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Deep political significance in Modi’s four-hour visit today
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Colombo today on a four-hour visit which assumes much greater significance than the brief stopover for many reasons.
Main among them is his expression of solidarity for the government’s strong drive against IS-backed jihadi extremists. Indian agencies are already extending their co-operation to track them down in the light of fears they could threaten India’s national security also.
He will be met at the Bandaranaike International Airport by President Maithripala Sirisena in the first visit by a foreign dignitary since the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Just days earlier, India withdrew its travel advisory to its citizens.
From the airport, both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Modi will travel in a motorcade to Colombo. Besides talks between the two leaders, Premier Modi will also meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa and a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by Rajavarothayam Sampanthan.
India’s High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu set the stage for the visit with significant remarks during a lecture at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) on Thursday.
He said: “Our relationship with Sri Lanka is without any caveats and riders. It is open and genuine. India is not interested in capturing Sri Lanka’s assets, resources or markets. We are only interested in seeing a united, peaceful, strong, sovereign and prosperous Sri Lanka. Our future will be shaped by what we do today, how quickly we do it and how strongly we feel for it. There is no space for ambivalence or complacency. India stands with you in the hour of need.”
Premier Modi’s Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) won a resounding victory at the recent parliamentary elections. His first visit was to the Maldives with a stopover in Sri Lanka.