India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Taranjith Singh Sandhu, addressing a ceremony to mark the 68th Republic Day of India at ‘India House’ spoke in admiration of the diverse fields in which India had assisted Sri Lanka for the social and economic development of the country. He referred to the emergency ambulance service in the Southern and Western provinces and renovation of Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna as recent innovative steps taken in expression of India’s goodwill to the people of Sri Lanka.
He also referred to the vast opportunities Sri Lanka has for developing its economy by cooperating with India for making the vision of India that integration of the economies of the neighbouring countries with the economy of India contributes to the economic development and the eradication of poverty in the entire region.
In this article, I intend to discuss the policy perspectives of India towards Sri Lanka in the light of the many changes that have occurred in the international geo-political structure and domestic political developments in India and Sri Lanka from the beginning of 1990s.
In the course of his speech on the 68th Republic Day, the High Commissioner of India stated that it is the ‘neighbourhood first’ policy that is adopted towards Sri Lanka and neighbouring countries.
What he means by the ‘neighbourhood first’ policy is the special attention that India pays for maintaining a friendly and good neighbourly relationship with the South Asian countries in the neighbourhood.
India, in formulating its policy towards the neighbours is guided by two pivotal considerations. One is that it is necessary to maintain a friendly relationship with the neighbouring countries for ensuring that these countries will not allow their soil to be used by outside powers for any activities against the security interests of India.
The other consideration is the vision of India that India should obtain the cooperation of neighbouring countries in South Asia for integrated economic development under the guidance and leadership of India.
Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987
India is motivated by the neo-liberal view that the cooperation of the neighbouring states for integrated economic development contributes to the wellbeing and development of all countries extending such cooperation.
There was a tendency on the part of the Sri Lankan government under the leadership of President J.R. Jayewardene to ally with the Western Power Bloc led by the USA. It is the threat posed by Sri Lanka’s tilt towards the West to the security of India which led India to intervene militarily in the year 1987.
In an Exchange of Letters that constituted a part of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987, President Jayewardene assured Rajiv Gandhi that certain aspects of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy would be modified to accommodate India’s security concerns.
The Sri Lankan government also undertook not to make available Trincomalee or any other port in Sri Lanka for military use by any country in a manner prejudicial to Indian interests.
This agreement was signed in the context of the prevailing situation of rivalry between two power blocs during the Cold War period.
At that time, India perceived that the USA and other countries of the western bloc as rivals and enemies of India. India itself had allied with the Soviet Union.
The end of the Cold War, however, led to the emergence of the USA as a Super Power and the gradual transformation of the state structure towards a multi-polar system. India has tended to establish a very close strategic relationship with the USA and other western countries.
But, two powerful neighbours of India, Pakistan and China, were still viewed as rival states. Some territorial and boundary disputes with these two states still remain unresolved.
India’s role in reconciliation process
After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE, India realized the futility of negotiating with the LTTE or seeking the cooperation of the LTTE for a durable political settlement for addressing the genuine grievances of the Sri Lankan Tamil community in the North and East of Sri Lanka.
After the assassination India took steps to ban the LTTE as a terrorist outfit and withdraw all support to the LTTE even in Tamil Nadu. After the failure of the peace-talks facilitated by Norway, India extended whatever support it could give to the Sri Lankan government for defeating the LTTE militarily.
Although India extended its support for the military defeat of the LTTE by the Rajapaksa government, India was concerned about the hardships and the human rights violations experienced by the civilians during the course of the war.
India, after the end of the war, urged the Sri Lankan government to give priority to initiate a reconciliation process and bring about a political settlement aimed at evolving a power-sharing arrangement.
However, the Indian government realized that the Rajapaksa government lacked the political will to bring about a political settlement for addressing the grievances of the Tamil community.
The Rajapaksa government was guided by the ethnic nationalist perspective that the Tamil community did not experience any special disabilities or discriminatory treatment by the Sri Lankan government and therefore there was no need for any constitutional amendments for a power sharing arrangement or even to comply with the resolutions adopted in the UNHRC, in Geneva.
It is this arrogant attitude of ignoring the demands of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka and the international community which compelled India to support the resolutions against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC in Geneva sponsored by the USA in March 2012 and again in March 2013.When Sri Lanka lost the support of India in the UNO and UNHRC in Geneva, Sri Lanka found itself isolated from the international community.
