Sri Lanka - News and Discussion- Post PM appointment crisis

yensoy · Post by **yensoy** » 10 Jul 2022 06:19

Time to reprint a blank "Instrument of Accession" and get the SL Govt & all political parties to sign it. Sardar Patel, we need you now more than we ever needed you in the last 50 years.

Atmavik · Post by **Atmavik** » 10 Jul 2022 06:52

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_QE0nuOkt0

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 10 Jul 2022 08:57

We wait till they get IMF help. 3billion will be eaten up within one week. Then we act.

madhu · Post by **madhu** » 10 Jul 2022 14:21

yensoy wrote:Time to reprint a blank "Instrument of Accession" and get the SL Govt & all political parties to sign it. Sardar Patel, we need you now more than we ever needed you in the last 50 years.

I had put forth the same idea long time before. But many in this forum itself did not agree. I was not convinced by their reasoning.

I still feel we need to add Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan to india. Of course from their will not by force.

SRajesh · Post by **SRajesh** » 10 Jul 2022 14:43

Bhutan more milder Buddhist and closer?? To Ladhaki and Tibetan form
But Sri Lankan Buddhist more violent and intense hatred towards Hindu
Nepal should have been added long ago but now the commies have soured the relationship
Nepal and Bhutan addition won’t have big impact on peaceful demographics but SL will add a lot of headaches
Maybe SL not full assimilation but only defence and external affairs??

kit · Post by **kit** » 10 Jul 2022 19:11

What if you dont have fuel or food ?.. gym

https://twitter.com/i/status/1546044723076292608

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 10 Jul 2022 19:54

kit wrote:What if you dont have fuel or food ?.. gym

https://twitter.com/i/status/1546044723076292608

And people were making fun of the Taliban when they did the same. So much for the 'most literate/developed' society in Sooth Asia.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 11 Jul 2022 02:18

Rsatchi wrote:Bhutan more milder Buddhist and closer?? To Ladhaki and Tibetan form
But Sri Lankan Buddhist more violent and intense hatred towards Hindu
Nepal should have been added long ago but now the commies have soured the relationship
Nepal and Bhutan addition won’t have big impact on peaceful demographics but SL will add a lot of headaches
Maybe SL not full assimilation but only defence and external affairs??

If I remember correctly, Sri Lanka follows Theravada form of Buddhism (also known as Hinayana, or Inferior Vehicle). This is an earlier form of Buddhism and is concerned with the liberation of the individual follower. The rest of the world follows the Mahayana (Great Vehicle) form of Buddhism. This is more concerned with liberation of society. This could be a cause of the difference. Historically, Sri Lanka was under the British rule, when divide and conquer policies were adopted that divided the Hindu minority and the Buddhist majority.
Gautam

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 11 Jul 2022 02:43

g.sarkar wrote:
Rsatchi wrote:Bhutan more milder Buddhist and closer?? To Ladhaki and Tibetan form
But Sri Lankan Buddhist more violent and intense hatred towards Hindu
Nepal should have been added long ago but now the commies have soured the relationship
Nepal and Bhutan addition won’t have big impact on peaceful demographics but SL will add a lot of headaches
Maybe SL not full assimilation but only defence and external affairs??
If I remember correctly, Sri Lanka follows Theravada form of Buddhism (also known as Hinayana, or Inferior Vehicle). This is an earlier form of Buddhism and is concerned with the liberation of the individual follower. The rest of the world follows the Mahayana (Great Vehicle) form of Buddhism. This is more concerned with liberation of society. This could be a cause of the difference. Historically, Sri Lanka was under the British rule, when divide and conquer policies were adopted that divided the Hindu minority and the Buddhist majority.
Gautam

Apart from that the difference with SL is that Buddhism there is predominantly a form of 'political Buddhism', much like political Islam in the rest of the world, with the most right-wing, chauvinistic ethnic Sinhalese political group deriving most of it's support from Buddhist monks who are like-minded in outlook and thought process. This situation is generally a bit different from other countries that follow Theravada Buddhism, for example in SE Asia.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 Jul 2022 03:03

It is not possible to have such protests without outside support, be it overt or covert

the next few days are crucial and that covert or overt force may reveal itself

my bet is on the SL military who seem to have played an outwardly benign as well as a deliberately passive role.

