was certainly arranged to brief him about the above-mentioned Connectivity Programmes”, to silence him and his NPP followers about Indian interventions and investments in the country and to enlist him and his followers to QUAD’s anti-China ensemble-may be to play a really low instrument!
It was reported that Anura Kumara had met with India’s Defense Advisor Ajit Doval and Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra. What are Anua Kumara’s expertise in international and defense matters?
Did he ask them why India had sent her INS Karanji submarine to Colombo on 3 February 2024? Was he briefed about and had he accepted that India is the primary security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)?
Did he raise that hundreds of Indian fishing vessels crossing Indo-Lanka maritime boundary, poaching and plundering our fishery resources depriving the livelihood of thousands of fishermen in the North and East and other migrant fishermen, let alone Ukraine and Gaza?
(4) Untangling a Tangled Web
(i) Baglay, Santhos Jha and Julie Chung
Addressing a Sanga meeting organised by NPP in Kandy on October 11. 2019, Anura Kumara said: the method used by imperialists to conquer countries has changed. In the past they conquered countries using cannons, but now they conquer countries using briefcases. Patriotism means understanding the new face of foreign invasion and making a decision as to if we will bow down to it or not. We ask for loans from the US, they say we will give you loans but we want land. Sometimes these embassies choose the Presidential candidates, they sometimes choose the leaders of the parties.”
Anura Kumara has correctly identified his predictable metamorphosis associated with briefcases and foreign trips three years ahead of 2024. How do we explain this? Is it a premonition as some say or karmic undertones? It was a public secret that RAW throwing out millions of rupees to Left, left- of- center political parties in Sri Lanka to contest first Provincial Council Elections!
There are many presuppositions to state that Anura Kumara’s tripwas arranged by Gopal Baglay, the former Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka and Santhos Jha the present High Commissioner, Julie Chung, the American envoy and Ranil Wickremasinghe. The origins of this trip go back to the two meetings Julie Chung had with Anura Kumara.
Julie Chung met with Anura Kumara just a few days before July 9, 2022 and twittered: To me the JVP is a significant party. They have a growing presence. They resonate with the public during recent times. They are a growing political party and their ideas are accepted by the public”. She very well knew JVP’s active involvement in Galle Face Carnival, how it attempted to storm and occupy the Parliament, how their rabble-rousers bellowed that they can occupy Hulftsdorf and they knew where the judges of the Supreme Courts live.
Haiti’s President Jovenal Moise was assassinated in July 2021. The murder took place when Chung was Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. She had met Moise on June 26, three weeks before the murder. Very soon she was appointed as US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and presented her credentials to GR on 25, February 2022, just 34 days before Mirihana incident. Some may argue it as a demotion but it was only a move from one hot spot to another. On July 09, 2022 GR was nearly lynched.
Just a few days ahead Anura Kumara’s visit to US, Julie Chung visited JVP party headquarters accompanied by US Embassy’s Political Officer Mathew Hinson and its political expert” Nazreen Marikkar on 19, October 2023. After her meeting Julie Chung posted on X (formally twitter): Today I met Anuradissanyaka and discussed current political & economic issues. Important to listen to diverse perspectives and engage with various political parties in a democracy”. (please see our posting on November 1st, 2023).
This meeting was none other than providing a last-minute briefing before his departure. Nobody can rule out Anura Kumara meeting proxies of the US State Department. On his return he met an IMF delegation on January 19, 2024. Neither the IMF mission nor the NPP revealed anything about their discussion.
Anura Kumara met with outgoing Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay on November 17, 2023, his successor Santosh Jha on 23, January 2023 and German Ambassador on 31, January 2024.
(ii) Ranil Wickremasinghe
Why we bring Ranil Wickremasinghe to the reckoning?
(a) RW appointed NPP’s Central Committee Member Upul Kumarapperuma, a President’s Counsel (PC), the lawyer who represented the interests of notorious Garnia Barrister aka Sriyalatha Perera in Swiss Embassy case.
