IMC Campus convocation at BMICH – The Island

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The idea that only a certain group of Sri Lankan leaders could address the international community was dispelled by the visit to India by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Ramindu Perera, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the Open University and a member of the Federation of University Professors Association (FUCK). said.

Perera told Sunday Island that crushing this idea was not only good for the National People’s Power (NPP) but also for other political leaders who were not part of a very small clique that dominated positions that needed interaction with foreign governments.

“Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main constituent of the NPP had an antagonistic relationship with India in the 1980s and many people were curious how the NPP would interact with India and vice versa. However, it is now evident that states are looking beyond these things to advance national interests,” he said.

Perera said India faces diplomatic challenges in the region. India’s relations with Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal are strained these days. “So India also needs

Sri Lanka. India must ensure that Sri Lanka also does not go against its geopolitical objectives,” he said. This could also be a reason why there was more openness to discuss the fishermen’s issue during the president’s visit, he said.

President Dissanayake also took great care in securing Indian assurances that they would support Sri Lanka joining BRICS. Sri Lanka officially began the application process to join BRICS and the New Development Bank in October 2024.

“India has the power to influence international opinion. Currently, BRICS has stopped accepting new members. India has said it will support Sri Lanka’s membership when BRICS starts accepting new members again,” he said.

Commenting on the fact that the joint statement following President Dissanayake’s visit to India did not specifically mention the 13th amendment to the constitution, Perera said Prime Minister Modi did not raise the issue when Dissanayake visited India earlier this year.

“It is also evident that India cannot use the same methods it has used in the past to influence Sri Lankan governments regarding the 13th constitutional amendment. Unlike previous governments, the NPP also won the Tamil vote,” he said.

However, Sri Lanka must understand that India’s priority is its national interests and the government must be careful to avoid some proposals that will be detrimental to Sri Lanka’s national interest.

“For most of the proposals to have physical connectivity with India, the Sri Lankans only agreed to ‘further review’. When we read between the lines, it is obvious that the government’s strategy is to buy time on Indian proposals which are harmful to us,” he said.