India Srilanka Relations

International Relations (IR)
India- Sri Lanka

Bilateral Relations
Sri Lanka is one of the important neighbours of
India in South Asia. Formerly known as Ceylon,
Sri Lanka is an island nation situated in the
Indian ocean.
It is geographically separated from the Indian
subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and
the Palk Strait.
Sri
Lanka
Sri
Lanka
Let’s take a brief look at the state of Sri Lanka:
Ceylon remained a Colony under British rule
Independence was finally granted in 1948 but
the country remained a Dominion of the British
Empire until 1972
In 1972 Ceylon assumed the status of a
Republic
Renamed as Sri Lanka in 1972
Constitution was introduced in the year 1978
Polity of Sri Lanka:
Democratic Socialist Republic
Unitary state
Semi-presidential form of government-
Mixture of Parliamentary and Presidential
system
Major ethnic groups- Sinhalese, Sri Lankan
Tamils, Indian Tamils, Muslims including Sri
Lankan Moors, Chinese
Area- 65600 sq.km
Population- 2.1 crore people
Presently, there are 9 provinces in Sri Lanka
India-Sri Lanka Relations
The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is
more than 2,500 years old. Both countries have
a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and
linguistic interactions
However, the relationship has been
characterized by closeness as well as Friction
In the 1970s, India became involved in the
insurgency in Sri Lanka
1974- India allowed Sri Lanka to take control of
Katchatheevu island under the "Indo-Sri Lankan
Maritime agreement” aimed at resolving the
maritime boundaries in the Palk Strait.
St Antony’s Shrine, Katchatheevu island
India got directly involved in the LTTE-Sri Lankan
government Civil War in 1987
 India- Sri Lanka peace accord signed in 1987
1991- Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi assassinated by
LTTE cadres
 2009 to present- period of Normalisation
Fishermen issue a main point of Friction
between the two countries
Indo-SL Relations- Opportunities
Economic & Development cooperation:
Sri Lanka has long been an important destination
for direct investment from India. Sri Lanka is one
of India’s largest trading partner in SAARC
According to reports, bilateral trade in 2018
amounted to US $ 4.93 billion. Exports from India
to Sri Lanka in 2018 were US $ 4.16 billion, while
exports from Sri Lanka to India are US $767 million
India is one of the largest investors in Sri Lanka with
cumulative investments of around US $ 1.239 billion.
The investments are in diverse areas including
petroleum, retail, IT, financial services, real estate,
telecommunication, hospitality & tourism,
infrastructure development (railway, power, water
supply) etc
Last few years have also witnessed an increasing trend
of Sri Lankan investments into India.
Sri Lanka is among the major recipients of
development assistance from the Government of
India. India’s overall commitment stands close to
US$ 3 billion, out of which around US$ 560 million
are purely in grants.
Following are some of the major development

projects undertaken by India in Sri Lanka:
India has so far upgraded around 300 km
of railway track and provided modern signalling
and telecommunication system for around 330
km in Sri Lanka
Construction of 50,000 houses at a cost of
₹1,372 crore across various districts in Sri Lanka
At Jaffna in the north, India is developing a
cultural centre and 3,000 rainwater harvesting
system
Kankesanthurai (KKS) harbour in northern Sri
Lanka, for which a line of credit (LOC) worth
$45 million has been granted
Renovation of Palaly airport
Palaly
Airport
Water supply projects in western and north-
western Sri Lanka under a $257 million Line of
credit
West Container Terminal (WCT) at Colombo Port
worth $500 million, in collaboration with Japan.
 BIMSTEC & SAARC cooperation
 Currency Swap agreement
Connectivity:
 Jaffna to Chennai flight
 Ferry services between Karaikal and
Kankesanthurai, and Dhanushkodi and
Talaimanar
 Buddhist Tourism corridor - with the new
international airport at Kushinagar, UP
People-to-people ties:
 Buddhism is a connecting link between India and Sri Lanka on cultural lines
 The People of Indian Origin (PIOs) in Sri lanka comprise Sindhis, Borahs,
Gujaratis, Memons, Parsis, Malayalis and Telugu speaking persons who have
settled down in Sri Lanka (most of them after partition) and are engaged in
various business ventures.
Though their numbers (10,000 approximately) are much lesser as compared to

