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Ajith Doval, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Security Advisor, was in Sri Lanka this week to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with member states of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) and the Charter for the Establishment of the CSC Secretariat in Colombo on Friday.

While Colombo was full of election momentum with campaign rallies and meetings by various presidential candidates, Mr. Doval had official talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunewardena during his short trip.

He also held meetings with leading presidential candidates. They include opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader Sajith Premadasa and National People’s Power leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He also met political leaders and representatives of various political parties, including those from the North, East, and Upcountry.

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (third from the left) at the signing ceremony of the MoU on the Colombo Security Conclave, along with representatives of Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

During his meeting at the India House on Thursday with a group of Northern Tamil parliamentarians representing various political parties, he expressed concern with regard to recent developments, including the so-called ‘Tamil Common Candidate’.

M A Sumanthiran and S Shritharan of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), Selvam Adaikalanathan of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), D Siddarthan of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), and S Kajendran of All Ceylon Tamil Congress took part in the meeting. Mr Shritharan had to leave early to catch a flight to the UK.

While MPs made representations on the situation on the ground, Mr Kajendran explained in detail why his party was campaigning for a boycott but indicated his party would consider supporting any candidate who was willing to devolve powers to provinces within a federal structure.

Having listened to them all, Mr Doval, who is a one-time spymaster and Cabinet ranking member of the Indian government, had some wise words to say to the MPs.

He told them they should not “waste the votes of the Tamil people” and try to negotiate with a candidate who could win and secure the aspirations of the Tamil people through talks.

Meanwhile, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar identified two major problems in Indo-Lanka relations, one of which pertains to the international maritime boundary line and the fishing issue, a recurring dispute, particularly in the political space.

He said the other problem was China’s presence and activities in Sri Lanka, and this should be seen from a strategic national security perspective.

He made these remarks while speaking at the launch of his book titled “Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping India’s Foreign Policy.”

He noted that there has been a significant shift in public perception about India in Sri Lanka centred around the fact that when Sri Lanka was in such deep trouble, India was the only country that came forward to help it in a big way. ”If Sri Lanka has been able to recover significantly from where they were, a lot of it, I think, even the Sri Lankan politicians and Sri Lankan public attributes, is to this relationship,” he said.

Toronto’s Canadian Tamil Congress faces threats by divisive forces at festival

The “Tamil Fest” annual event organised by the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) last weekend (August 24 and 25) on Markham Road in Toronto saw some disruptions and open threats being issued against the organisers by a group of young protesters.

Their crime: engaging with the Sri Lankan government and entering into an understanding with progressive groups in the south of Sri Lanka to promote reconciliation in the country.

The protesters accused the CTC directors of being “traitors” for engaging with the Sri Lankan government and coming up with the “Himalaya Declaration” last year with other diaspora-based organisations while initiating dialogues with civil society groups in Sri Lanka’s south.  The scheduled event was disrupted, and some of the guests who arrived from South India were also escorted by police security following the protest.

However, CTC said that it held the annual street festival successfully “despite facing significant challenges, disruptions, and threats. This year’s event, which celebrates Tamil art, culture, cuisine, lifestyle, and history, was marked by attempts to hinder its success through misinformation, intimidation, and violence.”

While condemning acts of violence, threats, and intimidation, which it pointed out not only threatened the safety of festival-goers but also aimed to sow division within the community, CTC said the actions of these individuals stood in stark contrast to the spirit of unity and cultural pride that the Tamil Street Festival represented.

Meanwhile, CTC offices in Toronto were also closed until further notice due to threats faced by its volunteers and staff at Tamil Fest, the diaspora body said.

Namal’s manifesto: First copy to father

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa will unveil his election manifesto tomorrow at the ITC Ratnadipa.

Ahead of the public unveiling,
Mr Rajapaksa presented a copy of his manifesto to his father, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at an auspicious time.

Shahmy has earned a huge fan base

Marathon walker Shahmy invited to meet President

Shahmy Shaheed, a young man from Beruwala who made headlines by walking 1,500 kilometres around Sri Lanka in just 45 days, was invited to meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s official residence in Colombo this week.

Shahmy’s remarkable journey began in his hometown of Beruwala, taking him through a series of major cities and picturesque locations, including Ambalangoda, Ranna, Mirissa, Hambantota, Wellawaya, Monaragala, Siyambalanduwa, Pottuvil, Nilaveli, Mullaitivu, Paranthan, Point Pedro, Chunnakkam, Mannar, Medawachchiya, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Marawila, Negombo, and Colombo, before concluding in Beruwala. His trek aimed to showcase the peace and safety of Sri Lanka, encouraging both locals and foreigners to explore the country without hesitation.

Shahmy recorded his remarkable journey on social media, which won him thousands of followers and helped him build a huge fan base. He returned to his hometown of Beruwela to a hero’s welcome and was greeted by hundreds of fans.

Given his newfound celebrity status and the number of followers he has gained, it is likely that politicians from different parties may approach him these days as a way to attract voters. In this regard, President Wickremesinghe has got a head start by hosting the young man and congratulating him on his achievements.

Quick response from President’s Secretary: Nawagaththegama teachers get safe houses

During a recent visit by Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake to open a library for the Konkadala Primary School in Nawagaththegama, a request was made by the principal for assistance from the President’s Office to build quarters for the teachers who get posted there from different areas of the country.

The principal explained that given the human-elephant conflict in the area, a few houses within the school premises would provide safe lodging for the teachers. Within a short time, arrangements were made to repair one of the dilapidated houses within the premises and to build two new ones. The teachers now have a secure place to stay.

Lanka plays balancing naval diplomacy with warships from Asian giants

It is rare to see in other ports in the region but is seen more frequently in Colombo in recent times with warships of rival nations docking on the same day.

On Monday, the Colombo Port welcomed warships of India and China. India’s frontline warship ‘INS Mumbai’ and three ships attached to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army made a port call on the same day.

For INS Mumbai, it was the first port call. Hours later, three warships—PLA naval craft ‘Hefei’, ‘Wuzhishan’, and ‘Qilianshan’—also reached the port. The Navy welcomed them all in line with naval traditions.

As they departed on Friday, the warships of the two nations successfully conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with SLNS Vijayabahu separately. This exercise
included training in communication and tactical manoeuvres and culminated with the traditional cheership salute, according to the Navy.

The arrival of the ships on the same day also had officials of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) scrambling to accommodate these big ships. Given that the Colombo Port is a hive of activity on any day, the arrival of the ships led to more activity to accommodate ships belonging to the two Asian giants at a time when geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean remain high. The Chinese ships had sought permission to call over at Colombo about a month earlier, while the Indian request came about a week before the Chinese ships’ visit. However, the SLPA officials successfully managed to keep both sides happy and accompanied all four ships.

One political commentator noted that as a nation located at the strategic point of the Indian Ocean, there is now a need for “naval diplomacy” to tackle challenges in the future.