High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka Santosh Jha meets Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman during his visit to Eastern Province, on May 5.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Eastern Province holds special significance in connectivity initiatives between India and Sri Lanka, Indian envoy Santosh Jha has said, as he visited the three districts in the province to take stock of several India-assisted projects.

During the visit last week, Mr. Jha, India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, highlighted the multi-sectoral grant assistance package consisting of 33 different projects throughout the province in diverse areas as well as ongoing discussions between the two governments to collaborate for the comprehensive development of Trincomalee, an official statement said.

He took stock of several projects being implemented by the Government of India for the people of the province and visited various sites of historical, cultural and commercial significance.

He also highlighted the various connectivity and energy projects being pursued between India and Sri Lanka, which will bring significant benefits to the Eastern Province.

The Eastern Province occupies a pre-eminent position in connectivity initiatives between India and Sri Lanka and the High Commissioner underlined that India stands ready to work arduously with the concerned authorities in Sri Lanka on this front, the statement said.

Jha reviewed the progress in the construction of the Surgical Unit in Teaching Hospital Batticaloa, being built through grant assistance from India. This facility is expected to be completed soon. He also visited the Model Village Housing Projects in Batticaloa and Trincomalee, which are part of a comprehensive project, under which a total of 600 houses are being built across the 25 districts of Sri Lanka by India for vulnerable and homeless families.

Separately, he met and encouraged concerned stakeholders to actively work towards the expeditious completion of the 5,000 MT temperature-controlled warehouse in Dambulla. The first-of-its-kind facility in the country will help the farmers in the region to reduce their post-harvest losses considerably. During the site visit to the proposed solar facility in Sampur, he expressed confidence that work would commence at the earliest.

The High Commissioner visited several facilities of Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) in Trincomalee. He recalled the unparalleled role the company played in limiting the adverse effects of the energy crisis in 2022 during these engagements.

A view of the Sarayu River at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. File
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

India has initiated the process of sending sacred Sarayu river water to Sri Lanka for the consecration ceremony of Seetha Amma Temple, dedicated to Goddess Sita.

The consecration ceremony of Seetha Amma Temple will take place on May 19. The decision came following a letter from Sri Lanka’s representatives to the Uttar Pradesh government, requesting Sarayu river water for religious ceremonies and the consecration of Goddess Sita’s idol at the temple.

Under the directive of the UP government, the Tourism Department has been given the responsibility of transporting the holy water.

The Ram Temple Trust hailed the initiative, emphasizing its significance in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and fostering cultural ties.”

A Seetha Amma Temple is being constructed in Sri Lanka. The representative of the temple has asked for the Sarayu River water from the UP government. We will provide the sacred water in a Kalash. The rituals will be held on May 19″, said Santosh Kumar Sharma CEO of Ayodhya Teerth Vikas Parishad.

The ceremony at the Seetha Amma Temple aims to unite the hearts of both nations, symbolizing the spiritual and cultural bond between India and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Mahant Shashikant Das hailed the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the Seetha Amma Temple in Sri Lanka will be a matter of pride for all the ‘Sanatanis’.

“It is a matter of pride for all Sanatanis. Goddess Sita has faced many difficulties in Lanka and today, a grand temple is being constructed in the same Lanka,” Shashikant Das said.

New Delhi:

A tiny island between India and Sri Lanka on Palk Straight has become the latest flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The island of Katchatheevu, a disputed area, was given to Sri Lanka by the Congress government headed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi through an agreement in 1974.

Katchatheevu — around 33 km from the Indian coast near Rameswaram — has been a disputed territory between India and Sri Lanka since the British period. Back then both nations were British colonies. The British, citing the traditional claims of the Ramnad zamindari of Ramanathapuram, had attached it to the Madras Presidency.

But the dispute broke out again after Independence over fishing rights around the island.

To settle the discord and strengthen ties with Sri Lanka, the government headed by Indira Gandhi had agreed to cede it to island nation under the 1974 “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement”.

At the time, the uninhabited volcanic island — 1.6 km in length and around 300 m wide — was thought to have little strategic value. But over the last decades, the situation has changed owing to the rise of China and its growing influence over Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last evening asserted that the Congress “callously” gave it away to Sri Lanka. “Eye-opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds – we can’t ever trust Congress,” PM Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Doubling down on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charge at Opposition over the Katchatheevu island row, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today said Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first Prime Minister, wanted to give away the island to Sri Lanka.

