India and Sri Lanka have a long history of maritime cooperation that is important for both countries' economic and security interests. As major trading partners reliant on sea routes, they work together on issues like policing their shared waters, responding to disasters, and resolving disputes around fishermen crossing boundaries. Notable areas of cooperation include joint naval patrols and exercises to counter threats, humanitarian relief after the 2004 tsunami, and numerous meetings to find solutions on the recurring fishermen issue. Maintaining friendly relations and continuing maritime cooperation remains a priority for both countries' interests in the Indian Ocean region.

1. MARITIME COOPERATION BETWEEN INDIA AND SRI
LANKA
As has discovered, “India’s perception of maritime security of the Indian Ocean Region
has a long historical legacy. This conception of maritime security is not only includes
political security of a nation but also include security of trade, investment and availability
of resources, which are the basis of economic growth and prosperity. India’s maritime
strategy is largely centered on the Indian Ocean region and its littoral states.” Sri Lanka is
one of the important nations in these littoral states which play an important role in the
maritime strategy of India. Maritime strategy of India can be easily affected by changing
situations of Sri Lanka. Brain Orland clearly explain the importance of Sri Lanka in
Indian Ocean as he said that Sri Lanka’s Location in the Indian Ocean has strategic
importance as Sri Lanka’s southern costs provides an international shipping route. The
Colombo port of Sri Lanka served as an “entry and exit point for ships that is transiting
from the East and the West. The Indian Ocean accommodates half of the world’s
containerized freight, one-third of its bulk cargo, and two-thirds of its oil shipments”.
Therefore, Sri Lanka can play an important role in Indian Ocean region and good
relations with Sri Lanka is an important phenomenon for all major economies and sea
trade based countries and so as for India. Maritime security between India and Sri Lanka
in Indian Ocean region has been developed as a major concern for Indian policy makers.
To protect its economic and security interests in Indian Ocean region, it is important for
India to maintain its friendly and cordial relations with Sri Lanka. It is important because
Sri Lanka plays an important role in India’s maritime trade and security. Highlighting the
importance of Sri Lanka for India, Brian Orland says that “Over 70 percent of Indian
imports arrive through the port of Colombo for bulk-breaking before they are shipped on
local vessels to Indian ports. India’s dependence on the Indian Ocean as a maritime
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2. trading zone and transit-way for oil trade has meant that securing the Indian Ocean is
crucial to its continued engagement with the international marketplace; and the waters
adjacent to Sri Lanka assume special significance in these security arrangements.”
According to the Annual Report of the Ministry of Defence published by Government of
India (2011-2012) as a growing and sustained economy, India cannot ignore the fact that
“the maritime domain is the prime facilitator of our development. More than 90 percent
of our trade by volume and 77 percent of our trade by value are transported over the seas.
Over 97 percent of our energy needs of oil are either imported or produced from offshore
fields. Consequently, our economic growth is inextricably linked to the seas.”
India also has interests related with its pragmatic security in Sri Lanka. Portuguese, Dutch
and British recognised Sri Lanka as a navy base in the Indian Ocean which shows Sri
Lanka’s strategic importance as a naval base. India and Sri Lanka shares maritime
problems and they also shares their bad effects too and that’s why there is need of
strengthening maritime cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.
Naval Cooperation during LTTE Problem
The weak point of maritime relations between India and Sri Lanka is that both
governments didn’t paid much attention on maritime problems however time to time
India provided some naval assistance to Sri Lanka but maritime problems remains
unsolved. For the first time, India provided naval assistance to Sri Lanka in 1971 during
JVP revolt in Sri Lanka. At this time Indian naval forces helped Sri Lanka to counter with
smuggling of arms and ammunitions to the militant movement in the region of Palk
Strait. India also provided its naval help to Sri Lanka in 1987 when Sri Lanka was
suffering from civil war.
