India has no moral right to comment on power devolution: Sri Lanka

The Hindu
September 04, 2019

Minister outlines his position on withdrawal of Kashmir’s special status

Following the withdrawal of Kashmir’s special status, India does not have a “moral right” to comment on power devolution to provinces in Sri Lanka, Cabinet Minister Champika Ranawaka has said, citing “analysts”.

Following a nearly 11-minute-long video message on his official Facebook page last week, the office of the Minister of Megapolis and Western Development also issued a press statement on the subject earlier this week. The message outlines his position on the Kashmir development, and its possible implications to the Indian engagement in Sri Lanka that has continued since the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987, that led to the creation of provincial councils and envisaged substantive power devolution to them.

In a statement titled “India moves towards unitary status with the annexation of Kashmir”, the Minister noted that as India moves forward to build a strong economy in the region, it was only natural to opt for a unitary state structure. “Going by Indian PM Narendra Modi’s current initiatives, you can only consider him a president with executive powers,” said Mr. Ranawaka who leads the right-wing Sinhala nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya [National Heritage Party].

In a context where a future India has “anti-Muslim feelings”, there is no doubt that Indian politics will have a big influence on the activities of the Islamist fundamentalist groups in Sri Lanka. “These will bring a new dimension to northern Tamil politics, Islamist fundamentalist movements in the south and Sinhalese nationalist movements, and in general concerns pertaining to Sri Lanka’s national security,” the statement further said.

Mr. Ranawaka is among the few Sri Lankan politicians to refer to or comment on the Kashmir development, following Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Foreign Ministry has maintained that the move is “India’s internal matter”, refraining from further comment.

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