Fonseka cut classes to see Indian films

COLOMBO: Gen.Sarath Fonseka, the candidate of the “Joint Opposition” in the forthcoming Sri Lankan Presidential election, is a self confessed Indophile.

“l love India, Indian culture, Indian music, and above all, Indian films,” he gushed when asked what kind of relations he would have with India if he became President of Sri Lanka. “When I was in school, I used to cut classes to see Indian films,” he told journalists here on Sunday. Bollywood films are very popular among the majority Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, as are Hindi film songs. Hindi films and teledramas are dubbed in Sinhalese and shown on TV daily. Even military bands play Hindi songs .The youth are sold out on a new genre – the Sinhalese Bhangra. The Tamils, however, prefer Tamil films and teledramas. “Our friendship with India should be good, 100 per cent, or 1000 percent,” Gen.Fonseka asserted. “In my career in the army, I had attended four courses in India. And I had very good relations with the Indian military when I was Army Commander.” “If I had to go to China or Pakistan during thre war, it was only to buy weapons,” he explained. As for the closest neighbour’s contribution to the victory over the LTTE, Fonseka said: “India gave us moral and political support.”

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