Indian Origin Tamils (IOTs), they are economically prosperous and are well placed.
India now offers about 710 scholarship slots
annually to Sri Lankan students, including study
in Sri Lanka and in India
Sporting ties, especially Cricket
Tamil language
Muttiah
Muralitharan-
SL Cricketer
of Tamil origin
Tourism forms an important link between
India and Sri Lanka. Government of India
formally launched the e-Tourist Visa (eTV)
scheme for Sri Lankan tourists in April 2015
To further strengthen people-to-people ties, the first
ever pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya for Sri Lankan Armed
Forces personnel and their families was organised in
June 2018
A special Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft was deployed to

Colombo to transport 160 Armed Forces personnel and
their families to Bodh Gaya and back.
Defence & Security Cooperation:
India and Sri Lanka have expressed their
commitment to further strengthen the bilateral
defence ties and jointly face the security
challenges and concerns to ensure stability in
the region.
India and Sri Lanka conducts joint Military exercises-
Mitra Shakti and Naval exercise SLINEX
India also provides defence training to Sri Lankan
security forces
India and Sri Lanka agreed to step up Anti-Terrorism
efforts following the Easter Suicide bombings in 2019.
National Investigation Agency(NIA) of India was
involved in the terror investigation along with SL
authorities
Easter
Bombings
 India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have a tripartite agreement
on maritime cooperation to secure sea routes in the Indian
Ocean region. The cooperation also aims to counter terrorism
& radicalism through effective intelligence cooperation
 In 2019, India and Sri Lanka concluded an agreement on
Countering Drug and Human Trafficking
 Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)- Maritime
cooperation in Indian ocean
Indo-SL Relations- irritants
Below are important irritants in the India-Sri Lanka
Relationship:
 Maritime boundary & Fishermen issue
 Ethnic issue- Rights of Tamil minorities in Sri
Lanka
 Insurgency and LTTE Factor
Indo-SL Relations- irritants
 China Factor- Colombo’s closeness with
Beijing has caused concerns for India
Sri Lankan Tamils issue
About Sri Lankan Tamils:
 Sri Lankan Tamils are also known as Eelam
Tamils.
 They have lived in Sri Lanka for a very long time-
from around 2nd century BCE
 Even though Sri Lankan Tamils are a major
ethnic group in Sri Lanka, they are a minority
compared to majority Sinhalese
Tamils
in
Sri Lanka
It should be noted that Sri Lankan Tamils are
different from Indian Tamils, also called Hill
country Tamils or Malayaga Tamils. The
Indian Tamils mainly descended from
workers sent from South India to Sri Lanka in
the 19th and 20th centuries to work
in coffee, tea and rubber plantations.
Sri Lankan Tamils mostly live in the Northern
and Eastern Provinces and in the capital
of Colombo, whereas Hill Country Tamils
largely live in the central highlands
Background of Civil War in Sri Lanka:
 Ever since the country got independence in
1948, the Tamils have been discriminated in
many aspects of social and economic life in Sri
Lanka.
 The ruling government, dominated by the
Sinhalese majority was opposed to the Tamils
living in Sri Lanka.
 Controversial laws like “Ceylon Citizenship act”,
“Sinhala only act” and “Standardization Policy” were
passed by the Sri Lankan government from 1940s to
1970s
 Tamil-speaking minorities of Ceylon- Sri Lankan
Tamils, Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Moors viewed
the Act as linguistic, cultural and economic
discrimination and oppression against them
Preference was given to Sinhala language and
Buddhist religion
Many Tamils were killed in communal riots,
which affected the Sinhalese too
As a result, discontent simmered among the
Tamils in Sri Lanka. Revolutionary
movements started taking roots in Sri Lanka
Communal
riots
of 1980s
 Groups like TNT- Tamil New Tigers, Eelam
Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS)
,Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and
EPRLF were formed. Young leaders like Velupillai
Prabhakaran started emerging; Prabhakaran
later became the chief of Liberation tigers of
Tamil Ealam (LTTE), a revolutionary extremist
organisation.
LTTE
Chief
Prabhakharan
 Slowly, the young revolutionaries started taking up arms
against the state. LTTE emerged as the most important
organisation. The LTTE fought to create
an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the
north-east of the island, where Tamil people largely lived
 Over time the LTTE merged with, or eliminated almost all
other militant Tamil groups like TELO
 A series of Civil wars called Eelam wars ensued between
the LTTE and Sri Lankan state from 1980s
Tamil
Ealam
 Members of Sri Lankan army as well as Tamil community,
including LTTE died in large numbers. Both sides indulged
in Human rights excesses. LTTE was accused of using Child
Soldiers and Human Shields during War
 Sri Lankan army got support and training from Countries
like Israel and Pakistan
 The LTTE is well known for its guerilla warfare and Suicide
attacks
 The LTTE has been designated as a terrorist
organisation by more than 30 countries.
Indian intervention and Indo-Sri Lanka accord of 1987:
 Even though India’s security establishment trained LTTE
earlier, the Indian state directly intervened in the Sri
Lankan Civil only in 1987
 The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was an agreement signed
in Colombo in July 1987 between then Indian Prime
Minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi and then Sri Lankan President J.
R. Jayewardene. LTTE was not involved in the talks