(b) At a reception held to felicitate a recently appointed PC, RW had quipped to an NPP Attorney-at-Law that very soon Anura Kumara will be in his side.
(c) Why did Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi receive Anura Kumara? Was it in accordance with protocol? Anura Kumara is just a party leader. Unimaginable.
(d)RWdelivering the government policy statement at the commencement of the new session of Parliament recalled the cooperation between the JVP and Yahapalana government, and asked why it could not cooperate with the present government for common good. RW recalled that Anura Kumara had nominated one Ananda Wijepala as the head of the anticorruption office and some documents pertaining to corruption were still with the JVP leader. These were the documents JVP brought to the meeting held at the SLFI at the height of the Galle Face Protest.It seems that JVP had not returned those files to anti-corruption Committee, giving a reprieve to corrupt politicians and officials. But the JVP backed the corrupt Yahapalana government, defended it when Maithripala tried to dislodge it by appointing MR as the Prime Minister.
(e) While SJB and some other MPs left the chamber when the President commenced his speech on 6 February 2024, JVP’s Harini Amarasuriya remained in her seat. Others who remained were Fonseka, Rajitha Senaratna, Champika Ranawaka, Kumar Welgama, Ishak Rahuman, Faizal Cassim, AHM Fouzie and Vadiwel Suresh. This list signifies what is going to happen in near future. RW took Anuradhapura SJB MP Ishak Rahuman to Perth. Earlier he took Polonnaruwa District SJB MP Kings Nelson to US, Vadivel Suresh and Ajith Mannapperuma to Uganda respectively.
(f) This happened a few days after SJB protesters were attacked with water cannons, tear gas and batons.
(g) Close on the heels ofJaishankar meeting Anura Kumara, the former on February 9, 2024 met with RW at the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Western Australia. RW, no doubt had got a briefing from Jaishankar about the outcome of his discussion with Anura Kumara. RW at this conference said that Indo-Lanka land bridge will enhance regional connectivity and feasibility studies for it is underway.
(h) These are not accidents. Anura Kumara and NPP grandees need much more time to understand overt and covert operations of diplomacy, although their followers now sing hosannas that they are accepted and recognized by world leaders!
(i) RW will be happy to see Anura Kumara as Leader of the Opposition, a repetition of 2015. But how? Forthcoming political deals would unravel the grand strategy. The time is not yet opportune; we are not phony forecasters.
(5) US – India Factor
In the forthcoming Presidential/Parliamentary elections US and India factor will be crucial. In such a context muting Anura Kumara and his cabal is essential for both US and India. Now India has kindled hishubris as the President-in-waiting. Already Thondaman in the plantations has declared his allegiance to RW. India will definitely tell the TNA and other Tamil groups what stand they should take at a national election.
Will the US and India attempt to bring down RW’s government, engineering another regime change supporting a person like Anura Kumara as they removed GR and Imran Khan? What they want is to neutralize NPP/JVP. It is wishful thinking that India wants to remove RW when he at every forum says that he is bound to safeguard India’s security concerns and ready to give everything to India in a platter, making Sri Lanka India’s vassal state.
(6) Why India Using NPP/JVP?
(a) To test and neutralize NPP/JVP and stop their anti-Indian stance in Sri Lanka;
(b) It is bunkum to say that India is worried about NPP’s rise shown in public meetings;
(c) There is another myth propagated by capitalist press and others who are less informed that India establishing close relations with NPP after the recent political developments in theMaldives.This is a false interpretation ofJaishankar’s advice given to Indians, Why Bharat Matters”: My first advice to you, the next time you want to take a holiday go to Sri Lanka. I’m serious. Please go to Sri Lanka and I say this to all of you”.
It was to further cripple Maldives tourist industry. Already thousands of bookings of Indian tourists who planned to visit Maldives were cancelled to step up pressure on the Maldives. At the expense of Maldives Modi wants to develop and promote Lakshadweep as a tourist destination. He was seen holidaying in a Lakshadweep beach. Mohamed Muizzu had to sack three State Ministers who ridiculed Modi. Indian Coast Guards boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels operating within the Maldivian economic zone, to bully and intimidate Muizzu who requested to withdraw an Indian military contingent from the Maldives.
