Ranil Wickremesinghe stated he was impressed by Nehru’s well-known “tryst with destiny” speech
Bengaluru:
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe heaped reward on India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru because the county celebrated 75 years of Independence. Talking on the handover ceremony of a Dornier plane from India in the present day, Mr Wickremesinghe stated India’s “global dominance is a tribute to Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru” and he was the one who confirmed the way in which ahead.
“India today is becoming a world power and it is still on the rise and by mid-Century, when we are no longer there, we could see a powerful India playing a dominant role on the global stage. That itself is a tribute to Pandit Nehru,” he stated.
Referring to India’s Independence Day anniversary, Mr Wickremesinghe stated he was impressed by Nehru’s well-known “tryst with destiny” speech as India gained freedom in 1947.
On this context, he additionally recalled an anecdote in regards to the time Nehru helped Sri Lanka turn out to be a part of the United Nations.
“I remember and I was told how his (Nehru’s) representative VK Krishna Menon gave all the support to my father to go around in New York arranging for Sri Lanka’s entry into the United Nations. My father knew him (Nehru) well. I only saw him at a distance as a student, watching his car pass by on the way to India House,” he stated.
India and Sri Lanka – which can be marking 75 years of Independence — are “two sides of the same coin” and each nations should work collectively to strengthen their relationship, the Lankan President stated.
Thanking India for handing over of the maritime surveillance plane, Mr Wickremesinghe stated India is taking care of its personal pursuits. However “India must also look at its role as a global power,” he added.
Emphasising the significance of ties between the 2 nations, Mr Wickremesinghe suggested rising politicians of Sri Lanka to “get to know their Indian colleagues.
“My recommendation to rising politicians in Sri Lanka, those that aspire for larger workplace, is — get to know your Indian colleagues. Get to know them properly and get to cope with them as a result of in case you do not do this, it will likely be tough so that you can have a look at points and perceive what the opposite says”.
