Twice-bitten, shy no more. India has a poor track record of its dealings with Sri Lanka. One failed peacekeeping mission in 1987 and an assassinated Prime Minister are reminders of a difficult past. Between 1987 to 2015, no Indian Prime Minister paid a state visit to the island neighbour at the heart of the Indian Ocean. But India’s closest maritime neighbour remains a major security headache.
The complicated interplay and machinations between India, China, and Sri Lanka have been given many names for simplicity’s sake. For China, it is the ‘string of pearls‘, referring to the strategic network of ports China has cultivated around India – Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Kenya. China also holds strategic real estate which could also be used for military purposes in the future. At present, China has a stake in the internal politics of all those countries.
For India, the allegorical response could be what former Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia termed a potential ‘necklace of diamonds’ – a larger ring via seven countries in the Eastern theatre – Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
But the truth is that China’s growing presence, especially during Mahinda Rajapakse’s regime is a matter of growing concern for India. China’s presence in Sri Lanka is a deciding factor in any geopolitical consideration. China’s ability to station military vessels in Sri Lanka is a long-standing headache for India’s security establishment.
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