India and Sri Lanka have not been on the best of terms for the past several years, and have worsened during the time when popular politician Mahinda Rajapaksa headed the nation. The present coalition government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appears to be working substantially to repair the bilateral relations. However, a statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena that India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) plotted an assassination attempt on him is bound to create a flutter in political circles there. Prima facie, the statement has embarrassed the Wickremesinghe government as the president has also said the government was not being serious about this threat to his life.
It is small comfort that the president stressed that the Indian political establishment headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi might not necessarily know about the plot, and that even American Presidents might at times not know what its CIA was doing. The loaded statement from the president came at a time when a meeting has been scheduled in New Delhi between the Sri Lankan premier and PM Modi. The shadow of this allegation is bound to fall on the bilateral engagements in the capital.
Notably, the allegation was made in the context of the arrest of an Indian national in Sri Lanka after an anti-graft investigation official claimed to have detected a plot to harm the President as also former defence secretary and Mahinda’s brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It is also notable that reports emerged of the president trying to topple the present coalition government, in which his party is a partner, and form an alternative alliance government with support from Mahinda Rajapaksa.
India’s earlier close relations with Sri Lanka experienced strains on two counts – namely the separatist struggle waged by the pro-Tamil LTTE in the northern region, and the special interest China has taken to wean Sri Lanka away from Indian influence. Mahinda Rajapaksa rightly claims the credit for finishing off the LTTE offensive. He also helped take the country closer to China through trade, port infra and other deals. After his defeat, the new government is trying to strengthen ties between the island nation and India. This is time to invest more trust in this bilateral relation and clear the misunderstandings, if any, between the two neighbours.
Reports are that the president might change his statement, as no evidence has emerged to back such a claim against RAW. The sooner the air is cleared of baseless charges, the better for both the nations.