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Round The World
New Delhi, 28 July 2023
India-Lanka Ties
THE TAMIL QUESTION!
By Dr. D.K. Giri
(Secretary General, Assn for
Democratic Socialism)
The Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was on a two-day official visit last
week, his first since he became the President in July last year. The visit took
place in the wake of celebration of 75th anniversary of diplomatic
ties between the two countries with the crux being to strengthen relations in
multiple sectors. For Sri Lanka, it was reaching out to friends and allies in
the quest of economic recovery after the financial collapse last year. For
India, Sri Lanka is an important partner in her ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy
and a push for the Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). However,
the elephant in the room is the question of the Sri Lankan Tamils – their
rehabilitation and autonomy etc.
Let us note that Sri Lanka’s
strategic location in the Indian Ocean has attracted attention from other countries,
of late, from India’s regional rival China. Beijing had somehow gained an upper
hand against New Delhi in Sri Lanka by extending free-flowing loans and
infrastructure investment. But the dramatic economic collapse last year, gave
New Delhi chance to claw its way back into the Island country especially as
China delayed its support for debt restructuring.
India had extended emergency
financial support to the tune of $4 billion mainly in terms of fuel and
essential items. Furthermore, New Delhi helped Colombo secure a $3 billion rescue
package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which Sri Lanka had
acknowledged. India is also a part of an official creditor’s committee along
with Japan and other Paris Club members. This committee is currently
negotiating debt relief solutions for Sri Lanka.
Paris Club is an informal group of
creditor nations set up in 1956 to find sustainable debt relief solutions for
countries that are unable to repay their bilateral loans. The Club provides
financial assurances to the IMF and Sri Lanka needed such assurance from it to
receive bail-out packages. The members are: Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands,
Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and
the United States. Incidentally, all 22 Paris Club members are members of
38-countries constituted Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD).
Perhaps the important outcome of the
visit was the adoption of the Vision Document with the intent of boosting
economic partnership. The title of the document, “Promoting Connectivity, Catalysing
Prosperity: Enhancing Economic Prosperity” nicely captures it. The Document is
based on five pillars comprising connectivity in five sectors: maritime, air,
energy and power, people-to-people. The idea is to accelerate through these
connectivities, mutual cooperation in tourism, electricity, business, higher
education and skill development.
Maritime connectivity aims at
consolidating local logistics and shipping with the joint development of ports
at Colombo, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai. The Document also refers to
resumption of passenger ferry services between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai
in Sri Lanka and between Rameswaram (India) and Talaimannar (Sri Lanka). The
air connectivity talks of expansion of flights between Chennai and Colombo in
addition to exploring connectivity between Chennai and Trincomalee, Batticaloa
and other possible destinations in Sri Lanka.
The energy and power connectivity
led to: signing of a MoU on renewable energy for Sri Lanka covering 75 per cent
of power from renewables by 2030; establishment of a high-capacity integrated power
grid to enable electricity trading within BBIN initiative. The BBIN –
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal – is a sub-regional structure created as
South Asian Growth Quadrangle for unhindered movements of people and cargo.
This sector also included acceleration of Sampur Solar Power Project and LNG
Infrastructure to explore green hydrogen; ongoing cooperation in Trincomalee
Tank Farms for the development of industry, energy and economic activity; joint
construction of a petroleum pipeline from India; and collaborating hydrocarbon
exploration in offshore basins. The proposed distribution pipeline by Indian
Oil Corporation would connect Nagapattinam in India to Colombo, the strategic
city of Trincomalee on Sri Lanka’s East Coast where India is helping restore
World War-II era oil tanks.
People-to-people connectivity will
encompass promotion of awareness and popularisation of India’s Buddhist
circuit, and Ramayana trail as well as ancient places of Buddhist, Hindu and
other religious worship in Sri Lanka towards enhancing tourism. Colombo is
looking for drawing more tourists from India, its top catchment country, to
boost its foreign reserves after the country declared bankruptcy last year.
Prior to his departure to India, Wickremesinghe addressed the Colombo-based
Indian CEO Forum and assured that the Indian currency would soon be accepted
within the country. This would enhance trade and tourism.
The fifth pillar is an agreement on
acceptance of UPI payment system in Sri Lanka, signed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Wickremesinghe. India’s UPI service has already been adopted
by Singapore, UAE, Nepal, Bhutan and France.
The pending political solution to
Sri Lanka’s Tamils figured in the high-level meetings. Modi
raised the issue with the Sri Lankan President. He said, “We hope that the
Government of Sri Lanka will fulfil the aspirations of the Tamils.” Modi also
conveyed to the visiting President the need to ensure a life of respect and dignity
for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. In response, Wickremesinghe presented a
proposal for reconciliation and power sharing. He added that he had urged the
Sri Lankan Parliament to reach a consensus and resolve the long-running
conflict. His delegation included two Sri Lankan Tamil ministers.
Wickremesinghe had recently met the
Tamil political leadership and offered to implement the 13th
Amendment, which followed the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987. This amendment
provides for transfer of powers to North and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka without
the police powers. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) seemed to have rejected the
proposal. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which is providing support to
Wickremesinghe has suggested that the President does not have the electoral
mandate to implement the 13th Amendment.
At any rate, the fact that Tamil
question was not mentioned in the joint statement gives two loud messages. One,
Sri Lanka would not like to encourage other countries including India to mix-up
ethnic issues with trade and commerce. Second, India is perhaps making
course-correction after New Delhi’s alleged support to Madhesis. New Delhi may
not like to bring in a particular segment of population in its bilateral
negotiations on trade, security and economy etc. Be that as it may, any vision
document that excludes the long-pending Tamil question will be considered
incomplete. Both Sri Lanka and India should take this persisting dilemma on
board. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
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