India–Sri Lanka relations

India–Sri Lanka relations,Indian-Sri Lankan relations, orIndo-Sri Lanka relations, are thebilateral relationsbetweenIndiaandSri Lanka. India has emerged as the foremost partner for Sri Lanka in the endeavor to revitalize its economy, reform its bureaucracy, and enhance decision-making processes for future economic collaborations.India and Sri Lanka share a maritime border. India is the only neighbour of Sri Lanka, separated by thePalk Strait; both states occupy a strategic position inSouth Asiaand have sought to build a common security umbrella in theIndian Ocean.Both India and Sri Lanka are republics that are members of theCommonwealth of Nations.
The two countries are also close on economic terms with India being the island's largest trading partnerand anagreement to establish a proto single marketalso under discussion at an advanced stage.India was the initial nation to submit its formal endorsement for the financial assistance and debt restructure proposal of Sri Lanka to theInternational Monetary Fund(IMF).
There are deep ethnic and cultural links between the two countries. In a bid to foster and safeguard theBuddhistconnections between India and Sri Lanka, Prime MinisterNarendra Modiunveiled a grant assistance of USD 15 million during the Virtual Bilateral Summit in September 2020. This financial support is intended for various purposes, including the restoration or establishment of Buddhist monasteries, the education of young monks, the enhancement of interaction among Buddhist scholars and clergy, the establishment of museums dedicated to Buddhist heritage, the facilitation of cultural exchanges, collaborative efforts in archaeology, and the mutual showcasing of The Buddha's relics.
Relations have been tested by theSri Lankan Civil Warand by the controversy ofIndian interventionduring the war. In recent yearsSri Lanka has moved closer to China, especially in terms of naval agreements. India signed a nuclear energy pact with Sri Lanka in 2015.In 2023, India's foreign ministerS. Jaishankardeclared India would persist in providing support to Sri Lanka across all conceivable domains.In the same year, the two countries have reached an agreement to strengthen their economic and energy ties, signaling a new phase of cooperation and mutual benefits.
Sri Lanka was established as an independent state after colonialism, prior to which the island was governed by a single indigenous kingdom or multiple indigenous kingdoms, with the exception of a 70 year period in which the South IndianChola Empireextended its rule to Sri Lanka. The island has been reflected in Indian arts since ancient times; the first texts of Buddhism used the term "Lanka-dipa" for the island, a term which was commonly in use in South Asia at the time, but the island was known in the western world as "Taprobana" - derived from theThamirabarani Riverof Tamil Nadu that feeds into the gulf north of Sri Lanka.
According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles (such as theDipavamsa)Buddhismwas introduced into Sri Lanka in the 4th century BCE by VenerableMahinda, the son of Indian EmperorAshoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka's KingDevanampiya Tissa. During this time, a sapling of theBodhi Treewas brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries and Buddhist monuments were established. Among these, the Isurumuni-vihaara and the Vessagiri-vihaara remain important centers of worship. He is also credited with the construction of the Pathamaka-cetiya, the Jambukola-vihaara and the Hatthaalhaka-vihaara, and the refectory. ThePali Canon, having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BCE.
Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation, with theSanghahaving existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 4th century.  During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact withMyanmarandThailand.  Periods ofMahayanainfluence, as well as official neglect under colonial rule, created great challenges for Theravada Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka, but repeated revivals and resurgences – most recently in the 19th century CE – have kept the Theravada tradition alive for over 2,600 years.
Tamils in Sri Lanka, had establishedHinduismandTamil languagelinks with South India.Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Templeconsidered as oneShakthi Peethams.KoneswaramandKetheeswaramare considered as onlyPaadal Petra Sthalangalin Sri Lanka.
In the 1970s–1980s, private entities and elements in theResearch and Analysis Wingand the state government ofTamil Naduwere believed to be encouraging the funding and training for theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, aseparatistinsurgent force.In 1987, faced with growing anger amongst its own Tamils, and a flood of refugees,India intervened directly in the conflict for the first time after the Sri Lankan government attempted to regain control of the northernJaffnaregion by means of an economicblockadeand military assaults, India supplied food and medicine by air and sea. After subsequent negotiations, India and Sri Lanka entered into anagreement/13th amendment. The peace accord assigned a certain degree of regional autonomy in the Tamil areas with Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) controlling the regional council and called for the Tamil militant groups to lay down their arms. Further India was to send apeacekeeping force, named theIPKFto Sri Lanka to enforce the disarmament and to watch over the regional council.
