India and Srilanka | PSIR Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

India - Sri Lanka Relations

Background

Historical Relationship

• The relationship between India and Sri Lanka dates back over 2,500 years, marked by a rich history of intellectual, cultural, religious, and linguistic interactions.

Evolution of Relations

• In recent years, the relationship has strengthened through close contacts at various levels, with significant growth in trade and investment.
• Cooperation has expanded into areas such as infrastructure development, education, culture, and defense.
• Progress in the implementation of developmental assistance projects has further solidified the bonds of friendship between the two nations.

Conflict and Resolution

• The nearly three-decade-long armed conflict between Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE concluded in May 2009.
• Throughout the conflict, India supported the Sri Lankan Government's right to combat terrorist forces.
• India maintained a consistent position advocating for a negotiated political settlement that respects the rights of all communities within a united Sri Lanka, aligned with principles of democracy, pluralism, and human rights.

Geopolitical Significance of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Strategic Location in the Indian Ocean

• Geopolitical Importance: Sri Lanka's position as an island in the Indian Ocean has made it strategically important to major global powers.
• Western Interests: Historically, agreements like the British Defence and External Affairs Agreement of 1948 and the Maritime Agreement with the USSR in 1962 reflect Western interests in Sri Lanka's strategic location.
• Voice of America Station: During the leadership of J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa, Sri Lanka was selected to host a Voice of America transmitting station, which was believed to be used for intelligence gathering and electronic surveillance in the Indian Ocean region.
• Chinese Involvement: The period of Mahinda Rajapaksa saw significant Chinese investment in Sri Lanka, particularly in port development. China is building large modern ports in the Indian Ocean, including Gwadar (Pakistan), Chittagong (Bangladesh), Kyauk Phru (Myanmar), and Hambantota (Sri Lanka).
• String of Pearls Strategy: China's "String of Pearls" strategy aims to encircle India and establish dominance in the Indian Ocean through a network of ports.
• Post-2015 Reliance on China: After 2015, Sri Lanka continued to rely heavily on China for projects like the Port City project and other Chinese-funded infrastructure developments, despite the Hambantota harbour facing financial challenges.
• Strategic Ports: Sri Lanka boasts several strategically important ports located along busy sea lanes. Colombo Port is the 25th busiest container port globally, while the natural deep-water harbor at Trincomalee is the fifth largest natural harbour in the world.
• Historical Significance: During World War II, the port city of Trincomalee served as a major base for the Eastern Fleet and the British Royal Navy.
• Commercial, Industrial, and Military Uses: Sri Lanka's location is advantageous for commercial and industrial purposes and has the potential for military use due to its strategic ports.

Political Relations

Geopolitical Context and Foreign Relations of Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka, emerging from a civil war and facing human rights allegations, has politics and international relations heavily influenced by geopolitics, with foreign powers having vested interests.
• India-Sri Lanka Relations: Political relations between India and Sri Lanka have been characterized by regular high-level visits.
• In February 2015, Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena made his first official visit to India, followed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Colombo in March 2015, marking the first stand-alone visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Sri Lanka in 28 years.
• In June 2019, Modi's visit to Sri Lanka during his second term was a significant symbolic gesture reflecting the special relationship between the two countries.
• Sri Lanka is a member of regional groupings like BIMSTEC(Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and SAARC, where India plays a leading role.
• India's invitation to leaders of BIMSTEC countries for Modi's swearing-in aligns with its 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
• China-Sri Lanka Relations: Historically, Sri Lanka has been within India's geopolitical sphere, but its relationship with China has strengthened recently.
• Former President Rajapaksa deepened ties with China, often sidelining Indian concerns, including issues related to the rehabilitation of Tamils displaced during the civil war.

