[2008-05-17 4.20pm] India is attempting to set up a provincial council with police and land powers under the administration of a group who will bend to their directions, JVP politburo member, Anura Kumara Dissanayake says in an interview with Sunethra Athugalpura of the ‘Lakbima’ newspaper.

Commenting on whether it was wise to vest the East with police and land powers, the JVP MP said, the Eastern PC polls were not called to defeat terrorism or to establish democracy.

It was chiefly done on the influence of the Indian government; he said adding that India has already devoured the bulk of Sri Lanka’s economy, he added.

Currently, India is preying upon several small, medium and large-scale businesses and has its eyes set on the crude oil deposits as well. To attain their goal, they must intervene and create a suitable political environment in the country, the JVP politburo member said.

By means of war, they got involved in the country’s politics by taking measures to secure the East coast as well as by providing arms and technical equipment, he added.

Their influence on Sri Lanka’s politics is so vast that they even compelled us not to purchase arms from other countries, Dissanayake said.

Now that terrorism in the country has weakened, the possibility of Indian intervention through the war has minimised, the JVP MP said.

India has already managed to own a vast amount of land in Sampur, Nilaweli and Pulmudai, abundant in mineral deposits, he added.