Jaishankar’s advice also can be interpreted as root binding” RW and Sri Lanka, not to go against Bharath. With this he aims at the Maldives too. It was threatening: don’t deviate! Don’t be the prodigal son! I can put the best robe on you; put a ring in your finger; sandals on your feet; can kill the fattened calf and feast and celebrate.”
On 12 February, 2024, India launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services at a virtual ceremony, enabling availability of UPI settlement services for Indian nationals touring Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Another blow to the Maldives. Anura Kumara needs much more political maturity to understand these intricacies of state craft.
The second part of Jaishankar’s adviceis more like a mocking comment on Sri Lanka. When the world had turned its back India was the one and only country that came to their rescue- not in a small way- we actually committed US dollars 4.5 billion to Sri Lanka – much more than the package the then Sri Lankan government was negotiating with the IMF at that time.” He recalled his past experiences what he saw, Sri Lanka running out of food, essential supplies and fuel. Mix with normal persons in Sri Lanka of the road and ask what they think of India. Their answer will make you grow in stature”.
It is only liberals and capitalist press say that if not NPP/JVP come into an understanding with India, they will be isolated in global politics, equating it – just a minor party in Sri Lanka having only 3 MPs – to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), a regional military power.
India already knows that Anura Kumara is in Julie Chung’s pocket. It is to bind AKD to India’s national security concerns and forcing NPP to act accordingly and go against China, toeing the line of QUAD.
It is a planned strategy to tame NPP/JVP, to tame them using soft diplomacy. To show that India is an economic powerhouse; having a growing economy which is able to supersede other nations; to get an assurance to join in India’s efforts in containment of China; to solicit support for India’s efforts in full implementation of 13th Amendment and power sharing. India knows that they have a conduit inside in Harini Amarasuriya who openly supported full implementation of 13th Amendment, a member of the Public Representatives Committee on Constitution Reforms (PRCCR) appointed by Yahapalana government which recommended removal of our national symbols.
(7) ETCA
India needs unhindered passage of the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) which talks have already resumed. India and Sri Lanka suspended talks on ETCA in 2018 on account of protests. We recall the opposition for ETCA from professionals and various politicians. RW had taken it up again and he said that Sri Lanka has plans to establish a free trade agreement with India by the end of March 2024. ETCA will open the service sector to Indians. This will be aggravated with the so-called Land Connectivity, establishing a land bridge across Palk Strait developing land access and Maritime Connectivity, a ferry service to begin between Kankasanthurai (KKS) and Nagapattinum and resumption of ferry service between Talaimannar and Rameswaram (already begun), and Air Connectivity between Chennai and Jaffna, Trinco, Batticaloa and other destinations in Sri Lanka. Has Anura Kumara changed his ideas regarding ETCA? Lower segments of the NPP will be mostly affected by the influxof Indian workers.
(8) India’s New Investments: Meetings with Government Officials and Members of the Business Community
Anura Kumara also met the officials of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) an Indian global thinktank based in Delhi, founded by Dhirubhai Ambani of Reliance Industries which provide research and advisory services on security, strategy, economy, energy and resources. Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Ambani” or Jai Ambani”!
He visited the headquarters of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) of Ministry of Electronics and information Technology in New Delhi. This organization is responsible for managing Aadaar, India’s national ID system which provides 12-digit ID number based on a person’s biometrics, (10 finger prints, 2 iris prints and photo of face and demographic data.Aadaar is the world’s largest biometric ID system considered as the most sophisticated ID programme in the world.
