The visit by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister >Mangala Samaraweera to New Delhi, days after the new government in Colombo was sworn in, sends the clear message of an >enduring friendship between the two countries. As with all such friendships, there have been phases of turbulence, but the impression that ties had hit rock bottom under the previous government in Sri Lanka is not correct. New Delhi remained deeply engaged with the Rajapaksa government until the end. There were difficulties for sure, and these have not disappeared. Sri Lanka’s list of complaints against India is probably long, and these would include baiting by extremist Tamil groups in Tamil Nadu and trespassing by Indian fishermen into its waters. Differences over the former President’s reluctance to address post-war political and human rights issues relating to the Tamil minority led to India voting against Sri Lanka twice at the UN Human Rights Council and abstaining once. There was also concern when a Chinese submarine docked in Colombo twice in a span of two months last year. Statements by Mr. Samaraweera that his government would correct the “pro-China tilt” in foreign policy have gladdened India. At the same time, any suggestion of a “pro-India tilt” by the new government is likely to make it unpopular at home, and will be in neither side’s interests in the long term. What the two countries can do is to maximise the advantages of their geographic proximity and age-old bonds to further common economic and strategic interests.
India’s foremost expectation from the new government would be an early settlement of the Tamil question. The top priority that President Maithripala Sirisena has committed to give to the abolition of the executive presidency should ideally go hand in hand with plans to address the political aspirations of the Tamil minority, even as it comes up with a plan to address allegations of war crimes, disappearances and other violations of rights of Tamil civilians. This is likely to come up when the Sri Lankan President visits India next month. Secondly, New Delhi is hopeful that Colombo would upgrade the existing Free Trade Agreement with a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, for which a draft was finalised in 2008. Sri Lanka is reluctant to sign off on it, fearing India would swamp its economy. Given that Sri Lankan businesses only recently began to accept that the FTA has benefited them, a turnaround will come on CEPA too — if India is not seen as exerting pressure. Third, the two sides finalised a draft defence cooperation pact in 2003. Domestic political compulsions in India ensured it did not progress. It could be revisited given the potential for maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
