N Muraleedharan
Thiruvananthapuram
Geographically, India and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow channel. The choppy and rock-ridden Palk Strait, an inlet of Bay of Bengal, has never been an insurmountable barrier between the people on both sides since the mythological times. The historic and cultural ties between the two countries have remained strong in all ages. The hassle-free relations, however, also had their trying moments, especially in post-colonial era.
The election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President of the island nation promises to open a new era of mutual trust and co-operation between India and Sri Lanka. Signals sent out by either side are positive and encouraging. They hold out a resolve to ignore the irritants, for securing the larger national and regional interests.
No sooner had Gotabaya declared elected as the President than Prime Minister Narendra sent out the message making it clear that India looked forward to deepening the “close and fraternal ties” with its neighbor. Gotabaya returned the compliment invoking the “history and common beliefs” that bound the two nations, and said he too looked forward to strengthening the friendship.
The exchange of pleasantries was followed by the first firm step towards defining the engagement when Foreign Minister S Jaishankar flew to Colombo to meet and congratulate Gotabaya. Accepting Prime Minister Modi’s invitation, Gotabaya is scheduled to visit India later this month.
Notwithstanding the diplomatic bonhomie, the immediate reaction from sections of Indian observers to the elevation of Gotabaya has been mixed. Even some of the astute foreign policy analysts wondered if India would be able to maintain the same level of conviviality with a hardliner like Gotabaya as it had with his predecessor Maithripala Sirisena.
One common theme cited is that there is a likelihood of Sri Lanka tilting more towards China. The Asian giant, essentially driven by the urge to strengthen hegemony over the region, has pumped huge funds into Sri Lanka. Many of the big infrastructure projects of that country, including a strategically located harbour, are financed by China. There are critics who see this as part of China’s strategy of binding vulnerable countries to a debt trap, to serve its long-term global interests.
The more pragmatic approach from the Indian side, however, has it that the country need not bother too much about Sri Lanka’s relations with China. There are plenty of fruitful avenues for India and Sri Lanka to be explored to improve their ties, for their mutual advantage and effectively addressing security concerns that confront both.
Seized by a long and violent civil commotion, mounted by Tamil separatists, Sri Lanka’s ties with India had often been strained by suspicion. But those misgivings are over and the political leadership of that country is convinced that India had never harboured any sinister intention to harm the territorial integrity of the neighbor. Gotabaya, who led the final assault on the separatists as the then Defence Secretary, knows this better than any other leader in Sri Lanka.
India, especially under Narendra Modi, has been in the forefront of a high-voltage campaign against terrorism as a global threat. April this year, Sri Lanka was the target of a series of coordinated terrorist attacks, that killed over 250 people. Alleged Islamic extremists struck at three churches, killing scores of innocent people who had congregated there for the Easter service. The terrorist group that plotted and carried out the heinous attack is suspected to have links transcending borders in the region. This calls for the two countries to work closely in chasing and rooting out transborder terrorism. In his inaugural address to the nation, Gotabaya said it would be his foremost responsibility to secure the country against terrorism.
The possibilities of strategic tie-up apart, the two countries have immense scope to firm up their cultural ties. Sri Lanka has always prided itself as one of world’s leading Buddhist nations. Sri Lankan Buddhists have deep reverence and respect towards India as the land where Lord Buddha was born.
It was Indian Buddhist missionaries who preached the message of Buddha to the Island people. Already there is a strong spiritual tourism from Sri Lanka to the Buddhist destinations in India, including the Bodh Gaya. This can be broadened and deepened. On the flip side, Sri Lanka is known for all Indians from the mythological era, as the island is a major locale of Ramayana. The existing, largely one-way, cultural tourist flow can be expanded by exploring the possibilities of an epic-based tourism to Sri Lanka for Indian outbound visitors.
It is a time-tested doctrine that foreign policy of a country is determined by its national interests. When it comes to relatios between two countries, it is natural to have many sticky points in their way. But statesmen tend to set their eyes on pleasant sights and vibes , choosing to brush aside ugly spots and discordant notes.
(N Muraleedharan is senior journalist (former PTI) and political critic. The author can be contacted at : muralipti@yahoo.co.in)