Responding to the remarks, senior DMK leader RS Bharathi said the Prime Minister has “no achievements” to showcase . “If PM Modi was keen on Katchatheevu, he could have reclaimed that island during his 10 years in office. Why did not he take up the Katchatheevu issue?” Mr Bharathi said.

The argument has been seconded by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The Katchatheevu island was given to Sri Lanka as part of a friendly agreement in 1974, Mr Kharge added, pointing out that the BJP-led government too had undertaken a similar “friendly gesture” towards Bangladesh on exchange of border enclaves.

Sri Lanka on Friday awarded the construction of three solar and wind hybrid power generation facilities to an Indian company after scrapping a tender won by a Chinese firm.

India has long been concerned about growing Chinese influence in the island nation, which sits near key global shipping lanes and which India considers to be within its sphere of influence.

The project, initially financed by an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan, was temporarily shelved two years ago after India raised concerns over China’s involvement.

Sri Lanka’s energy ministry said Friday that the project had been revived and was now fully funded by an $11 million Indian government grant.

It added that renewables firm U-Solar from Bengaluru had been awarded the building contract.

India’s assistance “underscored the significance New Delhi attached to bilateral energy partnership”, the Indian embassy said in a statement.

The three facilities will have a combined 2,230 kilowatts of renewable energy capacity and be located on islets near the northern city of Jaffna, not far from India’s southern coast.

China and India have been competing for major infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka, which is currently emerging from its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Beijing is also Sri Lanka’s single largest bilateral creditor, accounting for around 10 percent of the island nation’s $46 billion foreign debt at the time of a government default at the peak of the crisis in 2022.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The launch of a passenger ferry service from Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai near Jaffna in Sri Lanka is a “truly big step” for boosting people-to-people contacts, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

In his remarks at a virtual ceremony on the launch of the ferry service, Mr Jaishankar said that New Delhi has a “generous and far-sighted approach” to its proximate nations, with a focus on connectivity, cooperation and contacts.

“In future, we are looking at grid connection, pipelines and economic corridor. And of course, support for all in Sri Lanka to live in equal dignity and equal rights,” he said.

India has been conveying to Colombo to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation and ensure a life of respect and dignity for it. The ferry service was launched in line with an announcement made by the leaders of the two countries in July.

“This is a truly big step for people-to-people contacts between India and Sri Lanka. And it was so recognised by Prime Minister Modi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe,” Mr Jaishankar said.

The high-speed ferry is operated by the Shipping Corporation of India and has a capacity of 150 passengers. The distance of about 60 nautical miles (110 Km) between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai will be covered in approximately 3.5 hours depending on sea conditions, according to officials.

In his remarks, Mr Jaishankar also highlighted India’s ‘Neighbourhood First policy’ and its focus on boosting connectivity and cooperation with neighbouring countries.

“And that is exactly what we are seeking to do through this ferry. This is already visible in the Chennai-Jaffna flights that Prime Minister Modi has sanctioned,” he said.

“Such steps are a natural decision by a prime minister who has Tamil Nadu so close to his heart and who has taken so much interest in the welfare of all in Sri Lanka,” he said.

“After all, who can forget that Prime Minister Modiji is the first Indian prime minister ever to visit Jaffna. This commitment is also seen in support for housing projects, cultural centres and hospitals in Sri Lanka,” Mr Jaishankar said.

He also referred to India’s policy of SAGAR (Security and Growth For All in the Region) and noted that the country has again been active in ensuring maritime security and safety, as well as in disaster response and environment security.

“This ferry is an important people-to-people connect through the maritime domain. It also underlines the assistance we have provided for the smooth functioning of the Kankesanthurai harbour,” he said.

The external affairs minister also highlighted India’s focus on ease of living – or how to make life easier for a common citizen.

“It is these steps — a ferry today, an air connection before, smoother visas, more tourism — that really matter,” he said.

“And finally, there is the easier to do business commitment of the Modi government. The ferry will directly facilitate cargo services, as you all heard, and particularly help small businesses. Its benefits will reach those who otherwise may be left behind,” the External Affairs Minister said. 
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India’s Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks during a media briefing of the 23rd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) g in Colombo on October 11, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP

India wants to be a “friend to the world”, the voice of the global south, and will work to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indian Ocean region, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the annual meeting of the 23-member Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) being held in Colombo, where he also raised the “dangers” of unsustainable debt. Mr. Jaishankar, who met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, also witnessed the signing of three agreements on bilateral cooperation. The agreements include Indian assistance for housing projects, modernising schools and a new joint project between the Indian National Dairy Development Board, Amul cooperative and the Sri Lankan Cargill Group to increase milk production in Sri Lanka.