Sri Lanka’s India-funded unique ID card project is in the process of appointing a new consultant while fresh tenders have been called after Madras Security Printers (MSP) and Protein Technologies which won the tender earlier have been disqualified. India has given an advance aid of 450 million IR to Sri Lanka for this project which aims to collect biometric and biographic information including facial, fingerprints and iris data. Funds are given by the Indian government, data collected by Indian firms, stored in a centralized system, India having access to personal data of Sri Lankan citizens breaching data privacy. An Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Project Monitoring Committee (JPMC) has been already appointed to oversee the progress of this project. Did Anura Kumara raise his objections? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with India-funded unique ID card project or Jai India-funded unique ID card project”!
Look at the places where the NPP delegation was taken by the Indian authorities! Is it because NPP’s growing popularity” and India’s fear of it or something else? By showing India’s wonders to a set of Sri Lankan rhetoricians India had tamed them never to raise their ugly heads against their investments in the Island, to proceed with India’s plans without undue resistance.
The Hindu” has quoted Anura Kumara: we do know that India who is our closest neighbor has become a major political and economic center. So, when we take economic and political decisions, we will always care it will impact India”. What he said was any decision Sri Lanka makes should be done in keeping view of the impact it has on India.
Thus, Anura Kumara has given a firm assurance to India that their investments are safe.
It was reported that Anura Kumara had said that, we are mindful of India’s concerns including its security.” We are not competitors, but India is”. He had stated that they stand for neutrality in foreign policy. These were the words of a tamed person. This is the biggest victory India gained in neutralizing a leader of a minor party of a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. It is tantamount to accepting India as the security provider. In other words, Anura Kumara had shown his willingness to stand together with India and its major ally the US against China.
A few weeks before his departure to India Anura Kumara lambasted Ranil W in Parliament for selling Sri Lanka to India; his long list began with repairs at Durraiyappah Stadium, Jaffna, KKS harbor expansion, Palali airport modernization, hotels at Nilaveli beach in Trincomalee, selling Pulmoddai mineral sand facility to Birlas, giving Mannar Islands to Adanis and other Indian investments in the Trincomalee area including operations of IOC.
At the same time, NPP’s CEB trade union boss Ranjan Jayalal flayed Indian investors, criticized deals with Adanis. He further said Mahaveli power houses are to be given to Adani. Repeating what his boss said he said RW is going to hand over Mannar Islands to Adani and Sri Lanka’s dairy industry to Amul. He further stated that Modi will demand Sri Lanka to hand over Mannar islands and Trinco to India. Did Anura Kumara in his discussions with Indian business leaders ask them to reverse their decisions?
But just before his departure he praised Indians, how India has resolved its ethnic and religious problems, the strides taken by them in developing their country economically, that Indians are leading several US firms such as Google, while Sri Lanka is bogged down in nostalgia.
Whilst Anura Kumara enjoying Indian hospitality, Indian media reported that Sri Lankan Minister Haren Fernando who is attending a meeting in Mumbai had said that Adani Group is negotiating with Sri Lankan authorities to manage three Sri Lankan airports, BIA, Mattala and Ratmalana. Did Anura Kumara raise his objections? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Adani” or Jai Adani!
Petronet LNG Ltd., India’s biggest LNG company is going to begin shipping LNG to Sri Lanka in 2025, in containers loaded on ship and later to build an import terminal to supply LNG to two gas-fired power plants in Sri Lanka, Yugadanavi and Sobadanavi. It will ship 850 tons of gas daily from Kochi, super-chilled gas in containers. A small regasification unit will turn LNG into gaseous state again in a gas fired power plant. Petronet also plans to commission a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) at Colombo port. Petronet imports LNG from Qatar Energy LNG, Qatar and Australia. Discussions are on to set up Indo-Lanka LNG pipeline from Kochi and Colombo. Already the so-called Energy and Power Connectivity has begun.
Petronet’s subsidiary is Adani Petronet, Dahej. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, marking India’s 75th Republic Day on January 26, 2024, confirmed that energy and power grid connectivity had already begun and he expected an early conclusion of ETCA. Did Anura Kumara raise his objections? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Petronet” or Jai Petronet”!
