Sri Lankan Army Chief Lasantha Rodrigo Revisits IMA Roots

In a homecoming of sorts, Sri Lankan Army Chief Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo reviewed the pass out of Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun earlier today. The passing out parade saw commissioning of a new generation of officers including foreign cadets from Sri Lanka. Lieutenant General Rodrigo, who was on a 4 day India visit from 11th to 14th was commissioned from the prestigious Indian academy in December 1990 as part of the 87th Course.

The two Sri Lankan officer cadets who were commissioned included RMNL Rathnayake, son of Brigadier RMSP Rathnayake. The total number of Sri Lankan Army officers commissioned from IMA now stands at 296 and shows India's continued role in shaping the leadership of friendly foreign forces.

During his address to the cadets, he reflected on his own journey and he reminded the cadets that commissioning into the armed forces is not just about earning a rank, but embracing a lifelong way of service, responsibility, and leadership. Emphasising that respect is earned through daily conduct, he invoked the IMA Credo - duty to Nation, Soldiers, and Families of bravehearts - and highlighted the enduring values of discipline, integrity, loyalty, and honour.

During his visit, Lieutenant General Rodrigo held detailed discussions with senior leadership of the Indian Army, including Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani and GOC-in-C, South Western Command, Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh focusing on enhancing professional military cooperation, joint training, and regional security frameworks.

India, Sri Lanka have a long-standing defence cooperation. Both countries conduct bilateral exercise "Mitra Shakti", the flagship Army-level counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism training initiative between the two nations. At any given time, approximately 700 Sri Lankan Army personnel are undergoing training at various Indian Army establishments, making Sri Lanka Army the largest foreign participant in Indian military training programmes.

These include prestigious institutions such as the Defence Services Staff College, Infantry School, Counterinsurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Army Air Defence College, School of Artillery, Armoured Corps Centre and School, Mechanised Infantry Centre and School; and the Indian Military Academy itself.

India is a major provider of defence training to officers from Indian Ocean littoral states-Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles. IMA and other premier defence institutions regularly host foreign "gentleman cadets" from Asian and African countries, helping to shape their future military leadership. Historically, India has institutionalised its military engagements with Indian Ocean neighbours through structured dialogues, training and defence cooperationpacts.