Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India, also his first overseas trip in keeping with tradition, marks a continuity in India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations. The joint statement, after his meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covered aspects similar to the one subsequent to the visit of his predecessor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in 2023. Mr. Dissanayake’s assurance that Sri Lanka will not permit its territory to be used in any manner inimical to India’s security and regional stability, on the face of it, appears to be a reiteration of Colombo’s long-standing position, but it was significant in view of a perception that Mr. Dissanayake’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is a Left-leaning pro-China party. India viewed his observation as one that could have a bearing on the clearance for Chinese ships visiting Sri Lanka in the light of the Wickremesinghe government’s one-year moratorium (after India’s concerns) on all “foreign research vessels” visits ending next month. In the last 10 years or so, the frequent presence of Chinese ships became the main irritant in bilateral ties. It remains to be seen how far the dispensation will be sensitive to India’s concerns — the Wickremesinghe’s regime took a stand about six months ago that it “cannot only block China”.
That the statements of the two leaders or the joint statement did not touch upon the status of projects by the Adani Group was expected. The joint statement talked of India’s commitment to help Sri Lanka in areas such as agriculture and the digital economy. The proposal to have a joint working group on agriculture is a welcome development. There was a mention of the proposed Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement — 14 rounds of negotiations have been held so far. On the fisheries dispute, the two sides apparently stuck to their stated positions but Colombo should help facilitate an early meeting between the fishermen’s associations in both countries. More importantly, there seems to be a nuanced shift, going by the English version of Mr. Modi’s statement at the joint press conference. There is no reference to the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, which envisages a measure of autonomy to Provincial Councils, despite Mr. Modi covering matters such as reconciliation, the need for Sri Lanka fulfilling its commitments towards “fully implementing” its Constitution and conducting Provincial Council polls. The JVP ran a virulent campaign against the Amendment, an outcome of the 1987 India-Sri Lanka Accord. As the coalition that Mr. Dissanayake heads secured a massive mandate across the country in the November 14 parliamentary election, he is in a comfortable position to show a new direction to ties with India. It is an opportunity for both countries to resolve their differences.
Published - December 18, 2024 12:10 am IST