The accord was supposed to resolve the crisis
in Sri Lanka and implement the 13th
amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
Under the agreement, Sri Lankan state
agreed to devolve power to provincial
councils; and LTTE agreed to truce and
surrender their arms
 Under the terms of the accord, Indian Peace Keeping
Force (IPKF) would perform a peacekeeping operation
in Sri Lanka. The main task of the IPKF was to disarm the
different militant groups, not just the LTTE.
 The Indo-Sri Lankan accord brought only temporary peace
 The LTTE accused IPKF of colluding with the Sri Lankan
establishment and army. Soon, clashes erupted between
the IPKF and LTTE. The IPKF was also accused of Human
rights excesses like Murders and rapes of Civilians
IPKF
 The IPKF eventually withdrew from Sri Lanka in
1989
 LTTE chief Prabhakaran later accused Rajiv
Gandhi of betraying the Tamils.
 Prabhakaran and Sri Lankan establishment were
accused of a tacit agreement against India to
get rid of the “common enemy” – the Indian
Peace Keeping Force (IPKF)
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE
through Suicide bombing in May 1991, as an
act of revenge
Later, LTTE assassinated former SL President
Premadasa in 1993 through Suicide bombing
Relations between India and Sri Lanka were
embroiled in tensions following Rajiv’s death
 Many sections of People in Tamil nadu in India
and Tamil diaspora still support the LTTE
 Many prominent political leaders in Tamil nadu
have demanded for a independent Tamil Eelam
for the Tamils in the North and Eastern parts of
Sri Lanka. Former CMs of Tamil nadu Mr
Karunanidhi and Ms Jayalalithaa have both
supported and disowned the LTTE at times
 Naam Thamizhar- a regional political party in TN
claims LTTE chief Prabhakaran as its leader
 There is a clamour among many sections of
Tamilnadu people for the release of the killers of
Rajiv Gandhi
 The LTTE later boycotted the presidential
election in December 2005.
2009 Final Civil War:
After 26 years of fighting, the Civil war between LTTE
and Sri Lankan army finally came to an end in 2009
The LTTE was defeated by the Sri Lankan army. Its chief
Prabhakaran was killed. The Civil wars killed an
estimated 100,000 people and left about 20,000,
mostly Tamils, missing
Civil
War
deaths
LTTE
Child
soldiers
 At the end of the war, the United Nations accused both
sides of atrocities, especially during the conflict's final
stages
 There were numerous accounts of Tamil forces being
killed as they tried to surrender, or after being taken into
custody. The Sri Lankan government has however denied
such claims
 Former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa expressed
that the war crimes allegations against him were
"baseless"
Rajapaksa
Brothers
Post War Reconciliation
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission (LLRC) was a commission of
inquiry appointed by the Sri Lankan
government in May 2010 following the 26-
year-long civil war in Sri Lanka
The LLRC has recommended various
constructive measures for addressing issues
related to healing the wounds of the conflict
and fostering a process of lasting peace and
reconciliation in Sri Lanka
But activists have criticized LLRC as an eyewash
The commission has been heavily criticised by international
human rights groups, the UN Panel of Experts and others
due to its limited mandate, alleged lack of independence
and its failure to meet minimum international standards
or offer protection to witnesses.
Many critics believe that the Sri Lankan government used
the commission as a tool to prevent an independent
international investigation of alleged abuses
13th amendment to the Constitution
Thirteenth Amendment (13th) is a very
important amendment to the Constitution of
Sri Lanka. It created Provincial Councils in Sri
Lanka and made Sinhala and Tamil as the
official languages of the country
An outcome of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka
accord
 The 13th Amendment, which led to the creation of
Provincial Councils, assured a power sharing arrangement
to enable all nine provinces in the country, including
Sinhala majority areas, to self-govern.
 Subjects such as education, health, agriculture, housing,
land and police are devolved to the provincial
administrations, but because of restrictions on financial
powers and overriding powers given to the President, the
provincial administrations have not made much headway
 Initially, the north and eastern provinces were merged
and had a North-Eastern Provincial Council, but the two
were de-merged in 2007 following a Supreme Court
verdict
 Till date, the 13th Amendment represents the only
constitutional provision on the settlement of the long-
pending Tamil question
 India has to apply sufficient pressure on Sri Lanka to
devolve adequate powers to provinces and ensure the
rights of the Tamil ethnic population
20th amendment and Controversy
In October 2020, the controversial 20th
Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution that
envisages expansive powers and greater
immunity for the Executive President was
passed in Parliament with a two-thirds
majority
20th amendment and Controversy
The 20th Amendment rolls back Sri Lanka’s
19th Amendment, a 2015 legislation that
sought to clip presidential powers, while
strengthening Parliament.
The new legislation in turn reduces the Prime
Minister’s role to a ceremonial one
Fishermen issue
In January 2021, unrest prevailed across the Indo-SL
maritime border. 4 Indian fishermen were killed as an
Indian fishing boat sank in Sri Lankan waters following a
collision with a Navy vessel of the island nation. In
October 2021, another fishermen was killed
The fishermen community from TN has alleged that the Sri