At that time Indo-Lanka Peace accord was also signed between both countries in which
India agreed to give its naval cooperation to Sri Lanka to prevent LTTE (Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Elam) activities in between maritime boundaries of both countries.
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3. According to the accord joint naval operations and joint naval patrols were done by both
countries. There was a naval operation named “Operation Pawan” operated by Indian
navy. Indian Naval Liaison Teams (INLTs), The Indian Marine Special Force (IMSF) and
MARCOS, a group of 40 strong Marine Commandos were also participated in this
operations and patrols. In January 1988 a special force of 15 armed trawlers were also
instituted. India also provided maritime intelligence inputs and radar equipment, offshore
patrol vessels “INS Saryu” and helicopters to Sri Lanka for controlling LTTE’s activities
in Palk Bay.
India’s naval assistance to Sri Lanka during tsunami
When the whole South Asia was suffering from the disastrous effects of Tsunami, India
gave major humanitarian and naval assistance to Sri Lanka. Indian navy conducted the
“Operation Rainbow” in Sri Lanka in December 2004. Under this operation, firstly a
heavy range of medical assistance and a medical team was send to Sri Lanka. Four Indian
naval ships along with helicopters on board were directed to steam immediately
commenced relief and damage control operations. By 30 December 2004, India also sent
4 ships loaded with “relief supplies, rescue and relief workers including scuba drivers for
salvage operations”. 30 tones of relief goods were sent to Trincomalee by INS Sukanya
and Sandhayak and 22 tons of relief supplies by INS Sutlej Sharda to Galle. Again on 31
December, 20 tons of relief supplies were also sent to Trincomalee by INS Kirch and
1000 kg of relief goods were sent to Colombo by INS Aditya. On 1 January 2005, 82 tons
of relief goods and rations were send to Trincomalee by INS Ghorpad and 1500 kg of
relief goods by CGS Samar to Colombo on 2 January 2005. The INS Sutlej and INS
Sarveekhak operated two medical camps in Galle. Subsequently Indian deployment for
relief efforts consisted of stationing an air detachment of 10 aircraft, “about 15 naval ship
loads of supplies, 15 medical teams including a mobile field hospitals, a 40 bed hospital
ship (INS Jamuna) that was anchored off Galle and Trincomalee for two weeks, 10 teams
of naval drivers and a 81 member Composite Army disaster management team”. 10
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4. truckloads of supplies donated by CII were also handed over to the Ramakrishna Mission
in Point Pedro in northern Sri Lanka.
Cooperation on Fishermen Issue
To solve fishermen problem there were some meetings arranged by NGOs and
governments. The first bilateral meeting between India and Sri Lanka, regarding
fishermen problems was arranged on 20 Oct, 2004 in New Delhi, the Indian government
invited a team of official from Sri Lanka to discuss the issue of fishermen. After this
discussion Indian central government directed to the state government of Tamil Nadu to
stop the Indian fishermen activities related with the violation of the maritime boundaries.
In this regard “the Tamil Nadu government had cancelled and suspended 603 fishing
respectively, for violating the maritime boundary and imposed a fine of INR 391,000 on
violators.”
The second bilateral meeting was arranged on 21st April 2005 in New Delhi. In this
meeting a bilateral joint working group of fisheries was established between India and Sri
Lanka. This sought for “enhanced serivelence to minimize the problem of incursion of
fishing vessels from both sides in each other’s waters.” As well as providing modalities,
for dealing with fishermen “straying inadvertently into each other waters.”
The third Joint working group meeting was arranged on 26th October 2008, where the
two sides met and finalized the “practical arrangement to deal with bonafide Indian and
Sri Lankan fishermen crossing the international maritime boundary line.” Both the sides
agreed on the solutions that the Sri Lankan government designates the sensitive areas
with its coastline and there should be no firing by navies on passing vessels which have a
legitimate identity card issue by the government.
