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After the present Government came to power in May 2014, it adopted a policy of 'neighbourhood first' in India's foreign relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonstrated his commitment to the policy by inviting the heads of all neighbouring countries to his oath taking ceremony. At the very beginning of his tenure, he assured the neighbouring states that India wants good neighbourly relations by enhancing ties in every area, including trade, investment, assistance, people to people contact, and a seamless connectivity. While previous governments in India also wanted to strengthen relations with the neighbours, two elements distinguish Prime Minister Modi's stand from that of his predecessors: personal engagement and the emphasis on soft power. Prime Minister Modi has tried to invigorate camaraderie by personally visiting all the neighbouring countries (except the Maldives). He has emphasised the use of soft power as a tool to reach out to neighbouring countries. However, he has also demonstrated that he would not hesitate to use pressure tactics or coercive methods to protect India's interests.
While the 'neighbourhood first policy' was quite impressive to begin with, the efficacy of the policy has been questioned by many, especially due to India's current relations with Nepal and Pakistan. This essay examines and assesses Prime Minister Modi's approach to Sri Lanka and its impact on the India-Sri Lanka relations. It argues that while there has been significant improvement in the understanding between the governments of India and Sri Lanka in the last two and half years, real issues of concern in the bilateral relations continue to exist due to narrow political and economic interests at the domestic level as well as due to differences in the strategic goals of the two countries in terms of the region.
Prime Minister Modi's Approach towards Sri Lanka
In consonance with the principles of the 'neighbourhood first policy', Prime Minister Modi personally visited Sri Lanka twice in a span of two years.1 Modi is the first Prime Minister of India to make a stand alone bilateral visit to Sri Lanka after 1987. The visits addressed the long drawn grievance of the Sri Lankans that Indian Prime Ministers do not visit their country. The second visit was made to attend the Vesak Day celebrations in May 2017. By keeping...