Govt’s muddled thinking

By K. Godage

“The Minister has stated “these neo fascists seem to see an Indian under every bus (sic) and live in eternal fear of Indians swarming into Sri Lanka. Whenever a bridge over the Palk Strait to connect our two nations is proposed, they get into a paranoid frenzy that all of India is waiting to drive over that bridge and make Sri Lanka their home; when trade agreements are discussed they see swarms of Indian doctors and barbers coming across to flood the Sri Lanka market. Now they claim that their IT specialists are all waiting to come and take the jobs of Sri Lankan engineers”.

To say that we were delighted when the previous government, which was heading towards establishing a totalitarian state was defeated, is an absolute understatement; we were equally happy to learn of the appointment of Mr Mangala Samaraweera as Foreign Minister, for we were aware of the good work he started when he was Foreign Minister for a short time in the first Rajapaksa administration.

We have in this past year followed his ‘performance’; we also concede that he needs to work with a powerful Prime Minister, the PM’s close friends Malik Samarawickrama and Charitha Ratwatte, who have a say in the management of our foreign relations. We must, however, place on record our disappointment at a statement made by him in his speech to the India Society; he appears to have been carried away and let himself down. He appears to have made this statement to please the Indian Foreign Minister, who was due for the Indo-Lanka Joint Commission meeting.

The Minister has stated “these neo fascists seem to see an Indian under every bus (sic) and live in eternal fear of Indians swarming into Sri Lanka. Whenever a bridge over the Palk Strait to connect our two nations is proposed, they get into a paranoid frenzy that all of India is waiting to drive over that bridge and make Sri Lanka their home; when trade agreements are discussed they see swarms of Indian doctors and barbers coming across to flood the Sri Lanka market. Now they claim that their IT specialists are all waiting to come and take the jobs of Sri Lankan engineers”. He describes this as “insecure, reactionary and muddled thinking”.

If at all anyone has exhibited “muddled thinking”, most sadly it is him. It is obvious he has not had the time or perhaps bothered to read the well thought out articles that appeared on the Bridge Issue, and why it was not in the mutual interest, to proceed with this bridge concept; if only he had, he would not have made these statements; in his enthusiasm to cultivate a close relationship with the emerging super power (which we must) he has clearly been carried away; what does he know of the statements made by Tamil Nadu leaders of their attitude and intentions towards our country; their intention and desire to create a Indo-Lanka Confederation! Yes, there are new Panikkars today. Incidentally we are not “neo fascists” as he describes us (as he should know); we are Secular Nationalists who love our country.

Good luck when you meet that suave, charming and brilliant Indian Foreign Minister who is a gift to India, who incidentally made your predecessor run.

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