Frontline Socialists Accuse India of Asset Grab

COLOMBO (News 1st); As Sri Lanka grapples with its crippling economic crisis, concerns are mounting about potential exploitation of its national assets by India. 

The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) raised strong allegations at a media briefing in Colombo, accusing India of using the crisis as an opportunity to acquire strategic holdings across the island nation.

Duminda Nagamuwa, an organizer with the FSP, painted a stark picture of Indian encroachment. 

He claimed plans to evict thousands of families in the North and East, including in historic fishing villages like Samudragama and Vijithapura. 

Additionally, he expressed concerns over ongoing projects like the India-Sri Lanka power transmission grid and renewable energy initiatives involving Adani in the North.

Nagamuwa further raised suspicions about a proposed oil pipeline between India and Sri Lanka, suggesting its true purpose is to control oil supply for international vessels, leveraging Sri Lanka's strategic location.

He also highlighted the potential threat to the Mannar Basin's estimated 167 billion USD natural gas and crude oil reserves, with India allegedly eyeing extraction and refining on Sri Lankan soil.

The FSP spokesperson elaborated on plans for economic zones stretching from Trincomalee to Colombo, linking major ports and potentially connecting India to the island nation seamlessly. 

He linked this to the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project and expressed anxieties about a potential Indian rupee takeover in Sri Lanka's financial sphere.

Nagamuwa also denounced the proposed lease of state-owned entities like NLDB and Milco to Indian corporations, with Amul reportedly eyeing vast agricultural lands. 

Additionally, he criticized the planned sale of Sri Lankan Airlines, with Adani again a potential buyer.