Gotabaya Rajapaksa wins Srilankan Presidential Polls. Arun gives his takeaways with Pros & Cons for India-Srilanka ties.
The recently concluded Srilankan Presendential
elections have raised the eye brows of many. As the Srilanka Podujana Peramuna
presendial candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa the younger brother of former president
Mahinda Rajapaksa won the Srilankan Presidential Elections 2019 raises the big
question of his approach towards India and Indian originated Srilankan Tamils
in Srilanka. Here I have analysed the track record and his recent stand on
India-Srilanka relations.
Newly elected Srilankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Gotabaya Rajapaksa is known for his part in ending
the Civil War in 2009 against the banned LTTE. He was the defense secretary at
the time of his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. He was acquised of the Genocide
against Srilankan Tamils. And his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa is known for
his Pro-Chinese approach. There were instances of Hambantota Port, a famous
port been given to China for defense use. This was alarming to India at that
time as China fielded its warships in Hambantota Port and threatned India.
After India had a regime change in India with Narendra
Modi taking over as Prime Minister in 2014 he established a strong connect to
the Malayaga Tamils by giving 60,000 homes to the war affected Tamils in
Srilanka. And tamils in Srilanka trusted Narendra Modi for making political
change in their country.
Soon in 2015 Presidential elections there was a wave
against the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. It was a tight contest between him
and the UNP president Ranil Wickremasighe. But with Modi played to key role in
stopping Rajapaksa from coming back.
As it was alledged by the Srilankan
Politicians and Rajapaksa himself. It was believed that Ajit Doval called
Sirisena, colleague of Rajapaksa and senior member of his party to dissent from
the party and form an alliance with his foe Ranil Wickremasinghe. RAW agents
and High commission in Srilanka made the two rivals to form government by
making a common minimum programme and sharing of power with Sirisena taking the
post of President and Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister.
Here are my takeaways from the analysis of the
current existing Srilankan Polity.
Cons for India:
- With the track record of being Pro-Chinese, there are fears of Chinese aggression and interfearence in the Srilankan politics and region.
- China may get an oppurtunity to establish again in the Indian Ocean region.
- Fear of atrocities against the Linguistic Minorities of Srilankan Tamils, Indian Tamils.
- Rejuvanation of Chain of Pearls by Srilanka being tilted towards China and its Dictator Xi Jinping.
- May increase the Chinese navy presence in Indian Ocean.
- Increase in atrocities over Indian Fishermans.
Pros for India:
- Gotobaya Rajapaksa has promised in the election campaign for the welfare of Srilankan Tamils and Indian Tamils in Srilanka.
- Namal Rajapaksa, who is expected to play an important role and take up an important ministry in the Gotabaya Cabinet also son of Mahinda Rajapaksa promised welfare of tamils in Srilanka.
- Gotabaya fought elections on the Internal Security and fight against Radical Islamic Terrorism in the Indian Ocean region.
- He’s exepected to chalk out new strategies to remove the islamic terrorism out of the region. This is very important for India as Srilanka is a gateway for Radical Islamic Terrorist to enter India via Tamilnadu.
- There was a rumour going around in Srilankan circles of rejuvanation of LTTE through the support from Pakistan’s ISI. This will be a hard game for LTTE terrorists as Gotabaya is a President. This ensures the terminating of Radical Separatistsfrom both Srilanka and India in Tamilnadu.
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