Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner to India, former cabinet Minister Milinda Moragoda, is reported to be preparing for a visit to India in mid-August to restore trust between the countries.
According to Moragoda, whose appointment was announced in August 2020, “in recent years, the Indo-Sri Lanka bilateral relationship has been increasingly dominated by a transactional approach.” He adds that this is because “of the changes in the geopolitical equilibrium in the region” and has resulted in a “growing trust deficit”.
Moragoda has prepared a “roadmap” to restore trust which addresses fishermen issues, building connectivity, trade, and investment, as well as promoting religious links.
Growing distrust
The Hindu reports that Indo-Sri Lankan relations have suffered “months of strain” due to issues as Sri Lanka’s unilateral withdrawal from the East Colombo Terminal project, worth an estimated $700 - $800 million dollars. Following this withdrawal, India refused a $ 1 billion credit swap and moratorium on Sri Lankan debt leading Sri Lanka to request support from Bangladesh.
India has been further disappointed by Sri Lanka's pivot towards China, expressing concern over the establishment of China power plants outlying islands off the Jaffna peninsula. India also decided to abstain from the recent UN resolution and emphasised the need for Sri Lanka to abide by its commitments and fully implement the 13th amendment.
Rebuilding relations
In a concept paper entitled, “Integrated Country Strategy: For Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India,” Moragoda maintains that to rebuild trust Sri Lanka must engage in discussions with the Indian government, the government of Tamil Nadu, and the UNHCR.
The paper emphasised that Colombo must expedite existing projects it has with India such as the West Container Terminal and Trincomalee Oil Tank farm project, following Sri Lanka's withdrawal from the ECT.
The paper also emphasised a need to promote "exchanges of Buddhist and Hindu scholars". It calls on the Sri Lankan Missions to facilitate Indian scholar's study of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans to be able to study Pali and Buddhism in India. This comes at a time when Sri Lanka's Presidential Task for archeological conservation has routinely exploited claims of Buddhist heritage to further land grabs across the North-East.
Trade and military
.jpg)
In discussing trade the paper criticizes India's "increasing protectionism" claiming that "limited market access, a challenging and unpredictable regulatory environment as well as the Make in India Initiative" has hampered relations. This comes despite the World Bank's description of Sri Lanka's import regime as "one of the most complex and protectionist in the world".
Morogoda has also established an Inter-Agency Committee on Trade, Investment and Tourism with the Board of Investment setting out a target for Indian investment of US$ 300 million in 2021, and the Lankan Mission in India has set a goal of US$ 256 million. Potential areas for investment include auto parts, electric and electronic goods, the hospitality industry, IT services, infrastructure, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, textiles, and renewable energy.
The paper also calls for joint multilateral military exercises every year and for facilities in Sri Lanka to be established for the training of Indian military personnel. It also calls for greater interactions between police forces and for the office of the Defence Advisor in the Sri Lanka High Commission to be strengthened.
Tamil Nadu
 (1).jpg){kind=icon}
Moragoda document also highlights the issues of fishing and calls for a “humane approach” to the “genuine problems faced by fishermen on both sides of the maritime boundary.” It also calls for joint research in fisheries and marine resources and cooperation to set up a mechanism for disaster management.
Earlier this year India's External Affairs Minister expressed alarm over the deaths of 4 Tamil Nadu fishermen which had been linked to the Sri Lankan Navy. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader, M. Thambidurai, stated in February that thus far 245 fishermen had been killed in Sri Lanka.
Despite the release of 4 Indian fishermen were released from custody, Sri Lanka's fisheries Minister has threatened to continue detention.
Moragoda also notes a desire to return Eelam Tamil refugees displaced by the war who are currently residing in India. The paper calls for Colombo to announce a comprehensive package for their return, "including customs duty waivers, settling-in expenses, housing, and economic rehabilitation".
Currently, there are over 90,000 Eelam Tamil refugees who have been denied citizenship in India because of India's controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The act was passed in 2019 with the support of all 11 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members in the Rajya Sabha and passed with 125 MPs voting in favour and 99 against.
In June, Eelam Tamil refugees in a state-run camp situated in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, protested for 9-consecutive days against their continued detention.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
