Introduction:
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is on a four-day state visit to India. He will hold talks on a number of key areas including trade, defence and maritime security cooperation, his office announced on Thursday. The visit, will be the Rajapaksa senior’s first overseas visit since his brother Gotabaya was elected President in November. Rajapaka held bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders are expected to prioritise defence and maritime security ties between both countries as the neighbours play a crucial role in the US-led Indo-Pacific initiative, seen largely as an attempt to counter China. The visiting dignitary hopes to finalise the implementation of the $ 450 million line of credit pledged by Prime Minister Modi to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit to New Delhi in November.
Key areas:
- Diplomatic Cooperation: Diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka are marked by visits of high level Government functionaries.
- A notable diplomatic event in the recent past was our Indian Prime Minister’s address to the Sri Lankan parliament in 2015
- India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission was established in 1992. The commission facilitates discussions relating to bilateral affairs of both the countries
- India and Sri Lanka signed a civilian nuclear energy deal in 2015. The agreement aims at cooperation to explore nuclear energy for peaceful purposes
- Fishermen Issue:
- The constant and frequent issue of fisherman and recently Indian fishermen were picked up by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishermen dispute is inevitable between neighbours. Indian Fishermen entering Sri Lankan water is not with any particular intention. What is important is that the two governments and the fishermen associations of both the sides must take care of these incidents and can be contained.
- Both countries have signed an MOU to equip the fishermen and give them nets and necessary things to help them carry out their trade better and more peacefully.
- Sri Lanka has taken the position that big fishing trawlers should not be used which is scientific and without which we may lose the fish yield.
- Economic Cooperation:
- India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2010. India is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner
- India is the source of one of the largest foreign direct investments in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is also a potential source of foreign investment in India
- Defence and Security Cooperation:
- Colombo and New Delhi have long history of security cooperation. In recent years, the two sides have steadily increased their military-to-military relationship.
- India and Sri Lanka conducts joint Military (‘Mitra Shakti’) and Naval exercise (SLINEX).
- India also provides defence training to Sri Lankan forces.
- A trilateral maritime security cooperation agreement was signed by India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives to improve surveillance, anti-piracy operations and reducing maritime pollution in Indian Ocean Region.
- In April 2019, India and Sri Lanka also concluded agreement on countering Drug and Human trafficking.
- In the aftermath of the horrific Easter bombings, Sri Lankan Prime Minister thanked the Indian government for all the “help” given.
- The alerts issued by Indian agencies before the attacks had warned specifically about the use of radicalised suicide bombers attacking churches and the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
- Development Assistance:
- The war between Sri Lankan Government and LTTE came to an end in 2009. The armed conflict led to many casualties and internal displacement
- As an immediate response India provided all war relief measures including food, medicine etc.
- As a long term measure, India announced reconstruction of 50000 houses to provide shelter to Internally Displaced People (IDP).
- India is one of the largest provider of development credit to Sri Lanka. As of 2016, a total of USD 1284 million has been provided by India. The credit is mostly provided for the Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development
- India has provided medical equipment and ambulances to hospitals in Sri Lanka
- Cultural and Educational Cooperation:
- India and Sri Lanka signed a cultural cooperation agreement back in 1977
- India Sri Lanka foundation was setup in 1998. It aims at technical, scientific, cultural and educational cooperation by engaging civil society organizations of both the countries
- India cultural centre in Colombo promotes Indian culture by providing courses in Indian music, dance, yoga etc.,
- India provides scholarships to qualified Sri Lankan students in Undergraduate and research studies
- Tourism is one of the important areas of cooperation. Sri Lankan tourists are one of the top ten visitors to India
- Sri Lanka is also a partner in Nalanda university project of India
- India and Sri Lanka commemorated the 2600th year of the attainment of enlightenment by Lord Buddha (Sambuddhathva Jayanthi) through joint activities.
- The two Governments also celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala in 2014.
- The People of Indian Origin (PIOs) comprise Sindhis, Gujaratis, Memons, Parsis, Malayalis and Telugu speaking persons who have settled down in Sri Lanka and are engaged in various business ventures.
- Government of India formally launched the e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme for Sri Lankan tourists on 14 April 2015 to increase the people to people contact.
Developments in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka has progressed in the Health sector. When they became independent, they were supposed to be one of the worst affected regions affected by malaria. Now they are declared malaria free. This is a lesson to be learnt for India.
- Social development indicators are quite high in literacy, health indicators, etc. They have made considerable progress.
Significance of the relations:
- India shares a common cultural and security space with the countries in the South Asian region especially Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka’s location in the Indian Ocean region as an island State has been of strategic geopolitical relevance to several major powers.
- As a prominent Asian nation with critical national interests in South Asia, India has a special responsibility to ensure peace and stability in its closest neighbourhood.
- India should shed its big brother image and actively take part to rebuild the war-torn country.
- India needs the support of Sri Lanka to emerge as a Blue water navy in the Indian Ocean and also in pursuing the permanent membership in United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
- China’s string of pearl’s strategy is aimed at encircling India to establish dominance in the Indian Ocean.
- Post 2015, Sri Lanka still relies heavily on China for Port city project and for continuation of Chinese funded infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka’s location can thus serve both commercial and industrial purposes and be used as a military base.
Conclusion:
Despite some of the pending issues, the relations between the two neighbors in IOR look to be going forward. Trade between the two has grown rapidly after the entry into force of FTA in 2000. India is planning to develop regions beyond the drefence assistance provided to Sri Lanka which are welcome steps. It may be hoped that the ethnic and fishermen issues may also get resolved in near future with better relations being on track.
