Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.
5. India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour with shared history and geography. However, the relations between the two nations have been inconsistent over the past few years to achieve the much-desired collective growth and prosperity. Comment. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India
Why the question:
China is a close partner of Sri Lanka and its largest bilateral creditor. At the end of 2021, the island owed about $7.4 billion or 19.6% of its outstanding public debt to China. For Sri Lanka watchers, especially those based in the West or India, that’s a “Chinese debt trap”.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the Indo-Lanka relations, challenges and opportunities it presents.
Directive word:
Comment- here we must express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving the context of India- Sri Lankan relations in the past and how it has changed over time.
Body:
In the first part, write about the historical bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka.
Next, mention how India and Lanka had maintained close relations in the past. Cultural ties with India etc. Recent Sri Lankan crisis and how India helped in that situation.
Then, mention about factors that led to the difference between the two nations. China factor etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward.
