Monday 1st February, 2021
The government has found itself in an unenviable position. It has numerous problems to contend with both here and overseas. Two of them are very serious. It has had to face a port
ca’canny against its proposed joint venture with India’s Adani Group to operate the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port, and is troubled by the prospect of another turn of the screw in Geneva soon. It is against this backdrop that the government decision to meet the port workers’ demand that Sri Lanka operate the ECT without any foreign involvement should be viewed. The port go-slow was still on at the time of going to press.
The proposal to sell 49 percent of the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port to a group of investors led by India’s Modi-friendly Adani Group has been the hottest potato to land on our ruling coalition’s lap since its election last year. Massive trade union and other resistance, strongly supported by the Buddhist clergy and other activists, many of whom campaigned for the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP) and its allies at the last election, continues to escalate. This opposition is backed by one of the country’s most popular television channels is enervating the ‘Save ECT’ effort. The fact that Adani is interested in the new farm laws against which unprecedented farmer protests have been mounted in India has added grist to the mill of those hellbent on preventing what they call a sell-off of a valuable national asset.