At that stage, the Sri Lankan government felt that China was a more reliable friend of Sri Lanka because China together with Russia voted against the resolutions in support of Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva.
However, India continued to extend its assistance to the Sri Lankan government for completing several projects for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced families as a result of the war.
The Indian government also undertook and completed several infrastructure development projects such as the reconstruction of railways, roads, school buildings and hospitals.
The leaders of the Sri Lankan Tamil political parties hold the view that there is a responsibility on the part of India to discuss with the Sri Lankan government reasons for the slow progress in the reconciliation process and persuade the Sri Lankan government to act more expeditiously to address the pressing issues such as the release of lands held by the military in the North and the East, resettlement of families displaced as a result of the war and the lack of progress in the constitutional reforms process.
It is because of the confidence that the Tamil leaders have reposed on India that when the Indian Foreign Secretary Dr Jayashankar visited Sri Lanka, a TNA delegation met him in Colombo and discussed their grievances with him.
India’s vision of integrated economic development for the region
The Indian government, assuming the leadership of the South Asian region for launching a process of economic integration for the entire region has sought the cooperation of all neighbouring countries for investment and trade.
India has signed agreements with neighbouring states for the promotion of trade and investment. India signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement in the year 1999.
After signing the Agreement there was a tremendous increase in the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries. However, the Sri Lankan businessmen found that they were at a disadvantage due to the Non-Tariff barriers that they happened to confront with in sending their products to the Indian market. The present government of Sri Lanka seeks to sign the proposed Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) which is a more comprehensive agreement aimed at further broadening the cooperation between the two countries for economic development.
But, it is unfortunate that there is a section of the business community and also some professional organisations who express a fear that the real motive behind India’s involvement in development projects and signing agreements with neighbouring countries is India’s desire for dominating neighbouring countries economically.
Problem of Indian fishermen crossing the IMBL
There is a tendency on the part of Big Powers to adopt an assertive attitude towards the small states when they negotiate settlements regarding inter-state disputes. Sri Lanka has that experience regarding the settlement of some disputes with India.
One such problem has been the Indian fishermen crossing the IMBL in the Palk Bay in large numbers, almost on a daily basis, during the fishing season. They fish in the waters off the coast of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan fishermen protest against the plunder of their resources by the South Indian fishermen.
The Sri Lankan government and the Sri Lankan fishermen view that the reason for the inability for the two countries to reach a satisfactory settlement to the illegal stray of Indian fishermen even up to the coast of Sri Lanka is the lack of an interest on the part of the Indian government to find a solution to this problem.
It appears that the main obstacle for reaching a settlement among the concerned parties is the attitude of the Tamil Nadu politicians who attempt to justify the illegal stray of Tamil Nadu fishermen claiming that the Palk Bay area is a part of the traditional fishing grounds of the south Indian fishermen.
Involvement of China in development projects of Sri Lanka
There are Indian politicians diplomats and even officials of the Indian government who express the view that India is concerned about China’s increasing involvement in the development projects such as the construction of harbours and airports in Sri Lanka. For example, former Defense Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, in the course of an interview with the Daily Mirror (February 23, 2017) made the revelation that when he met the National Security Advisor to the Indian government, Ajith Doval, he had told the Defense Secretary that they were not happy with the Chinese investments in Sri Lanka.
The National Security Advisor had categorically told Gotabhaya Rajapaksa that they wanted the Sri Lankan government to stop the Port City project and to take full control of the Hambanthota harbour. He had further told Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to take back the full operation of the South Terminal of the Colombo Port.
However, the Sri Lankan government needed the assistance of China, since it was the only source from which the development assistance that Sri Lanka wanted, could be obtained.
Even after the regime change occurred in Sri Lanka in 2015, the National Unity government found that China was the only country from which foreign aid, by way of loans could be obtained for the massive development projects planned by the government. Both the Chinese government and the Sri Lankan government have explained to the Indian government that both governments have only economic and commercial interests.
Moreover, the Sri Lankan government has taken the precaution of including the necessary conditions in the agreements with China to ensure that the Sri Lankan soil will not be used by China against the interests of India or any other country.
Sri Lanka’s policy has been to remain non-aligned to Big Powers and to obtain assistance from all countries which are prepared to support the Sri Lankan government for completing the planned massive development projects.
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