Watch WION exclusive: 'Nothing against India,' says Namal Rajapaksa

Namal Rajapaksa, son of Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP in Colombo’s parliament isin the news again. This time, he was arrested during a demonstration outside India’s consulate in his home constituency - the southeastern district of Hambantota.

Rajapaksa spoke to WION’s senior foreign editor Padma Rao Sundarji,the day after being released on bail early this week. The 31-year-old is no newcomer to politics - his father was in office for two terms and is widely credited even by his critics as being the first Sri Lankan head of state to bring the 30-year-long bloody civil war against the Tamil Tigers to an end in 2009.

Namal Rajapaksa talks aboutwhy he was arrested while demonstrating outside the Indian Consulate in Sri Lanka, his country's relations with New Delhi and Beijing and the current government of President Maithripala Sirisena.

Q: Namal Rajapaksa, for months now, there seems to be huge mistrust building up towards India in Sri Lanka. There are rumors that India has been offered a 99-year long lease on what is known as the ‘’emptiest airport in the world” – one your father built for $209 milliontaken as a loan from China. Was your protest that took place very close to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, connected with these rumors too?

A:Initially, we asked our government to explain their program because Sri Lanka’s English media andalso the Indian mediawas reporting that Colombo intends to lease Mattala to the Indian airport company GMR. At the same time, the Sinhala language media was reporting something else. People were confused.

The same thing had happened over the Hambantota port close by too. At one point, the government kept saying they have no plans for the port. Then all of a sudden, the survey department arrived and began to measure 15, 000 acres.

That land has been leased to China. The same is happening over Mattala airport now. The government’s spokesman has been very vocal about the airport. He has been saying we need to give it to India because of geopolitical aspects. We want to balance India - that’s the term he used- for giving China the Hambantota seaport.

Naturally, the people of the area are frustrated and worried about their homeland, where they were brought up and where they have lived for so many years. So, we got together with religious leaders and others of the area to hand over a letter to the Indian government through India’s consul-general in Hambantota.

It was a peaceful march to the consulate. But on the way back, some incidents took place, some collisions between the police and the people took place. The end result was that we had our passports remanded.

Q: Sri Lanka is in heavy external debt, mainly towards China. In Hambantota, it did a debt for equity swap with China, which had built the port and given away the land you mentioned. India expressed its concerns to Colombo since the port may be used by China for its military ships and disturb regional security. Mattala airport is hardly used and the government is running into losses. What is wrong if it offers the airport on a similarly long lease to India?

A: Our struggle is not against China or India. It is for our people and what we get out of it. At the end of the day, it is Sri Lankans, the people of Hambantota who have to live there. It is their homeland, their asset.

China helped my father’s government tremendously. Same goes for India. They have helped us for generations. Unfortunately, our current government is trying to build the India-SL relationship based on political advantage. Not on the cultural, religious, trade relationship that we all enjoyed for generations.

It has now become very politicised. That’s the reason we took to the streets -for our own people, not against India or China.

The Indian Consul-General said he will make sure our letter is forwarded to the government of India in Delhi and also keep Colombo informed. It was our responsibility to inform them that a public demonstration is going to take place and we did our part. But the decisions are made in Colombo. It is not India’s policy to take Mattala airport, it is our own government’s policy.

Q: But Namal Rajapaksa, beyond giving the airport to India on a long lease, are there any other serious issues involving this deal that you are objecting to? Some would say you are merely posturing to seize political advantage…

A:The government should come to terms with the people of the area and begin negotiating, listen to them and not mislead them.

When the Hambantota deal with China was being shaped, the government put forth a proposal to the cabinet. But it was totally different to one they brought up in parliament.

That, in turn, was totally different to what they actually decided. So it’s natural for people to not trust this government because they always do what say they won’t.

The government must educate people aboutwhat they are doing and what their intentions are. They can’t simply send surveyors to tell people that their lands will be taken in six months. People should be given reasonable time. They should know what compensation they will get. They should know how the country will benefit.

Q:What solutions do you offer for revitalising Mattala airport and making it commercially viable?

A: Several things. For one, Mattala airport has to be run in coordination with the Hambantota seaport next door. They should both be connected to the sea and airport in Colombo. We have nothing against investors coming here and investing.

We need good operators to come. But the terms and conditions, the kinds of agreements that have been made, that is what we have a problem with. The Mattala airport has 5000 acres of which 2000 are earmarked for airport development, 3,000 for industries.

Mattala must be seen as a hub for transhipments and transit cargo and passengers.

You could connect the southern hemisphere with Europe and India with Singapore and Malaysia. Passengers would travel through Mattala and duty-free shopping would kick off.

On the 3,000 acres earmarked for the industry, airport-related industries including hospitality could come up there. But without promoting investment, this government is promoting management and that’s simply not enough.

If we can manage Katunayake airport in Colombo and 1.2 million passengers use it, the same management can certainly do this in Hambantota too. And even if the government believes those people cannot manage both airports, it can go in for a management contract with other people – European, Indian – there are a million options.

Instead of going for a management agreement, our government is going for a lease agreement on a long-term basis!

If they really want to develop Mattala, there are enough options available. But look at the way the President behaved in January 2015 - they wanted to store paddy in Mattala airport. That’s a clear indication that they are not serious. And that is one of the serious messages that both India and China should get.

Q: You and the protesters seem certain that it will be the Indian company GMR which will take over Mattala. We spoke to a source at that company’s headquarters who categorically stated that GMR never was and never will be interested in Mattala….

A:I am sure GMR doesn't want to get involved in political turbulence, after all, they had one bad experience in the Maldives recently.

But againour struggle has nothing to do with GMR or the Indian or the Chinese governments. However and going by what you tell me, I feel that if GMR is clear that they are not involved, they should clarify that to the Sri Lankan media. In fact, two MPs brought up GMR even in parliament, based on those media reports.

GMR should clear itself if it is not an interested party.

Q: But relations between Colombo and New Delhi have stagnated. Sri Lanka is caught in a balancing act between its dependence on China and its old ties with India. That’s a foreign policy conundrum anyone would find difficult to solve…

A:The Sri Lankan government should keep its foreign policy non-aligned. We need India, we need China, we need Europe, we need the world.

Any and all of them can give us technology, we should keep an open mind. As far as Mattala is concerned, we hear they are negotiating a deal worth $205 millionand a 99-year lease with India. What is the justification? If you are in debt and can’t pay back your loans, why are you practically selling an asset that can make money?

And a deal that will have serious implications for Sri Lanka’s national security? Airports and seaports are gateways to your country...

In this case, the harbour master and the airport control tower will each belong to two different countries (China and India respectively) who are involved in a huge geopolitical struggle in the region. One will have sea control and one will have air control. We are asking for trouble...