According toRejaul Karim Laskar, a scholar ofIndian foreign policy, Indian intervention in Sri Lankan civil war became inevitable as that civil war threatened India's “unity, national interest and territorial integrity.”According toLaskar, this threat came in two ways: On the one hand external powers could take advantage of the situation to establish their base inSri Lankathus posing a threat toIndia, on the other theLTTE's dream of a sovereignTamil Eelamcomprising all theTamilinhibited areas (of Sri Lanka and India) posed a threat toIndia's territorial integrity.
Even though the accord was signed between the governments of Sri Lanka and India, with the Tamil Tigers and other Tamil militant groups not having a role in the signing of the accord,most Tamil militant groups accepted this agreement,the LTTE rejected the accord because they opposed the candidate, who belonged to another militant group named Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), for chief administrative officer of the merged Northern and Eastern provinces.Instead, the LTTE named three other candidates for the position. The candidates proposed by the LTTE were rejected by India.The LTTE subsequently refused to hand over their weapons to the IPKF.
The result was that the LTTE now found itself engaged in military conflict with theIndian Army, and launched their first attack on an Indian army rations truck on October 8, killing five Indian para-commandos who were on board by strappingburning tiresaround their necks.The government of India then decided that the IPKF should disarm the LTTE by force,and the Indian Army launched a number of assaults on the LTTE, including a month-long campaign dubbedOperation Pawanto wrest control of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE. When the IPKF engaged the LTTE, the then president of Sri Lanka,Ranasinghe Premadasa, began supporting LTTE and funded LTTE with arms.During the warfare with the LTTE, IPKF was also alleged to have made human rights violation against thecivilians. Notably, IPKF was alleged to have perpetrated theJaffna teaching hospital massacrewhich was the killing of over 70 civilians including patients, doctors and nurses.The ruthlessness of this campaign, and the Indian army's subsequent anti-LTTE operations made it extremely unpopular amongst many Tamils in Sri Lanka.The conflict between the LTTE and the Indian Army left over 1,115 Indian soldiers dead.
The Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, which had been unpopular amongst Sri Lankans for giving India a major influence, now became a source of nationalist anger and resentment as the IPKF was drawn fully into the conflict. Sri Lankans protested the presence of the IPKF, and the newly elected Sri Lankan presidentRanasinghe Premadasademanded its withdrawal, which was completed by March 1990.on May 21, 1991,Rajiv Gandhiwas assassinated and the LTTE was alleged to be the perpetrator. As a result, India declared the LTTE to be a terrorist outfit in 1992. Bilateral relations improved in the 1990s and India supported thepeace processbut has resisted calls to get involved again.India has also been wary of and criticised the extensive military involvement ofPakistanin the conflict, accusing the latter of supplying lethal weaponry and encouraging Sri Lanka to pursue military action rather than peaceful negotiations to end the civil war.
In the face of the acutefinancial and economic crisis of Sri Lanka, India has extended help worth USD 3.8 billion to help Sri Lanka. In line with India's 'neighbourhood first' policy, this includes an agreement to supply 700 million USD worth of petroleum through aLine of credit. India's EXIM Bank andState Bank of Indiaextended export credit facilities of 1.5 billion USD for the import of essential commodities. India also signed a 400 million USD agreement to help present Sri Lanka'sForeign exchange reserves. India also supplied 500 buses to the Sri Lankan Transport Department.
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, India sent 500,000 vaccines to Sri Lanka under grant assistance.India also sent 150 tonnes of oxygen to Sri Lanka to help combat the third wave of the pandemic.
In July 2023, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India where they outlined vision for an economic partnership to strengthen themaritime, air, energy, and interpersonal networks between them as well as to accelerate mutual cooperation in the tourism, power, trade, higher education, and skill development sectors. They said they would also work to connect their electricity grids and to examine the feasibility of building apetroleumpipeline and a land bridge. In addition, they said they would restart negotiations on a more expansive trade deal known as the Economic and Technological Trade Agreement.India has conveyed a resolute endorsement of Sri Lanka'sdebt restructuringproposal to the international lending institution, as Sri Lanka's debt to its immediate neighbor amounts to approximately $1 billion.
In September 2023, Sri Lanka's foreign minister,Ali Sabry, backed India in itsdiplomatic feudwithCanada, accusing Canada of being a "safe haven for terrorists" and suggesting Prime MinisterJustin Trudeauwas prone to making "outrageous and substantiated [sic] allegations".He also advised Trudeau to not interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign country.
