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The launch of a ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai close to Jaffna in Sri Lanka on Saturday is in keeping with the view in New Delhi and Colombo to extend connectivity between the 2 neighbours. Nagapattinam is a handy port for merchants in addition to pilgrims travelling to cities within the Cauvery delta, equivalent to Chidambaram. It follows the beginning of direct flights between Delhi and Colombo in 2015 and between Chennai and Jaffna in 2019. This ferry was discontinued 40 years in the past when ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka escalated right into a navy battle. Although the battle led to 2009, bilateral relations continued to be overdetermined by the Tamil political query. In recent times the emphasis has shifted from securing the political rights of Tamils to materials considerations, together with the rebuilding of bodily infrastructure in post-war Sri Lanka. Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Saturday, talked about grid connection, pipeline and financial hall in addition to housing tasks, cultural centres and hospitals in Sri Lanka as avenues for cooperation between the 2 international locations. Ties between the 2 international locations firmed up when India responded swiftly to Colombo’s want for credit score and important items within the aftermath of financial and political upheavals final yr.
India can now not view its relations with Sri Lanka completely by way of the Tamil prism contemplating the churn within the Indian Ocean area. Beijing has been looking for to develop its affect within the island nation by way of its Belt and Highway Initiative. The presence of Chinese language vessels at Sri Lankan ports has been a safety concern for India. On this context, Delhi’s Neighbourhood First is a step in the precise course to include Beijing’s play in India’s yard. Neighbours can respect one another’s considerations and construct on the benefits bestowed by geography and historical past.
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