The “clan” of the Rajapaksa, in power in Colombo until the leak of President Gotabaya, had been associated with the spectacular boom in Beijing investments in the island. India had lost its traditional influence there.
by and
The fall of the Rajapaksa “family”, which has just been swept away in the turmoil of an unprecedented popular revolution in Sri Lanka, is a golden opportunity for India to regain its influence on the island. Even if no Indian leader will say in these terms, this perspective is based on a tangible reality: the “clan” of the fallen president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had allowed China to strengthen its presence in South Asia. Sri Lanka, whose relationship with New Delhi is traditionally narrow but not without complexity, had thus constituted a “war -catching” of importance for Beijing in the context of its rivalry with India. “This crisis is undoubtedly a way for us to improve our relationship with Sri Lanka”, confirms an Indian diplomatic source which welcomes the fact that his country benefits at the moment “a positive image in Colombo”.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had rushed into the breach from the start of the year, while the Sri Lankan economy wobbled down the precipice: New Delhi unlocked in favor of the island of Credit lines of $ 3.8 billion, intended for purchases of essential goods, fuels and fertilizers. India has also provided humanitarian assistance.
outstretched
This outstretched hand is part of the policy of Neighbourhood First [“The neighborhood first”] wanted by New Delhi, with the aim of recovering its influence in the region, singularly in Sri Lanka, where China has Imposed through infrastructure projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-The famous “New Silk Roads”.
Under the chairmanship of Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005-2015) -who became Prime Minister of his brother Gotabaya after the latter’s victory in the 2019 presidential election -, Sri Lanka had indebtedly indebted to Beijing. And the disproportionate projects of a head of state suffering from the madness of grandeur had led to a resounding fiasco. The most striking example of these “white elephants” was the construction of a port terminal and an international airport on the native land of Rajapaksa, in Hambantota, in the south of the country.
The port has never attracted cargos, any more than the airports the planes. Result, Sri Lanka was forced to sell the port terminal, for a period of ninety-nine years, to the state company China Merchants Port Holdings, in return for the erasure of a loan at China just over $ 1 billion. Since the crisis has reached its highlight, mid -July, with the shameful flight of “Gota” -nickname of the fallen president -, forced to abandon his residence after the invasion of it by hostile masses , China remained silent. Leaving, for the moment, the free field to India and giving the latter the leisure to push its pawns on the chessboard of the regional “big game”. “India has already done a lot for Sri Lanka and provided considerable financial efforts in the last six months. This contrasts with the relative absence of China since the start of this crisis,” confirms Constantino Xavier, associate researcher At the Center for Social and Economic Progress, a reflection group based in New Delhi.
You have 43.79% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.