A Windy Affair: India’s Dilemma in Sri Lanka

Well, well, well, if it isn’t the tide turning for India in Sri Lanka. Grab your popcorn, folks; this is the kind of drama that puts reality TV to shame. Our main character? Anura Kumara Dissayanake, Sri Lanka’s newly minted president, who just so happens to be sitting on a rather embarrassing gift from his predecessor: a deal that’s as savory as a week-old fish curry.

Let’s set the stage. Gautam Adani, the business mogul with a direct line to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (because who doesn’t love a little nepotism?), secured a sweet deal to construct two 450 MW wind farms. And how did he land this little prize? Why, without a tender, of course! Nothing says “transparency” like skipping the bidding process entirely. This delightful endeavor was launched under the watchful eye of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who, let’s not forget, had to resign amid a wave of public discontent—because who wouldn’t want to leave behind such a lovely legacy? Now, this $442 million project has sparked a bit of a ruckus among the locals. You see, some pesky residents and a few environmentalists decided to spoil the fun by filing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. They’re all riled up about the supposed environmental impact of the wind turbines, claiming they were handed out like candy at a parade without any real consideration for the local ecosystem. Shocking, I know! Who would’ve thought that wind farms could cause a fuss?

Meanwhile, the situation gets even juicier with the revelation that President Rajapaksa was allegedly pressured by Modi himself to roll out the red carpet for Adani. Imagine that! A little international pressure in the name of renewable energy. What a novel concept! And when Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, decided to keep the party going by approving a 20-year power purchase agreement at a price that locals deem “prohibitively high,” it was clear that the drama was just getting started. So, what now? The fate of these wind farms hangs precariously in the balance, resting on the desk of Dissayanake, who campaigned on the promise to cancel this “corrupt agreement.” Talk about setting the stage for a political thriller! Will he deliver a plot twist worthy of the silver screen, or will he be just another character in this tragicomic saga?

In a world where corruption and convenience often dance hand-in-hand, let’s just hope that the winds of change blow in favor of the people of Sri Lanka—because if they don’t, this whole affair might just become one big, windy joke. And who doesn’t love a good punchline?