This is from an army which not too long ago was exceptionally brutal in supressing and subduing the ltte and if they really wanted to protect rajapaksa, they would have done so without batting an eyelid

It is not as though these guys are shy and retiring, they also know very clearly who they are

and the fact that the protestors entered the president's house much after he had left....

kit · Post by **kit** » 11 Jul 2022 08:30

India must facilitate a national referendum in SRI LANKA to join the Union of India

Hari Nair · Post by **Hari Nair** » 11 Jul 2022 10:04

chetak wrote:It is not possible to have such protests without outside support, be it overt or covert

the next few days are crucial and that covert or overt force may reveal itself

my bet is on the SL military who seem to have played an outwardly benign as well as a deliberately passive role. ....

I agree.

The "spontaneous" protests suddenly gained such momentum and precision that the President and PM were forced to resign. Noteworthy that:

"In a brief statement, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva was quoted as saying in reports that an opportunity has arisen to resolve the current crisis in a peaceful manner. He requested all Sri Lankans to support the Armed Forces and the Police to ensure that peace is maintained in the country." (from the Colombo Gazette news portal)

"...an opportunity has arisen to resolve the current crisis..." appears to have a deeper meaning.

The Lankan Times Online reports on the PM's private residence being burnt down:

"Police investigating the attack on Premier Wickremesinghe’s residence at Fifth Lane, Kollupitiya said the three persons arrested were from Mt Lavinia, Ja-Ela and Galle while more persons have been identified to be arrested.

According to eyewitnesses soon before the attack on the premier’s residence took place a group who arrived at the scene had ordered journalists and others not to capture video footage and then proceeded to scale the wall and set fire to the house. Simultaneously the power also failed in the area.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has launched a separate inquiry to ascertain the reasons for the failure of power at the particular time."

Obviously, there is a coordinating force behind these targeted riots.

Interesting to note - Our esteemed leader Swamy seems to be out-of-sync and still batting for the Rajapakhas in his tweet; that has drawn much ire from Sri Lankans (sic):
"both Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksha were elected in a free election with thumping majority. How can India allow a mob to overturn such a legitimate election? Then no democratic country in our neighbourhood will be safe. If Rajapaksa wants India’s military help we must give"

Perhaps such a request may have been communicated through him and was turned down by GoI?

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 11 Jul 2022 10:08

kit wrote:India must facilitate a national referendum in SRI LANKA to join the Union of India

No this is the worst Idea India could have come up with.

India must take a hands off approach with Sri Lanka.

This mess is a result of Lanka's belief that they can play an outside power against India. With India having no choice but to bend the knee.

India should by keeping clear of this mess sends a message to Lanka's political class that this will not be a paying proposition. Let it work it out on its own. Once that happens happens, perhaps Lanka will stop being what it is.

SRajesh · Post by **SRajesh** » 11 Jul 2022 10:17

^^Agree unlike Bhutan and Nepal, total integration with SL will be a messy affair

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 11 Jul 2022 10:28

India should by keeping clear of this mess sends a message to Lanka's political class that this will not be a paying proposition. Let it work it out on its own. Once that happens happens, perhaps Lanka will stop being what it is.

+1

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 11 Jul 2022 10:31

It is funny to watch the Lankan leadership's body language and decorum. They stay quite and well dressed . It looks as if they personslly are not tuched by this. There is a Srilankan colony that has problem. 80 ISD pp jncome but they are dressed up as they represent some developed country. Everybody is in tight 3 piece suit in the hot weather. I was told they have electricity problems. One can see that ruling elite is not suffering at all.

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 11 Jul 2022 12:19

yensoy wrote:Time to reprint a blank "Instrument of Accession" and get the SL Govt & all political parties to sign it. Sardar Patel, we need you now more than we ever needed you in the last 50 years.

Why, for God’s sake?

India is not an expansionist state. Even if it were, what possible assets would Sri Lanka bring us? We already have enough entitled unruly supremacist parasites who would take India for all they can get and then work for its destruction. Why do we need 20M more?

Nobody forced the Lankans to elect Rajapakses, Jayawardenes, Premadasas, Bandarnaikes etc. etc. All of whom took India’s help, only to spit in India’s face. The fact that they did get elected one after the other tells us enough about their nature & priorities.

Let the Lankans fight & sacrifice for becoming part of India like the Goans or erstwhile Hyderabad-state people did, and then we can see.

