Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa visited India for five days from February 7 to 11. It was his first foreign trip since he was appointed as island nation’s PM in November 2019. Earlier, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited India in November and again it was his first overseas visit since assuming power. This indicates how much importance Sri Lanka is giving to India in the changed global scenario. The Rajapaksas are known for their pro-China position.
PM Narendra Modi and Mahinda discussed in detail all aspects of bilateral relations and international issues of mutual interest including terrorism. Both countries agreed to strengthen co-operation, deepening relations to combat terrorism and boost trade and investment. India had alarmed Sri Lanka of a possible attack on Easter Day last April. But, Sri Lankan authorities failed to prevent the attack which killed nearly 300 people. They also agreed to hold a meeting with the Maldives leadership to re-operationalise a trilateral maritime security co-operation in the Indian Ocean Region.
Sri Lankan PM through his statement made the Modi regime pleased. Mahinda said abrogation of Article 370 and developments in Kashmir are internal matters of India. As soon as Gotabaya took charge as President last year India immediately approached him. S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, was the first foreign official to meet him in Colombo. It was seen as a ‘new beginning’ as Rajapaksas are known as pro-China. Mahinda lost Presidential elections in 2015 and allegations were made that Indian intelligence agency played a role in his defeat. Mahinda regime had witnessed massive Chinese investment and also Pakistan’s influence. This time India did not miss an opportunity.
The issue of Tamils living in the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka is always sensitive between the two nations. Sri Lanka crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009 when Mahinda was President and his brother Gotabaya Defence Secretary. The sentiment of discrimination and injustice continues among the Tamil population. On this Sri Lankan Independence Day – February 4– the new government refused to sing the national anthem in Tamil. It was a departure from the previous government led by Maithripala Sirisena which sang the anthem in the two main languages – Sinhala and Tamil – to promote ethnic amity in the aftermath of a long civil war. More than two lakh Sri Lankan Tamils are still living in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as refugees.
The two leaders also discussed the Tamil issue. Modi told Sri Lankan PM, “I am confident that the government of Sri Lanka will realise the expectations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace, and respect within a united Sri Lanka. For this, it will be necessary to carry forward the process of reconciliation with the implementation of the 13th amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka.” But, Mahinda did not give any firm commitment to the implementation of the 13th amendment. The 13th amendment is about the devolution of power in the Tamil areas of Northern and Eastern region of Sri Lanka. Talking to media later, Mahinda ruled out any resolution that was not acceptable to the majority community (Sinhalese) of Sri Lanka.
India is also involved in the reconstruction especially in the Northern and Eastern region of Sri Lanka. India has built more than 48,000 houses for the internally displaced people (IDPs). In November, India had announced a line of credit of $ 400 million for the developmental projects.
Apart from Tamil, both the countries have disagreements on issues like South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Sri Lanka wants revival and progress of SAARC. On the other hand, India wants to promote the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). Mahinda did not raise the issue of SAARC with the PM Modi but he spoke on the issue while talking to media. On March 1, Esala Weerakoon, a Sri Lankan diplomat, will be taking over as next SAARC Secretary-General. The last SAARC summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in November 2014.
Sri Lanka has strategic importance in the Indian Ocean. During Mahinda’s earlier regime the influence of China grew in a big way and Pakistan helped Sri Lanka during military action against the LTTE. The Rajapaksas will not do anything which will hurt either China or Pakistan. Keeping this in mind, India has made a ‘new beginning’ with the Rajapaksas and it must continue. India needs to be pro-active with its neighbouring countries to win their hearts.