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha also said that Adani’s 500 mw wind power deal should progress. Land acquisition began for Mannar Wind Power Project (MWPP)of Adani Green Energy Sri Lanka Ltd. (AGESL). Original plan was changed into a government-to government deal (originally unsolicited) for two wind projects of 286 mw in North West of Mannar and 234 mw in Northern Poonaryn. Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee (CANC) has raised concerns over its pricing as it was expensive. Did Anura Kumara ask them to lower the unit price? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Adani” or Jai Adani”!
Anura Kumara visited Amul, while his loud-mouthed farmer organizer” lambasting Amul, for buying Sri Lanka’s MILCO. MILCO will be given to Cargills Ceylon and National Dairy Development Board, India and Amul (Anand Milk Union Ltd of Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. based in Anand, Gujarat, Modi’s pocket borough. In July the Cabinet decided to lease out all 32 NLDB farms totaling an acreage of 28000 acres and MILCO factories, all MILCO and NLDB sales centers and 97 milk collection centers owned by MILCO to the proposed joint venture company. Colombo milk factory at Narahenpita which is in operation now, will be demolished. Employees and Trade Unions of MILCO have filed a petition before the Court of Appeal against its privatization. Did Anura Kumara raise his objections? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Amul” or Jai Amul”!
Did Anura Kumara raise his objections to Indian pressure to withdraw Mobitel lawsuit against the merger of Airtel and Dialog? Airtel Lanka is a subsidiary of Bharati Airtel Limited, Indian multinational telecommunication company, the second largest in the world. RW in January 2024 requested Mobitel Non-Executive Chairman and CEO to withdraw their legal action against TRC, Airtel and Dialog. According to E-Con E-News, telecom industry analysts argue that proposed merger will grant Dialog to provide predatory pricing in the market, driving other operators out of market ending market competitiveness, affecting the general public driving the market prices up. Did Anura Kumara raise his objections? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Airtel” or Jai Airtel”!
The government of Sri Lanka has shortlisted India’s Jio Platforms, an Indian multinational technology company Ltd. the largest mobile network operator in India, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries of Mukesh Ambani, and Gortune International Investment Holding Ltd. of Amsterdam as the two pre-qualified bidders for the sale of 50.3% stake in Sri Lanka Telecom. Did Anura Kumara raise his objections? Did Anura Kumara chant Down with Ambani” or Jai Ambani”!
(9) The Myth of Gujarat Model”
Anura Kumara visited Ahmedabad, capital ofGujarat and met with Chief Minister of Gujarat Bupendrabhai Patel, a BJP member and local business leaders at Gandhinagar.At a subsequent meeting held with Gujarat Industry Minister of State a presentation was made on the Gujarat Model” used by the Indian government as a development model.
We don’t think that Anura Kumara or any other in the NPP/JVP had studied socialist models of development other than paying lip service to socialism. Was he briefed about the criticisms of the Gujarat Model”that so manyeconomists,researchers and academics aredisillusioned with the Gujarat Model”, that it is nothing but a jugglery of words, its hype is hollow and fake, growth is elitist not reaching masses?
Gujarat Model” was the brainchild of Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat. It is characterized with heavy investment in infrastructure, unprecedented incentives and subsidies to the corporate sector on capital, interest, land and water supply to attract investment. It was reported that Tata-Nano (like Suzuki and Hyundai) got 30,000 crores IR subsidies. Land was acquired from common grazing land, protected areas, national parks and from irrigated fertile land. The price started from 1/= Indian Rupee. After giving unprecedented incentives and subsidies to the corporate sector the state government was left with limited funds for education, health, environment and provision of employment. This triggered mass agitations, men and women performing Jal Satyagraha”, remaining immersed in waters up to chest high. The worst affected was tribal population. Thousands of them were forced to migrate.
Does the Professor (we don’t know his credentials; at least in what university he teaches and what subject) who accompanied Anura Kumara, presumably to give him technical advice, know about the Gujarat Model” or whether he raised his concerns about it?
This is a fine lesson to so-called Rathu Sahodarayas”. If Anura Kumara and his clique propagate this model in Sri Lanka all the business conglomerates, chambers will support them adding a Business Balakaya” to NPP fold!