Until such time, give enough help to satisfy humanitarian requirements & to prevent instability from spilling over. Get some quid pro quo, but don’t trust them too much.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 Jul 2022 12:34

venomous snakes always raise their hood when they know people are watching......

first time one has ever heard that the criminally die-nastic cabal of the power besotted, and thieving terrorist tribe of the goats are "democratic"

all hail the new oracle who wishes to drag India into a vietnam like quagmire, "if they (the desperate goats) "want" it"

and pray, why wouldn't "goats" want it, along with the keys to India's tijori, of course.

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 11 Jul 2022 12:48

In pics of the April unrest, I saw a lot of JVP banners. Not so much this time, it seems. I can’t imagine JVP is not involved. So are they keeping a low profile?

Very curious to see which way all this will go. Somehow Gota and Ranil are going too easily and meekly.

Would love to be wrong but I don’t see any outcome breaking in India’s favor, as it seems obvious we are not pulling the strings.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 11 Jul 2022 14:55

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/indi ... 220711.htm
India refutes reports of sending troops to Sri Lanka
Hemant Waje, July 11, 2022
The Indian high commission in Sri Lanka has categorically dismissed for the second time in as many months the speculative media reports about New Delhi sending its troops to Colombo, where thousands of angry protesters stormed embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence and set Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's house on fire amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
President Rajapaksa on Saturday announced that he will resign.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also said that he will step down after a new government is formed.
"The high commission would like to categorically deny speculative reports in sections of media and social media about India sending her troops to Sri Lanka. These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of India," the Indian high commission said in a tweet late on Sunday.
"The Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated today that India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity & progress through democratic means & values, established institutions & constitutional framework," it said.
In its first reaction to the massive political turmoil in Colombo, India on Sunday said it stands with the Sri Lankan people in their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means, established institutions and constitutional framework.
......
Gautam

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 11 Jul 2022 15:15

KLNMurthy wrote:
yensoy wrote:Time to reprint a blank "Instrument of Accession" and get the SL Govt & all political parties to sign it. Sardar Patel, we need you now more than we ever needed you in the last 50 years.
Nobody forced the Lankans to elect Rajapakses, Jayawardenes, Premadasas, Bandarnaikes etc. etc. All of whom took India’s help, only to spit in India’s face. The fact that they did get elected one after the other tells us enough about their nature & priorities.

True. Also, they have just finished burning the personal home of Ranil Wickramasinghe (who was pro-India and by all accounts a sane, sensible and patriotic guy).

The 'rogue leadership' argument can be true only to a limited extent in a democratic setup. After decades of these kinds of leaders, it clearly is a reflection of the thought process and attitudes of the common people who elect them.

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 11 Jul 2022 15:18

chetak wrote:venomous snakes always raise their hood when they know people are watching......

first time one has ever heard that the criminally die-nastic cabal of the power besotted, and thieving terrorist tribe of the goats are "democratic"

all hail the new oracle who wishes to drag India into a vietnam like quagmire, "if they (the desperate goats) "want" it"

and pray, why wouldn't "goats" want it, along with the keys to India's tijori, of course.

I don't think that the Rajapakshas even want it, this guy is probably speaking on behalf of his CCP friends. And of course, any excuse to attack and criticize the Modi govt is a bonus for him.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 Jul 2022 15:29

KLNMurthy wrote:
yensoy wrote:Time to reprint a blank "Instrument of Accession" and get the SL Govt & all political parties to sign it. Sardar Patel, we need you now more than we ever needed you in the last 50 years.
Why, for God’s sake?

India is not an expansionist state. Even if it were, what possible assets would Sri Lanka bring us? We already have enough entitled unruly supremacist parasites who would take India for all they can get and then work for its destruction. Why do we need 20M more?

Nobody forced the Lankans to elect Rajapakses, Jayawardenes, Premadasas, Bandarnaikes etc. etc. All of whom took India’s help, only to spit in India’s face. The fact that they did get elected one after the other tells us enough about their nature & priorities.

Let the Lankans fight & sacrifice for becoming part of India like the Goans or erstwhile Hyderabad-state people did, and then we can see.

Until such time, give enough help to satisfy humanitarian requirements & to prevent instability from spilling over. Get some quid pro quo, but don’t trust them too much.

SL is a culturally hostile state. They have always been Hindu averse and for them we are the "vanar sena", and always will be. A lot of sinhala taqiya goes on to grab aid from "soft" India and also the so called "lines of credit" from India which one doesn't see being paid back ever.

they have played us off against the cheeni, and gained approx $5 billions in the bargain, give or take. An abrupt stoppage of this aid by India means that, very obviously, some matters have come to an irreconcilable head and India has said enough is enough.

