Sri Lanka's JVP delegation visits India. Why is it significant?
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
A delegation led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of Sri Lanka’s leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People’s Liberation Front) arrived in New Delhi on Monday (Feb 5) on a three-day outreach trip.
Dissanayake met India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and held a productive meeting, with the former taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to inform about it.
"Pleased to meet @anuradisanayake , Leader of NPP and JVP of Sri Lanka this morning. A good discussion on our bilateral relationship and the mutual benefits from its further deepening. Also spoke about Sri Lanka’s economic challenges and the path ahead," wrote Jaishankar.
The EAM stressed that New Delhi with its neighbourhood first and SAGAR policies will continue to be a "reliable and trusted partner to Sri Lanka".
Apart from Dissanayake, senior legislator Vijitha Herath, Secretary Nihal Abeysinghe and executive committee member Prof Anil Jayantha are also in the delegation.
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Watch | Sri Lanka's Marxist party JVP on India visit
Why is Dissanayake's visit significant?
Dissanayake's visit assumes importance as the JVP leaderhelms the National People’s Power [NPP] alliance. His popularity soared during the economic crisis of 2022 when he led the people's movement which resulted informer presidentGotabaya Rajapaksa relinquishing his powers.
Recent surveyconducted by the Institute for Health Policy, a Colombo-based research institution, shows thatDissanayake is the most preferred candidate to secure the presidential elections, scheduled to be held later this year.
As many as 50 per cent of respondents in the survey said they will cast the ballot forDissanayake, followed by Sajith Premadasa (33 per cent) and President Ranil Wickremesinghe (nineper cent).Sensing the tide, the NVP leader has already declared hiscandidacy for the election.
Moreover, Dissanayake taking a pro-India position comes in stark contract to the stance taken by his party in late 1980s. The JVP led an anti-India campaign in 1987-90 against the Indo-Lanka Accord that it deemed an expression of “Indian expansionism”.
Dissanayake acknowledges the shift in party's stance and states that any decision that the island nation makes should be done so in keeping view of the impact it has on India.
“We do know that India, who is our closest neighbour, has become a major political and economic centre. So, when we take economic and political decisions, we will always care about how it will impact India," Dissanayake was quoted as saying by Indian newspaperThe Hindulast year.
When Sri Lanka was staring at an economic collapse and the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seemed aimless, it was India that stepped in and provided assistance worth $3.8 billion. IfDissanayake does come to power, it could help New Delhi have a trusted ally in the south - a proposition that may irk China.
(With inputs from agencies)