And the lights all went out in Bangladesh... - EDITORIAL

Parts of Bangladesh have had their power supply slashed after ‘Adani Power’ set a deadline of Nov 7 to switch off the flow of electricity if there is no clarity on the settlement of the outstanding dues. Adani supplies Bangladesh power from its 1600-megawatt coal-fired plant in eastern India. 

According to the Times of India, the problems started shortly after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh. Whether the reason for the cutting of power and the demand for outstanding payment was a reaction to Hasina’s ouster we do not know. 

The lesson of the Bangladeshi experience is never to let critical sectors of the economy fall into hands of foreign companies. For us in Sri Lanka, the power blackout in Bangladesh has come at a critical time. Our past government run by experienced politicians was on the brink of handing over on a platter so-to-say the running of wind farms in the Mannar basin to none other than the Adani Group. 

Over a period of time trade unions in our country have been warning against permitting foreign governments and companies to take over vital sectors of our economy.  

Either by force of circumstances, or perhaps in the search of filthy lucre different governments in our country has entered into agreements with foreign companies which leaves room for these private entities to threaten the life-blood of this country. 

One among these is the deal with the self-same Adani Group which is now threatening to plunge parts of Bangladesh into darkness. 

What makes the power sector problem in Bangladesh suspicious, is that the Adani Group brought pressure on the present regime soon after Sheikh Hasina’s government was thrown out by a popular uprising. The agreement with the Adani Group having being signed during Ms Hassina’s time in power.  

Today the Adani Group is set to invest more than $440 million in a 20-year agreement for the development of 484 megawatts of wind power in the north and eastern regions of Mannar and Pooneryn. A number of other concerned bodies have also come out in opposition to this venture. One among them was the JVP/NPP political grouping. 

President Dissanayake in the run-up to the September 21 Presidential election had pledged that his National People’s Power (NPP) alliance would annul the project. The NPP claimed that the project posed a threat to Sri Lanka’s energy sector sovereignty and promised that it would be cancelled in the event of their victory.

Prior to the presidential election President Dissanayake made many other pledges as well. Many of them remain unfulfilled. Yet, the new president has hardly been 5 weeks in power, and as at yet no parliament to rule the country. 

Funnily enough, our past politicians, some of whom were badly defeated at the presidential election of 21 September, are busy telling us that the present incumbent has not implemented pre-election promises. His team, they claim do not have the parliamentary experience to understand the gravity of the problems facing the country. 

What these politicians seem to have forgotten, is it is they themselves, with their wealth of experience in parliamentary politics, have been responsible for bringing this country to its present bankrupt state. 

This country was not ruined in 5 weeks, it was done over a period of over 70 years -starting with the disenfranchisement of a large section of our population shortly after independence and ending with creation of conditions leading to the 30-year war, followed by various scams which robbed the coffers of this country dry. 

Let’s face it, our people are tired of ‘experienced politicians’ who brought this country to its knees. They know who created conditions of starvation in the country. Today’s new faces at the centre of power, is a reaction to the lies, corruption, deceit and failures of past politicians.

 It’s time to say ‘mea culpa’ and ask forgiveness for past crimes -not to gloat over experiences which led the country to wrack and ruin.

A new president who fought on a platform of anti-corruption is in place. Let’s hope the electorate gives him a bunch of clean parliamentarians to take that anti corruption drive forward.