The Minister’s visit, three months after Mr. Wickremesinghe’s visit to Delhi, also comes days ahead of the Sri Lankan President’s travel to Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum, where he is expected to discuss the Sri Lankan debt crisis, and Chinese infrastructural projects. 

“We should be clear where the dangers are, be it in hidden agendas, in unviable projects or in unsustainable debt. Exchange of experiences, sharing of best practices, greater awareness and deeper collaboration are part of the solutions,” Mr. Jaishankar told a joint press appearance with the Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka  M.U.M Ali Sabry and Bangladesh A.K. Abdul Momen, in comments he appeared to direct at China’s loans and projects to countries in the region. 

Talks with IMF

The conference in Colombo comes even as Sri Lanka’s government is continuing negotiations with the IMF for a $2.9 billion bailout to avoid a debt crisis, with the second tranche of $330 million not yet released. Sri Lanka has won support from India including through lines of credit, debt payment moratoriums, and currency swap arrangements worth almost $4 billion, and is hoping to finalise a debt restructuring package with China, one of its bigger creditors. 

After taking charge of the IORA forum on Wednesday, Mr. Sabry said Sri Lanka, which had last chaired the grouping in 2003-4, was a founding member, of the Bandung conference which led to the Non Aligned Movement, and also had introduced a UN resolution to declare the Indian Ocean region and airspace a “Zone of Peace” in 1971. 

Mr. Jaishankar said that the “spirit of 1971” Mr. Sabry had referred to was important, but that the IORA group must  “discourage any hidden agendas to the contrary”, and must follow the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) as the “Constitution of the Seas”. 

Also read: Bankrupt Sri Lanka gets China’s tentative agreement on debt restructure

“At a time of global polarisation, we are taking the position in IORA that we want an ocean free open and inclusive rules-based ocean for the benefit of all the countries of the region. We don’t want anyone to play a proxy war in the Indian ocean specific area,” Mr. Momen told The Hindu here, adding that there is immense global interest in IORA as the Indian Ocean, which sees 86% of global trade, is the “most important ocean”. 

During the meeting, Sri Lanka took over as Chair, while India took over as Vice Chair of the IORA grouping, that was started in 1997 and now includes 23 countries in south Asia, south east Asia and Australia, west Asia and Africa, all of whom are situated around the Indian Ocean. In addition, about 11 major powers are dialogue partners including China, U.S., U.K., Russia, Japan, Turkiye, and the most recent entrant Saudi Arabia. 

“Sri Lanka has a multicultural, multireligious ethos, and we see ourselves in the centre of the Indian Ocean,” former High Commissioner to India and the Executive Director General of the IORA Secretariat in Colombo Sudarshan Seneviratne told The Hindu. “Hosting such a major conference gives a symbolic message, that despite the economic crisis we had, we feel some confidence that we are holding our own and will come through it,” he added, when asked about the significance of holding a major conference now. 

India will increase up to 50% of the financial grant for nine ongoing high-impact community projects in Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission said here on Friday.

With the increase in the financial allocation for the projects under the India-Sri Lanka High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) framework, the current grant for the initiative stands at 3 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($9,374,303).

“The government of India has increased the financial allocation for various grant projects being implemented across the length and breadth of the country. The financial allocation has been increased by up to 50% in the case of 9 ongoing projects that are being executed under the India-Sri Lanka High Impact Community Development Project framework,” the Indian High Commission said in a statement.

It further said: “The overall financial commitment for these 9 projects currently stands at close to SLR 3 billion, after the increase”.

These projects cut across sectors ranging from education and health to agriculture, among others.

India has already completed more than 60 grant projects under the HICDP framework, covering all 25 districts of Sri Lanka.

In addition, 20 other projects are under different stages of implementation.

The HICDP framework was signed between the two countries in 2005 and subsequently renewed thrice, for a period of five years each time.

The release said the overall development cooperation partnership portfolio in Sri Lanka was around $5 billion, of which $600 million is grant.

“Demand-driven and people-centric projects carried out by the Government of India span across areas such as infrastructure development, housing, livelihood assistance etc. 1990 Emergency Ambulance Service, Railway Track rehabilitation, Integrated Water Plants, Indian Housing Project and Jaffna Cultural Center are among the landmark projects completed by India in Sri Lanka,” the statement said.