This trip signifies present pro-Chung JVP’s right deviation from ultra” leftism in 1971 and killing spree in 1988-1988, capitulation to Indian regional hegemonism and shedding its anti-Indian chauvinism.
Anura Kumara’s comments after visiting Technopark at Thiruvanthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum, capital of Kerala),is interesting to political analysts and his followers if the latter have an iota of sensibility to understand what their leader does in the name of left” politics. According to United News of India he said Sri Lanka can follow the growth strategies of Technopark and collaborate with IT companies of India to burgeon its nascent IT sector to benefit Sri Lanka. Incidentally the CEO of Technopark is a retired military officer, Col. (Retd) Sanjeev Nair. He further stated that collaboration with Technopark would be a good strategy which will bring benefits to Sri Lanka in building its IT ecosystem.
Anura Kumara was given an electric (push) cycle to ride and was seen riding it as the harlequin in a circus while other Indian ringmasters, acrobats, trapeze artists, tightrope walkers and jugglers were watching him!
(10) Indian Expansionism and the Love-hate Relationship
It is true that the JVP talked about something called Indian expansionism”; a myth has been created by local media that Wijeweera inherited it from China and comrade Shanmugathasan. But what China, Shamugathasan and other pro-China groups in Sri Lanka expounded by Indian expansionism” was not what was vulgarized by Wijeweera. Without discussing about India’s border disputes with China, providing refuge to Dalai Lama and other Tibetan dissidents at Dharmsala, wars with Pakistan, occupation of Kashmir, how it subjugated Sikkim, undue interferences with Nepal and Bhutan, JVP found Indian plantation workers as agents of its mythical Indian expansionism”.
The allegation made against Indian plantation workers was, in their line rooms they adorn pictures of Gandhi and Nehru and the calendars they hang depict pictures of Indian matinee idols such as MGR, Shivaji, Jayalalitha et al and their allegiance was to India. JVP wanted to uproot tea bushes in Kandyan areas and plant the land with manioc. JVP said that indentured plantation workers live a comfortable life compared to upcountry peasants with free dwellings, estate schools, estate dispensaries and pullemadu” (crèches) for toddlers and they have deprived the latter’s livelihood, all which were historically, economically, socially and culturally untrue.
JVP/ DJV went on a killing spree against the induction of IPKF and opposed the 13th Amendment and Provincial Councils; killed supporters of 13th Amendment, Provincial Councils and those who contested Provincial Councils Elections (SLFP did not contest PC elections) and voters. Killings continued during the Presidential Elections held in December 1988 and General Elections conducted in February 1989 respectively. Thus, prominent SLFP, CP, LSSP, Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, NSSP leaders/candidates, left trade union leaders and leaders of other left groups totaling hundreds were eliminated.
JVP/DJV killed even petty traders who sold coriander imported from India; renamed Mysore dhal as rathu parippu, Bombay onions as loku loonu and Bombay motai (a crude type of candy floss sold by mobile vendors to lesser privileged children) as nice motai; vilified IPKF as Indian Wanduru Hamudawa” (Indian Monkey Brigade); issued a directive asking all Indian businessmen to leave Sri Lanka ; 11 of them were killed including some employees at Pelwatta Sugar Company.
In spite of this, JVP established contacts with RAW after killing some IPKF soldiers in Trinco. It was recorded that the intermediary was a media person who was later killed and dumped in the mid sea taken in a helicopter. For the first time claymore mines were activated in the South; technical knowhow was passed by RAW through Tamil separatists. Even in January 2003 police found a claymore mine in Ahungalla. It was documented that during the height of JVP/DJV offensive JVP maintained unofficial as well as official contacts with the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
So, the love-hate relationship of JVP with the Indians is a very complicated phenomenon continued by different leaders of JVP up to this point.