History of Civil War

Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict: A Brief Overview

• Ethnic Composition: According to a 2001 census, Sri Lanka's main ethnic groups are the Sinhalese (82%), Tamils (9.4%), and Sri Lanka Moors (7.9%).
• Post-Independence Changes: After gaining independence in 1948, the Sinhalese disliked British favoritism towards the Tamils during colonial times. They disenfranchised Tamil migrant plantation workers from India and made Sinhala the official language.
• 1972 Constitutional Changes: The Sinhalese renamed the country from Ceylon to Sri Lanka and declared Buddhism as the primary religion.
• Formation of the LTTE: In response to growing ethnic tensions, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was formed in 1976, led by Velupillai Prabhakaran. The LTTE aimed to establish a Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka, where most Tamils reside.
• 1983 Violence: The LTTE attacked an army convoy in 1983, killing thirteen soldiers. This incident sparked riots that led to the deaths of 2,500 Tamils.
• India's Involvement: The Palk Strait, which is about 40 km wide, separates southern India (Tamil Nadu) from northern Sri Lanka, the traditional Tamil area. The strong ethnic ties between Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Tamils prompted India to take an active role in the conflict.
• Indo-Sri Lankan Accord (1987): This agreement aimed to provide a political solution to the conflict by proposing a provincial council system and devolution of power across nine provinces in Sri Lanka. This led to the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
• Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF): India deployed the IPKF under Operation Pawan to disarm various militant groups in Sri Lanka. However, the IPKF was withdrawn after three years due to escalating violence.
• End of Conflict (2009): The violent conflict concluded in 2009. India agreed to assist in reconstructing the war-torn areas and initiated several rehabilitation programs.
• UNHRC Resolutions: India voted against Sri Lanka in 2009, 2012, and 2013 at the US-sponsored UN Human Rights Council resolutions, which aimed to investigate alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

Commercial Relations

Sri Lanka: A Key Partner for India

• Sri Lanka is a top destination for direct investment from India.
• Among the SAARC countries, Sri Lanka is one of India's largest trading partners.
• India is Sri Lanka's biggest global trade partner.
• Between 2015 and 2017, India exported $5.3 billion worth of goods to Sri Lanka and imported $743 million from the island nation.

Trade Growth Post-Agreement

• Trade between India and Sri Lanka surged after the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) was implemented in March 2000.
• Sri Lankan exports to India have risen significantly since the agreement.
• However, India's exports to Sri Lanka have grown even more, leading to an imbalance in trade.
• This imbalance is mainly due to Sri Lanka's limited export capacity to meet India's demands and the competitiveness of Indian exports.

India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA)

• The ISFTA, signed in 1998 and effective from March 2000, serves as the primary framework for bilateral trade between India and Sri Lanka.
• The agreement was based on the asymmetries between the two economies, considering local socio-economic sensitivities, safeguard measures, and revenue implications.
• India aimed to be more flexible without demanding strict reciprocity from Sri Lanka.
• Under the ISFTA, India agreed to open more tariff lines upfront and within three years, while Sri Lanka had a longer period of eight years for smaller and staggered openings.
• To benefit from the ISFTA, merchandise exported between India and Sri Lanka must meet the Rules of Origin criteria.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

• The CEPA, which is yet to be signed, aims to enhance the momentum generated by the FTA and promote greater integration between the two economies.
• The CEPA seeks to expand bilateral economic interaction beyond trade in goods.

Diverse Areas of Investment

• Investments between India and Sri Lanka span various sectors, including petroleum retail,IT,financial services,real estate,telecommunication,hospitality and tourism,banking,food processing(such as tea and fruit juices),metal industries,tires,cement,glass manufacturing, and infrastructure development(including railway, power, and water supply).
• There has also been a growing trend of Sri Lankan investments in India.

Tourism Link

• Tourism serves as a significant link between India and Sri Lanka, with India being the largest source market for Sri Lankan tourism.
• Indian tourists contribute notably to Sri Lanka's tourism, with one in every five tourists being from India.

Cultural and Educational Relations

India-Sri Lanka Cultural Cooperation

• The Cultural Cooperation Agreement between India and Sri Lanka, signed on November 29, 1977, serves as the foundation for regular Cultural Exchange Programs between the two nations.
• The Indian Cultural Centre in Colombo promotes Indian culture through classes in music,dance,Hindi, and Yoga. There are annual exchanges of cultural troupes between India and Sri Lanka.
• India and Sri Lanka celebrated the 2600th anniversary of Lord Buddha's enlightenment (Sambuddhathva Jayanthi) through joint activities.
• In 2014, both governments commemorated the 150th anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala.
• The India-Sri Lanka Foundation, established in December 1998 as an intergovernmental initiative, aims to enhance scientific,technical,educational, and cultural cooperation through civil society exchanges and fostering connections between the younger generations of both countries.
• Education is a significant area of cooperation, with India offering approximately 290 scholarship slots annually to Sri Lankan students. Additionally, under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Scheme and the Colombo Plan, India provides 370 slots annually to Sri Lankan nationals.
• To promote people-to-people contact, the Government of India launched the e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme for Sri Lankan tourists on April 14, 2015. In a gesture of goodwill, the visa fee for eTV was significantly reduced.