On 7-11 June 2010, during visit of the Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapaksha to
India, both sides accept to find a way to strengthen the security of fishermen. In 2011,
after the incidence of 2 fishermen killings by Sri Lankan navy, Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu said, “The retrieval of Kachchatheevu was the only solution to end the suffering of
Tamil Nadu fishermen.” On 30-31 January 2011, the then foreign secretary of India
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5. Nirupama Rao along with senior official of Ministry of External Affairs visited Sri
Lanka. In this visit, a joint statement was issued by both sides that “use of force cannot be
justified under any situation and both countries desire to find an amicable solution to the
issue.” The next joint working group meeting was held in New Delhi on 28-29 March
2011. In this meeting both sides unjustified the use of force and Indian side took strong
stand on continued violence against Indian fishermen.
On 9 to 11 October 2011, Indian foreign secretary Rajan Mathai visited Sri Lanka and
met President Mahindra Rajapaksha to discuss the issue of harassment of Indian
fishermen by the hand of Sri Lankan Navy. Rajan Mathai expressed India’s concerns over
violence against Tamil Nadu fishermen. On 14th October 2011, the Madurai high court
issued an order for the central government. The court said, “This court is inclined to grant
interim directions to the Union of India to protect the interests of the Indian fishermen,
particularly. Tamil fishermen are able to exercise their right to fishing. It is inherently
impossible for them to survive as they are solely depending only on the avocation of
fishing and there for any threat to their life and security in exercising their right of fishing
would ultimately infringe their fundamental right to livelihood enshrined in the
constitution of India.”
“The fourth meeting of the joint working group on fisheries was held in Colombo on 13-
14 January 2013. In this meeting both sides reviewed and analyzed the developments
since the last meeting of the joint working group.” The next meeting of joint working
group was held on 22nd January 2013. In this meeting the joint commission declared that
“the both sides are committed to lower the problem pertaining to fishing on the
international maritime boundary line.” Sri Lankan external affairs minister G.L. Peiris
stated that, “on this matter very clear instructions have been given by the government of
Sri Lanka to Sri Lankan navy and those instructions are being scrupulously observed. It is
a human problem which requires a response founded upon humanitarian values.”
On January 24, 2013, Sri Lankan president Mahindra Rajapaksha said that “Sri Lanka
will initiate a dialogue with the Indian government to resolve once and for all the issues
connected to illegal fishing and trespassing into each other’s territories waters by
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6. fishermen of both countries.” On January 28, 2013, India’s Ministry of State V.
Narayanasamy said “India and Sri Lanka were close to clinching an agreement on
drawing a fishing boundary in the Palk Strait that would put an end to recurring attacks
on fishermen from both sides.”
In a coast guard level meeting between India and Sri Lanka on 26th June 2014 both sides
agreed “to strengthen the cooperation on evolving a collaborative approach in addressing
a spectrum of maritime issues concerning safety and security and further streamlining the
procedure for release or repatriation of fishermen.”
Some nongovernmental organizations like ARIF (Alliance for Release of Innocent
Fishermen), NAFSO (The National Fisheries Solidarity), NUF (National Union of
Fishermen), FDSC (Fisheries Development Solidarity Centre), UFFC (United Fishermen
and Fish Workers Congress), has also played an important role in the fishing dispute. The
important and major NGOs that work for the fishermen of India are the SIFFS (South
Indian federation of fisherman societies). The main objective of SIFFS is helping
fisherman in marketing their fish and protecting their livelihood in a sustainable way. It is
coordinating with ARIF (Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen). ARIF is a
combined network of trade unions, NGOs and fishermen’s association that is equally
committed to the release and repatriation of arrested fishermen and in many ways played
a constructive role in fishing wars.
The first meeting was organized in 2004. This resulted in the 2004 agreement, “an
initiative supported by the Indian government, both at state level and at the centre, and to
a certain extent by the Sri Lankan government. A follow-up to the 2004 meeting was
planned three months later. However after the tsunami of December 2004 struck, the
properties of fisher, governments and NGOs shifted to rehabilitation of the affected
fishers. Moreover, the cease fire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government
collapsed soon after in the Northern Province. Hence the dialogue process was put on
hold until 2010.”
