Modi and Rajapaksa bury the hatchet, talk about economic cooperation

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa have buried the hatchet and are now talking of working together to implement India’s economic development programs and investments in Sri Lanka.

This clearly emerged at the half hour meeting which Rajapaksa had, at his request, with Modi in Colombo late at night on Thursday.

Modi is currently in Sri Lanka to be the Chief Guest at the UN-backed International Vesak Day celebrations on Friday.

“The meeting was very friendly and cordial. The two leaders skipped politics and spoke about forging close economic relations between the two countries,” a well-placed source told bdnews24.

Contrary to general expectations, and the urging of his radical colleagues in the Joint Opposition, Rajapaksa did not voice any concerns about the recent economic agreements with India which had created a political storm of sorts in the island.

On the other hand, the former Sri Lankan President dwelt on the deficiencies in the economic policy of the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government and regretted that the projects that his government had launched were stalled.

“The government has failed to generate investor confidence,” Rajapaksa complained.

He pledged support for economic cooperation with India.

However, the Indian Prime Minister, being aware of the opposition to Indian aided projects among Sri Lankan businessmen and professionals, said that they are meant to do good to Sri Lanka and assured that India will not launch any project which is harmful to Sri Lanka.

Curious about China’s role, Modi asked Rajapaksa, who is known to be close to China, about the controversies surrounding the China-executed projects such as Hambantota port. Rajapaksa said that the terms of an agreement on the port are  still being negotiated and that he expects the Chinese to wait.

Manifest cordiality

As soon as Modi entered the room, Rajapaksa asked if he was tired as the evening had been full of engagements. Modi smiled and said: “When I see you tiredness vanishes!” That set the tone for the meeting which went off smoothly. No one other than the two leaders spoke.

Modi then went on to ask why Rajapaksa had not come to India for talks as he had promised to do when they last met in Colombo in March 2015.

Rajapaksa said that he would visit India.

Sources close to the former President said that he might call on Modi at New Delhi the next time he goes on pilgrimage to the Sri Venkateswara temple in Thirupathi in South India or to the Buddhist shrine in Bodh Gaya in North India.

Commenting on the meeting as a whole, the source said: “It looks as if Modi wants to keep up a friendship with Rajapaksa to be able to work with him if he comes back to power.”

It is clear that Rajapaksa also wants to make up with Modi. He had earlier accused the Indian intelligence agency RAW of engineering his electoral defeat in January 2015 for getting close to China at the expense of India. However Rajapaksa took a U-turn recently when he told an interviewer that he “admires” Modi.

He also refused to reiterate his charge against RAW saying: “Let bygones be bygones.”

 On Thursday, Rajapaksa even denied to the media that his parliamentary and political colleague, Wimal Weerawansa, had threatened to hold a black flag demonstration during Modi’s visit.

“Weerawansa’s speech has been misinterpreted,” he argued.

Rajapaksa also said that Modi’s visit “will not have a negative impact on Sri Lanka.”

Others who were present at the meeting were Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Defense Secretary and younger brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, India’s Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar and the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.