President Anura Kumara Dissanayake walked the diplomatic tightrope in December when he made his first international visit as the island nation's new president to New Delhi.
Dissanayake's party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) of old, is known for both anti-India sentiments and strong opposition to the India-brokered 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution that sought to devolve power to the provinces, which the JVP felt was a provision aiding separatism in the Tamil majority areas.
This discomfort apart, the discussions went smoothly, and the political pragmatism of choosing Delhi over Beijing is a message that the JVP/NPP has a softened and practical approach towards India.
India meanwhile is increasingly concerned about China's overtures to neighbouring countries and, as far as Sri Lanka goes, Beijing's economic and military influence. China's "research vessels" are disconcerting to India and there have been a few docking close to Colombo. In December, President Dissanayake assured Indian leaders that he would prevent anyone from using Sri Lankan territory for activities inimical to India's interests.
Relations with China became strained when the island's economy hit rock bottom and loans could not be serviced. It had taken time and effort to reach an agreement with Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender before chalking a contract with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sri Lanka owes Beijing a hefty $4.2 billion in debt, restructured in October 2023, marking a key milestone in the nation's path to economic recovery.
Bu hikaye The New Indian Express Hubballi dergisinin January 06, 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The New Indian Express Hubballi dergisinin January 06, 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Sonia seeks ₹400 daily wage, 150 workdays a yr under rural job scheme
CONGRESS leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Centre of systematically undermining the rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA, and demanded raising the minimum wage under it to ₹400 per day and the number of guaranteed workdays to 150 a year.
'Halal budget' isolates Muslims from mainstream, BJP tells CM
OPPOSITION BJP legislators in the Assembly continued to attack Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's budget on Tuesday as a \"halal budget\" that appeased the Muslim community with an allocation of Rs 4,000 crore.
WHEN FANTASTIC FUTURES BECOME HISTORY FORETOLD
N The Man in the High Castle (1962), author Philip K Dick imagines an alternative history where the Axis powers win the Second World War, and the US is divided between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
Man-Made Tree Park To Come Up In Ron To Attract Migratory Birds
RON town in Gadag district will soon get a man-made tree park near Jigalur lake.
A Democratic Country Must Not Function Like a Police State: SC
EXPRESSING dismay over the habit of trial courts and high courts denying bail even in minor cases despite completion of investigation, the Supreme Court said that the practice is unacceptable in a democratic country and that it creates unnecessary strain on the higher judiciary.
Malavalli food poisoning: One more student succumbs
Following the death of two boys due to suspected food poisoning in Malavalli taluk, Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) has urged the government to strengthen safety measures in schools and hostels.
Three Ways Out Of Delimitation Labyrinth
Dislocation between economic prosperity and political clout poses an existential threat to India. Kicking the problem to the future would be abdication of patriotic duty
Nest for future: U'khand's forests set to flourish with bird-friendly flora
IN a groundbreaking move to enhance avian habitats, the research wing of Uttarakhand's forest department is embarking on an ambitious plan to cultivate tree, shrub and vine species favoured by birds for feeding.
7 Centres Opened to Buy Safflower from Farmers
AS per the direction of the state government, the Dharwad district administration has opened seven procurement centres to purchase safflower directly from the farmers under the price support scheme (PSC) of the Union government.
District units to be focal point of party organisation: Cong; meet on March 27
THE Congress will hold a meeting of District Congress Committees from across the country for three days ahead of its All India Congress Committee session on April 8 and 9 in Ahmedabad.