The next meeting of these two NGOs was held in August 2010. In this meeting, all fisher
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7. representatives signed a final document. Later, this agreement was sent to both the Indian
and the Sri Lankan government for formal recognition. However it has argued that the
“agreement restricted Indian fishers from undertaking destructive practices such as purse
seining and pair trawling and going too close to the Sri Lankan shore and another
outcome of this meeting was a promise made by Indian trawler fishers that in principle
they would reduce the size of the fleet and the incidence of trawling.” During this period
(2010-2011), “70 days to fish in Sri Lankan water was allowed on the condition that they
do not come too close to the shore and do not use pair trawling. The Indian side agreed on
this.”
Cooperation on Sethu Samudram Canal Project
Besides this, India and Sri Lanka did not showed much concerns about the issue of Sethu
Samudram Canal project. In a joint statement, released during the visit of Sri Lankan
President Chandrika Kumaratunga to India from June 2-5 2005, both countries agreed
that “the exchange of views between the Indian and Sri Lankan technical experts should
be continue. This would involve environmental concerns and prospects of closer
economic cooperation between the two countries in the Palk Bay area.” Following the
purpose, the Sri Lankan Cabinet appointed an Inter Ministerial Committee on
Sethusamudram convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A multi-sector technical
level delegation was constituted to undertake discussions on the proposed project.
The first round of Indo-Sri Lankan technical level discussions was held in New Delhi. In
this meeting, the two delegations were led by Chairman of National Aquatic Resources
Agency, Kapila Perera and the Indian Shiping Ministry Secretary D. T. Joseph. Sri
Lankan and Indian Delegations agreed on the continuation of the process of exchange of
views between the technical level experts. In this meeting, the two sides also agreed on
the identification of the possible areas of cooperation in this project. Some
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8. Recommendations that purposed by both sides in this meeting include “joint monitoring
and assessment of any adverse implications, creating a mechanism for exchanging
information, joint assessment of risks through a common base of information, and
creating modalities to address these concerns. The bottom line is that environmental
concerns must be addressed jointly, and that close economic cooperation in the Palk Strait
area must be established.”
Generally, the Sethusamudram canal project is perceive as an opportunity by both
countries as mutual economic cooperation that benefits both countries. The government
of Sri Lanka stated that “the SSCP can be seen not only as a challenge but an opportunity
complementary areas generated could be exploited by the Sri Lankan shipping industry.
The commercial implications of opening and expanding ports in South India were also
evaluated, and it was generally agreed that the port in Colombo would continue to attract
international shipping business.”
Naval Cooperation
In 2010, India and Sri Lanka started Army-to-Army staff talks to motivate bilateral
military cooperation between them with joint exercises and training programs. In
September 2010 after six years, the naval forces of both countries were participated in a
joint exercise to enhance greater inter-operability and to increase joint naval operations.
The joint naval exercise was arranged by both countries called "Operation Slinex 11” and
it aims to rekindle close cooperation between Indian and Sri Lankan Navy.
At the first NSA-level trilateral meeting on maritime security cooperation in Maldives in
October 2011, the three countries, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives purposed a proposal
named “the Trilateral Cooperation in Maritime Security”. In July 2013, at the second
meeting in Colombo, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives concluded an agreement on
“Trilateral Cooperation on Maritime Security (TCMS) to address common maritime
security threats and challenges and enhance security through cooperative measures.” This
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9. agreement includes three types of activities. “First, Initiatives to enhance Maritime
Domain Awareness (MDA) through access to systems run under the aegis of the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), such as Long Range Identification and
Tracking (LRIT) services and sharing of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data;
Second, Training and capacity building initiatives in areas of MDA, Search and Rescue,
and Oil Pollution Response; and Third, Joint activities including trilateral exercises,
maintaining lines of communication on illegal maritime activities, formulation of marine
oil pollution response contingency plans and cooperation in legal and policy issues related
to piracy.”
