M.A. Bharani Dharan
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to leave for Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, on Tuesday (September 8) for a three-day official visit.
This is being seen as an important turning point in the diplomatic history of the two countries. Before this, after then Indian Defence Minister K.C. Pant visited Colombo in 1988, this is the first time in the past 38 years that an Indian Defence Minister is visiting Sri Lanka.
In 2005, when Pranab Mukherjee was India’s Defence Minister, he visited Sri Lanka. But that was only to attend the funeral of that country’s Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, who had been assassinated at the time. In 2023, when Rajnath Singh was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka, his Colombo trip was canceled as a result of India expressing strong displeasure over the arrival of a Chinese spy ship at that country’s port.
Historically, during Sri Lanka’s civil war, India’s direct military involvement left lasting political scars in that country. As a result, although meetings at the levels of leaders, foreign ministers, and secretaries of departments continued on both sides, a visit to Sri Lanka at the defense minister level had deliberately been avoided.
Security and Threats: Sri Lanka holds a highly important position on the international maritime shipping route in the Indian Ocean. In recent years, the arrival of Chinese intelligence and research vessels such as the “Yuan Wang” at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota and Colombo ports has been increasing. Security analysts have been raising concerns that this could pose an indirect threat to Tamil Nadu’s Kudankulam nuclear power plant and Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota ISRO centers.
In response to this threat, India has expanded its surveillance network and has also taken on the responsibility of upgrading the western terminal of Colombo Port. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Maha Sagar’ (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policies have helped make this possible.
Economic partnership: Through the patrol vessels, Dornier surveillance aircraft, and credit assistance provided by India to Sri Lanka, that country can strengthen its military capabilities. For India, its domestic defense manufacturing opens up an expanded export market for spare parts. In addition, through the bilateral information-sharing center, maritime routes are strengthened, and India can monitor the movements of foreign submarines in the Indian Ocean in real time.
India’s economic assistance and the Adani Group’s Colombo Port West Terminal development project have transformed Sri Lanka’s one-sided dependence, such as China’s 99-year lease of the Hambantota Port.
In this context, Rajnath Singh’s visit will strengthen the Sri Lanka-India joint military exercises known as ‘SLINEX’ and the joint military training exercises known as ‘Mitra Shakti’. In addition, security at the Trincomalee oil storage complex will be enhanced. The number of training programs offered to Sri Lankan armed forces personnel at Indian defense institutions will be increased. In that sense, Rajnath Singh’s visit to Sri Lanka is regarded as the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral ties.
Will a solution be found to the fishermen’s issue?
The most sensitive issue in India-Sri Lanka relations is the issue of Tamil Nadu fishermen crossing the border for fishing. Although talks on this have been held continuously at the level of foreign ministers and officials of both countries, it is believed that when the Indian Defense Minister speaks about it directly in Sri Lanka, political pressure on the fishermen issue will increase.
‘After this meeting, the defense ministries of both countries may be led to handle the fishing issue not as a ‘border violation’ or a ‘security threat,’ but as a humanitarian livelihood issue. Furthermore, by creating an immediate communication mechanism between the coast guards of the two countries, it may be possible to prevent fishermen from being arrested and boats from being seized due to misunderstandings,’ say security analysts.