Lankan Navy had sunk the boat. However, the Lankan
Navy claimed that the boat sank while the fishermen were
resisting arrest.
Fishermen issue
Protest
against
Fishermen
Death
In TN
Fishermen issue
Fishermen issue has been a main point of
bitterness in the ties between the two
countries.
TN Fishermen from Rameshwaram and nearby
coasts continue to sail towards Talaimannar
and Katchatheevu coasts, a region famous for
rich maritime resources in Sri Lanka.
Fishermen issue
Plenty of catch in this oceanic region had
triggered a proliferation of fishing trawlers in
Tamil Nadu coast in the past three decades.
Access for Indian fishermen to Sri Lankan
waters was easier at the time of Sri Lankan
civil war, when Sri Lankan forces were
preoccupied with the LTTE
Fishermen issue
During the civil war, both the Sri Lankan navy
and LTTE used to be friendly with Indian
fishermen and used them as spies to trade
information about enemy movements in the
deeper seas.
Fishermen issue
 Trawlers are mechanised boats with highly
exploitative fishing nets unlike most of the poor
fishermen in Sri Lankan coast who use traditional
fishing methods
 After 2009, arrests and attacks by Sri Lankan Navy
increased on Indian fishermen as they continued
entering Lankan waters because of depletion of
marine resources on the Indian side.
Fishermen issue
A Fishing
Trawler
Fishermen issue
 The IMBL is imaginary, but it was geo-tagged and is
visible to the fishermen, thanks to Global Positioning
System (GPS) sets. Close to 200 boat owners in
Rameshwaram have already switched to modern GPS
sets for precision fishing.
 Often, many Indian fishermen willfully cross the
International maritime boundary line(IMBL), while in
come cases, the SL Navy has attacked on unarmed
Fishermen in violation of Human Rights
Fishermen issue
Government initiatives:
Palk Bay scheme, 2017- Central scheme to
encourage deep sea fishing
Marine Fisheries Bill 2021- Regulates fishing
practices of Indian Fishermen across the
ocean
China Factor
 Sri Lanka’s close relationship with China has been a big concern for India
for a long time. Sri Lanka has often used its ties with Beijing to put
pressure on New Delhi
 Sri Lanka has benefitted both economically and strategically through its
relationship with China. Beijing is Sri Lanka’s biggest source of FDI as well
as providing expansion loans for projects such as new Colombo Port
Terminal, Hambantota Port etc
 China was one of the few countries to come forward to support Sri Lanka
in its final fight against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in
2008-2009
China Factor
Hambantota port
China Factor
China, through its Belt and Road
initiative(BRI) is trying to enforce its
domination in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Through its ‘String of Pearls’, it is trying to
encircle India in the IOR.
Sri Lanka is an important strategic partner of
China in the Indian ocean region
China Factor
Moreover, Beijing effectively shielded Sri
Lanka from U.S. resolutions at the United
Nations Security Council (UNHRC) which
accused Sri Lanka under Mahinda Rajapaksa
of human rights violations during the final
offensive against the LTTE.
China Factor
 After strong opposition from trade unions across
the country, the Sri Lankan government was
forced to renege on a 2019 agreement with
India and Japan to develop the strategic East
Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo Port.
 China is said to have a role in this regard