Leaving Sri Lanka clandestinely Somavansa Amerasinghe first sent his wife and son to India; afterwards Somavansa came to India in a boat; he came to France via Thailand. From India a RAW agent had accompanied him to France. These are well documented.
Somavansa, coming back to Sri Lanka thanked VP Singh, the Indian Prime Minister from 1989-1990, at a meeting at Kalutara. When Singh died in 2008, Tilvin Silva and Somavansa went to the Indian High Commission with white flowers to offer their condolences.
(11) Harini Amarasuriya Again
Why Harini Amarasuriya was elected as NPP’s National List MP overlooking JVP’s former Ministers, MPs, other stalwarts of the party and academics and professionals included in its National List such as Kumar David, the Trotskyite, Lal Wijenayaka, the LSSP dissident and Yayapalana constitution maker (now NPP Central Committee Member – strange alignments!) and some CP academics, was not a mystery. Anura Kumara knew her Indian-US – and NGO connections well (please see: Janus-faced JVP: False Conceptions and Harini Amarasuriya Factor” posted on 14 December 2023).
Next we reveal a lesser known fact – that she was a member ofPublic Representatives Committee on Constitution Reforms (PRCCR) headed by Lal Wijenayaka,appointed by yahapalana government. Its 333 paged final report was presented to Sirisena on 10, May 2016. It proposed a United Sri Lanka paving the way for a federal state.
Among the recommendations of the Committee were replacing the present national flag with one suitable for a secular state, removing all majoritarian” symbols, providing constitutional safeguards to LGBTIQ community, doing away with denominational and single gender” schools (boys/girls), establishment of a Malayaha (Upcountry) Tamil Development Commission.
(12) What Next After the Initial Euphoria?
JVP/NPP propaganda boys hailed Anura Kumara’s trip as a proof of their party’s international recognition. At the press briefing held on 10/2, immediately after the return of NPP delegation Wijitha Herath said something very amusing. All selling and leasing of national assets or any other economic transaction should be done according to Procurement Guidelines.
But until its Indian tour NPP opposed Indian investments not because of shortcomings or problems associated with adhering to Procurement Guidelines or lack of transparency. On the whole it opposed selling and leasing of national assets; don’t sell power, energy, oil tanks, ports, telecom, to India, Adani or Amul. Now they demand to follow Procurement Guidelines strictly!
Many of his followers who are ignorant of Procurement Guidelines may think that this is a new proposal made by Herath. But Procurement Guidelines were officially proclaimed by MR as President on January 27, 2006, 18 years ago and Procurement Guidelines were issued by National Procurement Agency Chairman/CEO by an 85 paged document to all heads of Ministries, Departments, Corporations and Statutory Bodies, PCs, Local Bodies and Public Companies. Isn’t Herath aware of this being an MP for so many years? What he says is to follow Procurement Guidelines and sell and lease out accordingly. If you follow Procurement Guidelines it’s okay. Even if malimawa comes into power we will follow Procurement Guidelines. But India does not need a malimawa; RW is doing it now smarter than any other person.
Herath said, We explained to India that our position was safeguarding Sri Lanka’s sovereignty,whileguaranteeingregional security. We would not do anything that upset our regional security. We assured that none of our actions would do any harm to regional security.” This is an assurance given to India that NPP would not do anything to harm India’s security. India does not need this assurance from NPP as India has RW to guarantee regional security!
On 12 February, 2024, India launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka at a virtual ceremony, enabling availability of UPI settlement services for Indian nationals touring Sri Lanka. RW’s another MOU exchanged with the Indian government during his visit to India in 2023, the much touted Trade, Economic and Financial Connectivity, designing INR as a currency for trade settlement and tourism, digital payments, digital economy was thus adopted. Does the NPP know that this is not a solution to dollar crisis as it prevents transactions in US dollars? Did they voice their opinion against it?
There are poodles who do not bark much. Instead of Negative Reinforcement, Positive Reinforcement (praise, rewards, affection, recognition, acceptance) can be used to help the poodle to learn that there are better ways than barking. India has done it. Who cares who follows, European Union or NATO?