India wasn’t interested in SL’s development projects: MR

1 March 2018 04:28 pm - 28 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Former President and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that India was not interested in building ports and highway projects in Sri Lanka when it was first offered, the Hindu said.

In response to a question on increasing interest from China in Sri Lankan projects, Mr. Rajapaksa has told reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday on his return from Tirupathi that Sri Lanka offered development projects including ports and highways to India first.

“However, somehow they were interested in building the port at Hambantota. The government did not want it at that time because it was war time I think. What else to do? We went to China and when we mentioned about this, they immediately accepted that proposal. In any case, it was only a commercial transaction,” he said.

He said that they knew how to pay it back. “We knew the importance of Hambantota port. When they offered it, what is the main duty of the leader? To look after the country.”

Unfortunately, he said, the current government sold everything. “In our policy there is no privatisation and we do not believe in privatisation. The present government sold it for 99 years.”

Mr. Rajapaksa said that his country had good ties with India. “But India misunderstood us in the past. In fact, an Indian Ambassador had told me that India is like a teenage girl because teenage girls often misunderstand,”

On further prompting, he said it was Nirupama Rao, the former Indian ambassador, who had made the comparison. While India’s external policy towards Sri Lanka is good, the former President said that some cases need discussion.

On the victory that his Sri Lanka People’s Party attained in local body elections, Mr. Rajapaksa said “We won by a majority. People have given a mandate. We had said that this is not a local government election, but a referendum against the national government. Within these three years, whatever government has messed up, people showed dissatisfaction with the government.”

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Comments - 28

Saman Thursday, 01 March 2018 04:44 PM

Yes Mr. Mahinda we agreed with you here 100%.

poor tax payer Thursday, 01 March 2018 11:05 PM

May be India could not afford your commissions

Rasika Thursday, 01 March 2018 05:18 PM

Never argue with a doctor; he has inside information. —Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding

Sand Man Thursday, 01 March 2018 05:31 PM

If India stop exporting SL then we will go back to stone age

sach Thursday, 01 March 2018 07:06 PM

what is the relevance here?

Daniel Thursday, 01 March 2018 07:43 PM

India exporting what? May be 3-wheels taxis!

Janaka Friday, 02 March 2018 09:28 AM

Petroleum products, iron and steel, cotton, motor cycles and motor vehicles, etc. More than 70% of the SL imports come from India.

alex Friday, 02 March 2018 09:42 AM

Dear Daniel-didn't you know that most of the medicines you take are imported from India

L Perera Friday, 02 March 2018 10:13 AM

San Man there are many countries the we can import most of the items. Also we can produce some food items here. If Sand Man want imported Indian item he can go to India.

mewan Friday, 02 March 2018 06:44 PM

Alex, do you know the medicines they sell us are the substandard ones that they cannot sell to US or Europe

Ceylon Thursday, 01 March 2018 05:36 PM

Sirisena ranil protecting you from jail and protect your stolen trillions.they also corrupt and you are more corrupt than any one.

Dhammika Thursday, 01 March 2018 05:36 PM

Thats why INDIA invested in many projects ! .

Sincere Thursday, 01 March 2018 06:57 PM

RW, MS, MR. All are members of one coalition. They are looking after each others interests, protecting each other,looking after the interests of each other. and just hoodwinking the general public. All three of them are scratching each other's backs. Those who have not understood this truth are fighting each other.

lanka Thursday, 01 March 2018 07:08 PM

Ties with India should be at arms length! They are the godparents of LTTE terrorists. They will always destabilizeSL as they do not want to see a prosperous nation next door.

gamini Friday, 02 March 2018 09:43 AM

India may be the godparents, but SL politicians are the real parents

MAD DOG Thursday, 01 March 2018 08:07 PM

Sir, nowadays the press is giving you prominence and I don't know why. I really like you and the main reason is after putting our country financially bankrupt you still talk about development. Remember one thing, if you would have developed from own money I agree with you. You borrowed heavily and we are now paying your loans.

sach Thursday, 01 March 2018 10:14 PM

debt to GDP was 105 when MR took over in 2005, it was brought down to 78% in 2015. This gover is increasing it,...is it bankruptcy

Palli kanda Friday, 02 March 2018 07:04 PM

Well said. This is best described as power hungry. They will. Never leave

Freddy Yong Thursday, 01 March 2018 09:00 PM

To all Indian authorities in Sri lanka and India. Do not allow this rouge to set foot on Indian soil in the future.

chandra Thursday, 01 March 2018 09:14 PM

He is now surviving with media. He is like Baloon. Inside nothing only air.

sss Thursday, 01 March 2018 09:30 PM

And projects that materialize some how, politicos and their in tow executives (educated free of charge) abuse and pilfer to the extreme leading to poor results

TONY Friday, 02 March 2018 08:51 AM

INDIA WILL NOT INVEST IN USELESS PROJECTS

L Perera Friday, 02 March 2018 10:21 AM

Tony, Why China bought it? Do you think Chinese are uneducated lot to invest huge amount without analyzing a project? Both Indian and Chinese come here to get more than what they bring here. This is true to other nations as well.

sunil Friday, 02 March 2018 11:46 AM

If India was not our neighbor China will not invest anything here. they ave not invested for a profit, but for geo political reasons

Comcerened Friday, 02 March 2018 08:57 AM

He still lives in the past and thinks he is still president yes when he was president yes the story is true

VJ Friday, 02 March 2018 12:59 PM

You were interested in the commission more than the development.

Martin Milton Friday, 02 March 2018 03:14 PM

Yeah, yeah, all good but mind you , YOU had better not return if you would hoodwink the people of Sri Lanka yet again. We know you ARE National minded far FAR more than this ultra corrupt GOSL and you DO have a strong backbone unlike the present ones in the GOSL leadership. However that being said the Sri Lankan people want honesty, integrity, patriotism, and a NOT top heavy Cabinet of not more than 20 at the most if you come to power again. MM

manila Friday, 02 March 2018 03:41 PM

Sir MR I know your love to your country, you may never going to deal with india,Do not allow this rouge to set foot on sri lanka soil in the future.

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India wasn’t interested in SL’s development projects: MR

Comments - 28

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