With the sinhala, there has only ever been the "quid" and never ever the "pro quo", except perhaps with the cheeni, who have them in an inescapable chokehold and whom they very much fear.

SL has various religious factions, and the usual suspects that are being bankrolled and supported from outside the country, almost a parallel BIF if one may say so.

The terrorist attacks some time ago was a clear evidence of this where one jehadi cabal set upon another jehadi cabal and no action was taken despite India providing a clear and unambiguous advance warning

Do we need these two cabals joining up with similar cabals in two south Indian states and opening up not just one but two active orders and also the via lakshadweep routes for drugs, human trafficking and the arms trade

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 11 Jul 2022 15:32

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... dent-quits
Sri Lankan opposition parties plan unity government after president quits
Prime minister as well as Rajapaksa will step down after months of protests culminated in attacks on their homes
Hannah Ellis-Petersen, South Asia correspondent, 10 Jul 2022
Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties have hurriedly moved to form an all-party unity government a day after the president and the prime minister said they would resign from office after mounting public pressure.
On Sunday, leaders from the main opposition political parties met to discuss an effective transition of power, following the much anticipated resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 13 July.
Caretaker prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has only been in office since May, also agreed to step down if an all-party government could be formed to take over the running of the country. Wickremesinghe, whose private residence was set alight by protesters on Saturday, emphasised that the country was facing critical times and needed a stable government.
Protesters remained in Rajapaksa’s residence, his seaside office and the prime minister’s home, saying they would stay until the resignations are official. The president’s whereabouts was unknown.
Soldiers were deployed around the city and the chief of defence staff, Shavendra Silva, called for public support to maintain law and order. But troops simply watched from afar as crowds of people splashed in the garden pool of Rajapaksa’s sprawling residence, lounged on beds and took selfies of themselves on their mobile phones to capture the moment.
Wimal Weerawansa, a MP who was formerly with the ruling party but broke away as the country’s economy collapsed, said that the opposition parties had “agreed in principle to form a government of unity with all parties’ participation for an interim period.” Discussions were said to be still continuing about who will be the new prime minister and president.
The unity government is likely to be only a temporary measure until parliamentary elections can be held. However, whoever takes over the running of the country faces a difficult road ahead, with Sri Lanka’s economic woes showing no sign of relenting, and warnings that the fuel and food shortages could worsen. They could also face issues of public legitimacy. Many of the protesters who have been demonstrating against President Rajapaksa are not supportive of many of the MPs, who they view as still part of the political establishment that caused Sri Lanka’s downfall.
Rajapaksa has been president since November 2019 and, alongside five other members of his family who held senior political posts, stands accused of corruption, bankrupting the country and triggering the worst economic crisis since independence.
.....
Gautam

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 11 Jul 2022 18:02

There's no ways riots of this scale is organic ! This was pre-planned and well organized, and the fact that SL Army stood aside and let people loot and burn the government buildings including the Presidential palace hints at some powerful external sources behind the curtain. It almost looks like the rioting and arson was aimed more at China than at Rajapaksa/Wickremesinghe clans. Whoever comes to power after the dust settles is most likely in bed with the US & EU.

A Deshmukh · Post by **A Deshmukh** » 11 Jul 2022 19:11

KLNMurthy wrote:Even if it were, what possible assets would Sri Lanka bring us?

SL brings us deep sea port, extended fishing zones, EEZ - mining of sands, better satellite launch sites, better connectivity between east and west seaboards, easier reach into Indian Ocean.

Should we merge SL into India - not until there are more changes to the mindset and SL govt nationalises/cancels the Chinese ports and any contracts.

srin · Post by **srin** » 11 Jul 2022 19:31

I don't understand the merger conversation. Separation is easy, but merger is quite difficult. Bigger question is - is it in our best interest ? I don't know.

The best thing is to do an EU-like union with smaller countries - freedom of movement, free trade etc. Will work for SL, Nepal and Bhutan. I'm afraid that some jehadi-pasand PM (or MMS II) who will be elected 20 years from now will implement it for BD also ...

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 11 Jul 2022 19:38

A Deshmukh wrote:
KLNMurthy wrote:Even if it were, what possible assets would Sri Lanka bring us?
SL brings us deep sea port, extended fishing zones, EEZ - mining of sands, better satellite launch sites, better connectivity between east and west seaboards, easier reach into Indian Ocean.

Should we merge SL into India - not until there are more changes to the mindset and SL govt nationalises/cancels the Chinese ports and any contracts.

