NEW DELHI, March 5: The Sri Lankan High Commission in India has remained without a Head of Mission for 14 months now.
Veteran civil servant Austin Fernando, who was posted here as the High Commissioner, went back home in January last year.
Former Minister Milinda Moragoda was appointed as the new High Commissioner with a Cabinet rank late last year, and India has accepted the appointment shortly thereafter.
But Moragoda is yet to take charge. It is not clear when he is planning to arrive in India.
Being a large neighbour and in view of excellent relations between the two countries, India is important for Sri Lanka.
Prof. N.A. De S Amaratunga in his piece “Is government in self-destructive mode? in The Island of 22 Jan. said more than 60% of people who voted for this government were poor rural people and he has emphasized the need to focus on these people. The livelihood of nearly 70% of those living in rural areas is farming. As per the policy manifesto of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ (
‘Rata Hadana Saubhagyaye Dekma’), one of the main objectives of the government is creating a people-centered economy through rural development. The Finance Minister in his budget speech presented recently, too, emphasized the importance of improving the Rural Economy. Thus, the government has emphasized the need to improve the rural economy.
Jaishankar means Victory of Lord Shiva! – Part II island.lk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from island.lk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(Former High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in India)
The title of this article may baffle the readers. I chose it knowing well that the critics of India desirous of seeing Minister Jaishankar lose would be offended.
Dr. Jaishankar, the Indian Minister of External Affairs visited Sri Lanka from 4 to 7 January on the invitation of Minister of Foreign Relations Dinesh Gunawardena hoping for nothing but victory.
The media eagerly awaited press statements. The outcomes of all high-level discussions are not included in the media statements, but observers read between the lines. This article is based on the statements covering three specific areas devolution, development, and defense/security.
Posted on January 10th, 2021
C. Wijeyawickrema, B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., M.A., Ph.D.
Dear
Mr. Austin Fernando:
Thank
you very much for your response (Jan. 2) to my previous essay titled, Attempts to
exhume the provincial council cadaver: a reply to Mr. Austin Fernando,”
(Lankaweb, Dec. 31). However, I am not happy with your decision to stop our
exchange, because it appears to me that you did miss my message. The attachment
to my message in Sinhala is simple and clear, and it identified you as a
devolution” thief. You are a cool disciple of the boisterous Dayan Jayatilleke,
in a different