Sri Lanka's New President Is India's Latest Concern But Can Colombo Afford To Ignore New Delhi? | Opinion

India-Sri Lanka Relations: After decades of political turmoil, Sri Lanka now has a new President and it's not a good sign for India. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the 55-year-old leader of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party, was announced as the election winner on Sunday and has been sworn in as the new President of the island nation. He has become Sri Lanka's ninth Executive President, defeating Sajith Premadasa in the country's first-ever Presidential election run-off.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Dissanayake, his X post had some serious message for Sri Lanka. "Congratulations Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on your victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. Sri Lanka holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region."

Congratulations @anuradisanayake, on your victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. Sri Lanka holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2024

In his message, PM Modi made it clear that Sri Lanka holds prominence for India and New Delhi is ready to work for the greater good of the region. In a post on X, Dissanayake highlighted strengthening ties between India and Sri Lanka and stressed working towards enhancing cooperation. "Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for your kind words and support. I share your commitment to strengthening the ties between our nations. Together, we can work towards enhancing cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and the entire region," Dissanayake said.

While Dissanayake expressed willingness to work together, the path ahead is not going to be easy as the new Sri Lankan President has a history of anti-India stance. 

Dissanayake And JVP's India Stand

The JVP initially emerged as a revolutionary Marxist party and led two unsuccessful uprisings to seize control of Sri Lanka. Dissanayake's JVP party has been wary of India's influence and power for decades. The JVP once viewed India as a bully meddling in Sri Lanka's internal politics. In its early years, the JVP cautioned its members about the risks of 'Indian Expansionis', said reports. Relations between the JVP and India were especially strained in the late 1980s, when New Delhi helped Sri Lanka during the civil war.

The JVP is also said to have close ties with China's Communist Party. Even though the JVP was critical of China over the latter's investments like Hambantota port, Dissanayake led a delegation to Beijing before coming to India. 

Can Sri Lanka Under Dissanayake Ignore India?

In 2022, Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis, triggered by years of corruption and mismanagement, which resulted in soaring inflation and stagnant growth. Widespread anger towards then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's government sparked mass protests across the nation, eventually leading to the government's collapse and Rajapaksa fleeing the country. Following his departure, political veteran Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency and implemented tough economic reforms to stabilize the situation. India played a significant role in Sri Lanka's recovery, providing a $4 billion bailout package in 2022 and assisting the country in securing additional funding from the IMF.

India had some security concerns related to China, especially with regard to Hambantota port and the docking of a Chinese research vessel in Sri Lanka. India believed that the vessel was a spy ship. The Wickremesinghe government did not allow the Chinese vessel's docking in Sri Lanka and thus, built strong ties with India. 

Since, JVP is said to be more inclined towards China, India will be watching Dissanayake's every move very closely. While Dissanayake had tried to reach out to India saying India would remain an important partner,  it has also promised to cancel energy projects awarded to Adani Enterprises. 

Dissanayake must have seen the Maldives-India row episode closely and being a seasoned politician, he is likely to take a calculated approach while balancing India and China.