Why do we continue to have such pipe dreams ? We can barely control Nepal and Bhutan as it stands today. The average sinhala lankan looks at India with disdain, they have always thought of themselves as being culturally, ethnically and spiritually different than us. Even if we militarily takeover the island, we will be looking at multiple insurgencies for the next 100 yrs.

Instead it is time to get serious about a more aggressive Bangladesh post Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh will become another Pakistan within the next 10-12 yrs.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 11 Jul 2022 20:00

Ambar wrote:
A Deshmukh wrote: SL brings us deep sea port, extended fishing zones, EEZ - mining of sands, better satellite launch sites, better connectivity between east and west seaboards, easier reach into Indian Ocean.

Should we merge SL into India - not until there are more changes to the mindset and SL govt nationalises/cancels the Chinese ports and any contracts.
Why do we continue to have such pipe dreams ? We can barely control Nepal and Bhutan as it stands today. The average sinhala lankan looks at India with disdain, they have always thought of themselves as being culturally, ethnically and spiritually different than us. Even if we militarily takeover the island, we will be looking at multiple insurgencies for the next 100 yrs.

Instead it is time to get serious about a more aggressive Bangladesh post Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh will become another Pakistan within the next 10-12 yrs.

Yes. We need to work on destruction of Islamism instead of these pipe dreams

kit · Post by **kit** » 11 Jul 2022 20:01

srin wrote:I don't understand the merger conversation. Separation is easy, but merger is quite difficult. Bigger question is - is it in our best interest ? I don't know.

The best thing is to do an EU-like union with smaller countries - freedom of movement, free trade etc. Will work for SL, Nepal and Bhutan. I'm afraid that some jehadi-pasand PM (or MMS II) who will be elected 20 years from now will implement it for BD also ...

Bhutan is already an Indian protectorate., i was thinking same lines for SL and Nepal. India would take of their defence and foreign policy while they can govern themselves

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 11 Jul 2022 20:07

kit wrote:
srin wrote:I don't understand the merger conversation. Separation is easy, but merger is quite difficult. Bigger question is - is it in our best interest ? I don't know.

The best thing is to do an EU-like union with smaller countries - freedom of movement, free trade etc. Will work for SL, Nepal and Bhutan. I'm afraid that some jehadi-pasand PM (or MMS II) who will be elected 20 years from now will implement it for BD also ...

Bhutan is already an Indian protectorate., i was thinking same lines for SL and Nepal. India would take of their defence and foreign policy while they can govern themselves

They will never, ever agree to such an arrangement. Nepal and more recently Bhutan are directly dealing with China despite the Chinese relentless salami slicing occupation of Nepalese and Bhutanese land, so much for them being Indian protectorates. I'd be interested to know how Srilanka plans on repaying over $4 billion dollars to India once they recover.

arvin · Post by **arvin** » 11 Jul 2022 20:41

Even if they some how repay India $4 billion at a leisurely pace, they still need to repay $28 billion by 2027, out of $50 billion debt they owe.
Looks impossible to repay that much debt.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-ne ... 79673.html

Sri Lanka reportedly has over $50 billion in debt. Of this, it needs to pay $28 billion by 2027. The country has been struggling to ensure supply of fuel and other essentials for its people.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 Jul 2022 20:47

Ambar wrote:
kit wrote:

Bhutan is already an Indian protectorate., i was thinking same lines for SL and Nepal. India would take of their defence and foreign policy while they can govern themselves
They will never, ever agree to such an arrangement. Nepal and more recently Bhutan are directly dealing with China despite the Chinese relentless salami slicing occupation of Nepalese and Bhutanese land, so much for them being Indian protectorates. I'd be interested to know how Srilanka plans on repaying over $4 billion dollars to India once they recover.

what if they did a another "deal" like hambanthota with the cheeni and called it a "commercial" deal and both SL/BHU and the cheeni (hypothetically) told India to take a hike, defence and foreign policy mandates, not withstanding

would you go to war, or go to court, or go to the SL/BHU (hypothetically) parliament to plead your case and what if you were over ruled by either or both legislative bodies.

what happens to the treaty then....

just asking onlee

A Deshmukh · Post by **A Deshmukh** » 11 Jul 2022 22:32

Ambar wrote:Why do we continue to have such pipe dreams ?

