"As the people of Jaffna seek to resurrect their lives after years of armed conflict, the Government and the people of India remain committed to facilitate development in the region."
"There is a special place in this relationship for age-old and time-tested bonds between the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka and India."
- Indian high commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha. (See PTI’s report here).
See also Indian Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna’s comments in Jaffna last November.
India has already started developing Palaly airport and Kankasanthurai harbour in the Jaffna peninsula to build airport as a regional aviation center and the harbour as a trade and commercial hub, PTI reports.
The state-owned Indian Bank today opened its branch in Jaffna.
See our analysis of:
- the recent Army-backed paramilitary violence in Jaffna: Part I and Part II.
- geopolitics in Sri Lanka: India's troubles in Sri Lanka and India-US partnership in Sri Lanka