Traditionally the first visit of a Nepalese prime minister is to India. However, the recently elected Nepalese Prime minister broke this tradition and chose China as his first visit. Maldivian tradition too is making the first visit to India but their newly elected President broke this tradition and made his first visit to China. Similarly many thought that Anura Kumara would make his first visit to China considering his and his party’s historically close relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. Some also doubted he would select a country other than China or India for his first visit. It was rumoured that as Middle East would be his first destination but Anura turned all those rumours wrong and chose India for his first visit. This is a victory for the Indian Prime Minister Modi.
There is no other Indian leader who has dealt with Sri Lankan leaders as much as Modi. That is why Modi can read Sri Lankan leaders well. The first Sri Lankan leader he met was Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mahinda promised to expedite Indian projects in Sri Lanka in his first meeting with Modi. But Mahinda expedited the Chinese project. Sri Lankan opposition leader Ranil by then had alarmed India that Mahinda would sell the country to China.
In 2015, Maithri became the President and Ranil became the Prime Minister. Maithri first went to India to meet Modi. Modi told Maithri to expedite Indian projects. After that, Modi met Ranil. Ranil told Modi that Maithri was obstructing the acceleration of Indian projects. Finally, Maithri and Ranil joined hands and leased the Hambantota port to China. The Indian projects were not expedited as promised. Gotabaya when he became the President visited India and promised to expedite Indian projects and to jointly develop the Colombo Port East Terminal with an Indian company. He later broke that promise.
Ranil, who warned India that the Rajapaksa family would sell Sri Lanka to China, joined hands with the Rajapaksa family and became president and visited India to meet Modi. He again promised to expedite Indian projects. Modi recently met with the newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara. He too has promised to expedite Indian projects.
Modi and Anura have similarities. Modi was a young man who sold tea on trains to make a living. Anura once said that he sold toffees and cigarettes on trains to make a living. Modi’s mother was a humble village woman. Anura’s mother was also a humble village woman. If Modi had met a leader like him with a humble beginning around the world, it would be Anura. If Anura had met a leader like him with a humble beginning around the world, it would be Modi. It remains to be seen how this chemistry between these two will affect Indo-Sri Lankan relations.