The two countries share near-identical racial and cultural ties.
Sinhalese people who make up 75% of the total population descend in part from Northern Indian Indo-Aryan settlers who migrated the Island from 543 BCE to 243 BCE. Tamil people (included Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Moors) who make up 26% of the total population belonging to the Dravidian group that migrated to the island from 300BC.
India and Sri Lanka are member nations of several regional and multilateral organizations such as theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC),South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme,South Asian Economic UnionandBIMSTEC, working to enhance cultural and commercial ties. Since a bilateralfree trade agreementwas signed and came into effect in 2000, Indo-Sri Lankan trade rose 128% by 2004 and quadrupled by 2006, reaching US$2.6 billion.Between 2000 and 2004, India's exports to Sri Lanka in the last four years increased by 113%, from US$618 million to $1,319 million while Sri Lankan exports to India increased by 342%, from $44 million to $194 million.Indian exports account for 14% of Sri Lanka's global imports. India is also the fifth largest export destination for Sri Lankan goods, accounting for 3.6% of its exports.Both nations are also signatories of theSouth Asia Free Trade Agreement(SAFTA). Negotiations are also underway to expand the free trade agreement to forge stronger commercial relations and increase corporate investment and ventures in various industries.The year 2010 is predicted to be the best year for bilateral trade on record, with Sri Lanka'sexportsto India increasing by 45% over the first seven months of the year
India's National Thermal Power Corp(NTPC) is also scheduled to build a 500 MW thermal power plant in Sampoor (Sampur). The NTPC claims that this plan will take the Indo-Sri Lankan relationship to a new level.India stood as Sri Lanka's primary trading partner, and Sri Lanka's exports to India have notably expanded. The adoption of Rupees for trade settlement is additionally bolstering Sri Lanka's economy. These represent tangible measures aimed at fostering Sri Lanka's economic recuperation and advancement.
There have been several alleged incidents ofSri Lankan Navypersonnel firing on Indian fishermen fishing in thePalk Strait, where India and Sri Lanka are separated by only 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres). The issue started because of Indian fishermen having usedmechanised trawlers, which deprived the Sri Lankan fishermen (including Tamils) of their catch and damaged their fishing boats. The Sri Lankan government wants India to ban use of mechanized trawlers in the Palk Strait region, and negotiations on this subject are undergoing. So far, no concrete agreement has been reached since India favours regulating these trawlers instead of banning them altogether. Another cause of anger amongst the Sri Lankan side is the use of mechanized trawlers, which they view as ecologically damaging.Presently there is nobona fideIndian fisherman in Sri Lankan custody. A Joint Working Group (JWG) has been constituted to deal with the issues related to Indian fishermen straying in Sri Lankan territorial waters, work out modalities for prevention of the use of force against them, the early release of confiscated boats and explore possibilities of working towards bilateral arrangements for licensed fishing. The JWG last met in January 2006.
India officially protested against theSri Lankan Navyfor its alleged involvement in attacks on Indian fishermen on January 12, 2011.After the official protest, another fisherman was killed on 22 January 2011.Over 730 fishermen have been killed in the last 30 years. The apathetic attitude of the Indian government and the national media towards the alleged killing of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy has been strongly condemned.Several Tamil Nadu politicians like Vaiko and Jayalalitha have condemned the federal government for not doing enough to stop the killing of Indian Tamil fishermen, and for offering training, equipment, and strategic cooperation for the Sri Lankan Navy.In 2010,Naam Thamizhar KatchiChief coordinatorSeemangot arrested under National security act for his reported statement that he would attack the Sri Lankan students if the killing of Tamil fishermen continued by the Sri Lankan navy. Later he got acquitted of the charges and set free by the Madras high court.In November 2014, Sri Lanka ordered capital punishment to Indian fishermen who were allegedly involved in drug supply or other kind of smuggling. Activists from India approached to Sri Lankan government through an appeal, where they stated the need to strengthen south Asian regional cooperation for all such issues. It was appealed that though crime of any kind must get punishment, but capital punishment must be revoked in this case and in general from all over south Asia.Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Winckramsinghe told during an interview to a television channel in March 2015 that 'if Indian fishermen will cross the sea boundary, Sri Lankan navy can shoot them.' This remark sparked controversy over Sri Lanka–India relations. External affairs minister of India raised the issue with meeting her counterpart in Sri Lanka, but the statement of PM of Sri Lanka was condemned by civil rights activists, and open letters were written to PMs of Sri Lanka and India to resolve the dispute and to apologize for statements.