I am told (true or untrue) Rajkapse approached Indian govt for such a deal.
It would be SL idea to get out of the jam they are in.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 11 Jul 2022 22:40

A Deshmukh wrote:
Ambar wrote:Why do we continue to have such pipe dreams ?
I am told (true or untrue) Rajkapse approached Indian govt for such a deal.
It would be SL idea to get out of the jam they are in.

Well Rajapakse has been booted out. Lankan leadership has zero credibility in the eyes of their public. The people on the streets are not demanding a union with India. Just because someone loses their money does not mean they are willing to give up their independence. Even if we sign any such deal we'll be left with a hostile population which will see us as colonizers and we'll get saddled with their debt and bankruptcy problems to boot. I'm sorry but actually wanting this right now is insane.

kit · Post by **kit** » 11 Jul 2022 23:03

nachiket wrote:
A Deshmukh wrote: I am told (true or untrue) Rajkapse approached Indian govt for such a deal.
It would be SL idea to get out of the jam they are in.
Well Rajapakse has been booted out. Lankan leadership has zero credibility in the eyes of their public. The people on the streets are not demanding a union with India. Just because someone loses their money does not mean they are willing to give up their independence. Even if we sign any such deal we'll be left with a hostile population which will see us as colonizers and we'll get saddled with their debt and bankruptcy problems to boot. I'm sorry but actually wanting this right now is insane.

Well., point is how far India will go doling out money. This is not a black swan event . Rather a portend of things to come. Small nations will not survive independently. A referendum should happen at some point. Food beats "independence" any day.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 11 Jul 2022 23:06

A Deshmukh wrote: SL brings us deep sea port, extended fishing zones, EEZ - mining of sands, better satellite launch sites, better connectivity between east and west seaboards, easier reach into Indian Ocean.
.

Don’t know what to make of this list

None of the above list matters to India. Adani is building a deep port right in my backyard at Vizhinjam, that can and will easily replace Colombo as a major Indian transshipment hub. The draft before dredging is 18 meters and after capital dredging can go upto 28 meters. The biggest 22,000 TEU ships need far less than that. And there is more space between Vizhinjam and Kanyakumari for more such hubs if needed. The region is barely miles from international shipping trunk routes and is well connected by rail and road to Indian hinterland unlike Sri Lanka.

India is under-utilising its own fishing banks (case in point Wadge Bank). Plus if world wide Chinese poaching is any indication, the smaller nations won’t bother if Indian fishermen pay right bribe. So no advantage there too.

As for satellite launches, Kulashekharapattinam is close to VSSC-LPSC clusters and needs none of the polar-shots’ dog-leg makeovers around Sri Lanka like SHAR. For Geo-shots, Sri Lanka is still far enough from equator to provide any advantage over SHAR. Only way out of that is a sea launch or to lease an atoll off Maldives (Addu City comes to mind)

And how the hell does accession of Sri Lanka provide “ better connectivity between east and west seaboards”?

Summary: Accession of Sri Lanka bring nothing to the table for India, economically or strategically. let them stew in their self-made fiasco, just make sure Chinese bleed due to their investments and work long term to have a more pro-India polity.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 11 Jul 2022 23:53

How much of this uprising is a spontaneous one as opposed to a Arab Spring type of manufactured discontent?

I remember there was an article some time ago how woke policies with respect to some critical area led to massive shortages, not sure if it was food… dont recall the exact item though.

disha · Post by **disha** » 11 Jul 2022 23:58

hnair wrote: Summary: Accession of Sri Lanka bring nothing to the table for India, economically or strategically. let them stew in their self-made fiasco, just make sure Chinese bleed due to their investments and work long term to have a more pro-India polity.

+72

SL is an independent sovereign nation and they need to do their deal with Gota and his friends and their cheeni backers. Gota and his family and his cronies controlled some 50% of SL hook or crook (mostly crook) and the entire Rajapaksa clan is better exiled in Cheen. Or in Bakistan.

India will continue to provide humanitarian aid to all and every country that deserves the aid. India is a global leader and additionally has to shoulder world responsibilities when other great and so-called great powers are collapsing.

Accession of SL to India distracts India from its larger global role. If SL wants to help, they can take 50% of the special population from Keral and provide them with economic growth opportunities.

disha · Post by **disha** » 12 Jul 2022 00:02

Tanaji wrote:How much of this uprising is a spontaneous one as opposed to a Arab Spring type of manufactured discontent?

This has been brewing for a while. Right from 2021. It has come to a point where people on the streets are dying. And SL can take no more.

If things get violent, Cheen can send its army to secure the hambanthota port. And the nation as well. As they are doing in Nepal.