China Factor
Later Sri lanka approved a proposal to develop
the West Terminal at the Colombo Port as a
Public Private Partnership with India and
Japan, which was seen as a bid to
compensate India.
China Factor
Colombo
ECT
BIMSTEC & SAARC cooperation
There is great scope for developmental
cooperation between India and Sri Lanka
under SAARC and BIMSTEC platforms
Sri Lanka is keen to move ahead in the SAARC
process as it wants greater connectivity with
other countries and seamless trading.
On the other hand, New Delhi is more keen to
move ahead on BIMSTEC for not just its larger
outreach to the Southeast Asian countries, but
also for its ‘Act East policy’ and the role it
intends to play in the Indo-Pacific initiative.
Recalcitrant role of Pakistan with respect to
supporting Terrorism is a main reason why
SAARC process has been stalled
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical
and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC): It is an
international organisation of seven nations
of South Asia and Southeast Asia
Members:
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri
Lanka, and Thailand
Previous year questions- Mains
1. In respect of India-Sri Lanka relations,
discuss how domestic factors influence
foreign policy (200 words) 2013
Practice Questions
1. List the various opportunities for India and Sri Lanka
to improve their relationship and achieve mutual
goals and interests. 200 words
2. Discuss the problems and issues relating to Tamil
minorities and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. What steps
need to be taken by Sri Lanka to ensure the rights of
the ethnic minorities? What role India does have to
play in this regard? 200 words
Practice Questions
3. In the light of the Indian Ocean region (IOR),
discuss the challenges faced by India with
respect to Sri Lanka’s Closeness with China.
What actions should New Delhi take in this
regard? Elaborate. 200 words

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International Relations (IR)

International Relations (IR)

India- Sri Lanka

Following are some of the major development

Though their numbers (10,000 approximately) are much lesser as compared to

A special Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft was deployed to

The fishermen community from TN has alleged that the Sri

 China is said to have a role in this regard

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