In October 2021, Sri Lankan fishermen from the North and Tamil parties launched a protest on the sea complaining about the inability of Sri Lankan authorities to deal with Indian poachers.
India is active in a number of areas of development activity in Sri Lanka. About one-sixth of the total development credit granted by India is made available to Sri Lanka.
In the recent past, three lines of credit were extended to Sri Lanka: US$100 million for capital goods, consumer durables, consultancy services and food items, US$31 million for the supply of 300,000 MT of wheat and US$150 million for purchase of petroleum products. All of the lines of credit have been fully used. Another line of credit of US$100 million is now being made available for rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara railway.
A number of development projects are implemented under Aid to Sri Lanka funds. In 2006–07, the budget for Aid to Sri Lanka was Rs 28.2 Crs.
A memorandum of understanding on Cooperation in Small Development Projects has been signed. Projects for providing fishing equipment to the fishermen in the East of Sri Lanka and solar energy aided computer education in 25 rural schools in Eastern Sri Lanka are under consideration.
India has supplied medical equipment to hospitals at Hambantota and Point Pedro, supplied 4 state-of-the-art ambulances to the Central Province, implemented a cataract eye surgery programme for 1500 people in the Central Province and implemented a project of renovation of OT at Dickoya hospital and supplying equipment to it.
The projects under consideration are the construction of a 150-bed hospital at Dickoya, upgrading of the hospital at Trincomalee and a US$7.5 million grant for setting up a cancer hospital in Colombo. India also contributes to the Ceylon Workers Education Trust that gives scholarships to the children of estate workers.
A training programme for 465 Sri Lankan Police officers has been commenced in Dec 2005. Another 400 Sri Lankan Police personnel are being trained for the course of Maintenance of Public Order.
Indian governments have also showed interest in collaborating with their Sri Lankan counterparts on building tourism between the two countries based on shared religious heritage.Madhya PradeshCMShivraj Chauhanin June 2013 stated he was working with Sri Lankan authorities to build a temple dedicated to the Hindu deitySitainNuwara Eliya.In November 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India will invest $400 million in infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka amid improving ties after talks with Sri Lanka's new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.stated that it will lend Sri Lanka $400 million for infrastructure projects, India-Sri Lanka border crossings
Only land border India and Sri Lanka have is inTalaimannaron aRam Sethusand dune.
In the past, ferry services for tourists have been introduced and suspended repeatedly because of their low usage.The low usage of the old ferry services could be due to the high cost of the former services.As of now, the only way for tourists to access India from Sri Lanka is by air. 
In 2019 negotiations about ferry services betweenColomboandTuticorinand betweenTalaimannarandRameshwarambegan. There is also a proposal to operate a cruise/ferry service between Colombo and Kochi in Kerala. The Indian and Sri Lankan governments are working close together to connect the two neighboring countries better.The Sri Lankan minister of Tourism Development John Amaratunga indicates that a ferry service will help tourists from both sides to travel at a very low cost.India intends to promote increased investments within the economy of Sri Lanka, with a particular focus on pivotal sectors such as energy, tourism, and infrastructure.
India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement allowing for the transfer of criminals serving prison sentences in the other country to be repatriated to serve the balance of their sentences in their home country.Sentenced persons from Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been transferred under the agreement from Sri Lanka to India.There are areas of cooperation where people to people contacts are focused. Sri Lanka and India has friendly relations through people's support also. It was seen thatA. T. Ariyaratnein Sri Lanka helped in spreading non-violence and community service activities on Gandhian philosophy. India has reaffirmed its dedication to aiding Sri Lanka in its efforts to recover from its economic turmoil.
In 2015, theSri Lankan Governmentexpelled an IndianRAWintelligence agent for the role played in uniting the opposition for the2015 presidential election.In October 2018, President Sirisena alleged that the Indian RAW was plotting his assassination. He made this comment in the cabinet meeting, afterCID of Sri Lanka Policearrested an Indian national in September for the alleged attempted assassination of Sirisena and former Defence SecretaryGotabaya Rajapaksa.After President Sirisena's comment on this, the media reported that the Indian High Commissioner met with the president, and Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modihad a telephone conversation with the president.
In recent years Sri Lanka has moved closer to China, especially in terms of naval agreements.India and Sri Lanka in February 2015 signed a nuclear energy deal to improve relationships. In 2015, recently elected Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modiin a meeting with recently elected Sri Lankan ex-presidentMaithripala Sirisenastated that: "India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour and friend. Our destinies are interlinked."