Indian Community

The People of Indian Origin (PIOs) include communities such as Sindhis, Borahs, Gujaratis, Memons, Parsis, Malayalis, and Telugu speakers who have settled in Sri Lanka, mainly after the partition. They are involved in various business ventures.

• Although their numbers are smaller compared to Indian Origin Tamils (IOTs), PIOs are economically prosperous and well-established.
• Each PIO community has its own organization that hosts festivals and cultural events.

Indian Origin Tamils (IOTs) are primarily employed in tea and rubber plantations located in the Central, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. However, in the past decade, many younger IOTs have been migrating to Colombo in search of better employment opportunities.

• A significant number of IOTs living in Colombo are involved in business activities.
• According to the 2011 Government census,the IOT population is approximately 1.6 million.

Defence and Security Cooperation

India-Sri Lanka Security Cooperation

• India and Sri Lanka have a long history of security cooperation, which has strengthened in recent years through increased military-to-military relations.
• The two countries conduct joint military exercises called 'Mitra Shakti' and naval exercises known as SLINEX.
• India also provides defense training to Sri Lankan armed forces.
• India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives signed a trilateral maritime security cooperation agreement to enhance surveillance, anti-piracy operations, and reduce maritime pollution in the Indian Ocean Region.
• In April 2019, India and Sri Lanka reached an agreement to counter drug and human trafficking together.
• Following the tragic Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister thanked India for its support, especially for the alerts issued by Indian agencies warning about potential attacks.

Issues and Conflicts

China's Influence in Sri Lanka:

• In recent years, China has lent billions of dollars to the Sri Lankan government for new infrastructure projects.
• Sri Lanka handed over the strategic port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease, which is expected to support China's Belt and Road Initiative.
• Opposition parties and trade unions in Sri Lanka have criticized the port deal as a sellout of national assets to China.
• China has supplied arms and provided significant loans for Sri Lanka's development, including the construction of the Colombo International Container Terminal by China Harbor Corporation.

Improving Sri Lanka-India Relations:

• To address Indian concerns about the Hambantota port being used for military purposes, Sri Lanka has limited China's role to commercial operations at the port while retaining oversight of security operations.
• The two countries have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, marking Sri Lanka's first nuclear partnership with any country.
• India is also investing in Sri Lanka's infrastructure development, particularly in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
• India plans to build Trincomalee Port to counterbalance Chinese developments at Hambantota Port.

Fishermen issue

Territorial Waters and Fishing Disputes between India and Sri Lanka

• Due to the close proximity of territorial waters in the Palk Straits and the Gulf of Mannar, incidents of fishermen accidentally straying into each other's waters are common.
• Indian fishing boats have been operating freely in the Bay of Bengal, Palk Bay, and the Gulf of Mannar for centuries. However, in 1974 and 1976, treaties were signed to demarcate the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), which limited their fishing areas.
• The treaties did not consider the impact on thousands of traditional fishermen who were forced to fish in a much smaller area.
• The small islet of Katchatheevu, previously used by Indian fishermen for sorting and drying their catch, ended up on the Sri Lankan side of the IMBL.
• Despite the restrictions, some fishermen risk crossing the IMBL to avoid returning empty-handed. The Sri Lankan Navy actively monitors this and has been known to arrest or destroy the equipment of those who cross the line.
• To address the issue of fishermen crossing the IMBL, both countries have established practical arrangements to handle such situations more humanely.
• India and Sri Lanka have set up a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries, involving the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka, to find a permanent solution to the fishermen dispute.

Way Forward

• Since both India and Sri Lanka are democracies, there is potential to expand and deepen their ties.
• They should work towards a permanent solution for fishermen issues through ongoing discussions.
• Signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) would enhance economic cooperation.
• India should emphasize its traditional and cultural connections to strengthen relations.
• Launching ferry services between the two countries could boost people-to-people links.
• Recognizing and respecting each other's concerns and interests can lead to improved relations.