The twenty third IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line) meeting was arranged
between India and Sri Lanka on 1st November 2013 to discuss the bilateral maritime
issues which is common for both countries. During the discussion, the both side’s Navy
officials have discussed issues like “fishing activities conducted in the Palk Strait, Gulf of
Manner and Eastern sea areas and smuggling of narcotics across the IMBL. The two
navies have also focused on strengthening the security in these areas.”
On 3rd December 2013, India and Sri Lanka have agreed to take cooperative naval
measures to prevent pirates and terrorist group’s activities operating in the Indian Ocean
region. The measures were discussed in an unpublicized meeting between Sri Lanka’s
permanent Defence Secretary, Lieutenant-Colonel Gotabaya Rajapaksha, and India’s
National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon. A separate dialogues was also took place
with Indian naval commanders. The main focus of these Meetings was on “pushing ahead
military-to-military cooperation to secure both countries’ common security interests.”
On February 2014 Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris in his three-day
visit to India discussed key bilateral issues with his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid.
In this meeting both ministers also discussed on fishermen issue. The result of this
meeting was that both sides agreed on that the both governments should continue to
engage with each other to ensure the safety of fishermen livelihood in a sustainable
manner. They also focused on “the satisfactory development of the trilateral cooperation
on maritime security among India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.” The three countries agreed
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10. on the point that they should increase the maritime cooperation between them to keep
focus on the current maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
On 6th March 2014, India hosted the third NSA-level Trilateral Meeting on Maritime
Security Cooperation between Sri Lanka, India and Maldives. During the third NSA-Level
meeting in Delhi, the three countries reviewed and expressed their satisfaction over
the progress in the identified areas. “Hydrographic; training in Visit, Board, Search and
Seizure Operations; training on board Indian Sail Training Ships; exchanges between
think tanks; and joint participation in adventure activities were also discussed as new
areas of cooperation.. This meeting concluded in an agreement comprised of a number of
steps, including information sharing, training in oil pollution response and cooperation in
the legal and policy response to piracy.” In his statement Shivshankar Menon said,
“Counterterrorism is still obviously an interest for all of us. When I say that we share
information and we also consider joint action against illegal activities, it includes
terrorism. But the immediate threat that we have been facing in the last few years was
piracy. That fortunately at least in the Arabian Sea and off the Horn of Africa is down,
due to a variety of factors not just what the three of us are doing with this, the whole
world has been actually working at that problem. But even though the numbers may be
down and it might have decreased because of the effort that we have put in, the primary
source of the problem, which is on land, has not been solved.”
A high level Coast Guard meeting was also arranged between India and Sri Lanka from
June 24 to June 28, 2014. In this meeting a three member delegation led by the Director
General Sri Lankan Coast Guard (SLCG) Rear Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne met
with the Indian delegation which was led by the Director General Indian Coast Guard
Vice Admiral Anurag G Thapliyal. In this meeting both delegations was discussed
common maritime issues of mutual concerns to develop a cooperative approach,
moreover satisfaction was also expressed by both sides over the significance of this visit
in providing a fresh start to the existing ties between India and Sri Lanka. The focus of
the meeting was on further “strengthening the operational level communication between
both countries for search and rescue, preservation & protection of maritime environment
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11. and reevaluating standard operating procedures & communication procedures between
the two Coast Guards. It was mutually agreed to strengthen the cooperation on evolving
collaborative approach, in addressing a spectrum of maritime issues concerning safety
and security and further streamlining the procedure for release of fishermen.”
The Galle Dialogue is an initiative taken by Sri Lanka initiated in August 2010 by Sri
Lanka’s Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lanka Navy as a forum for the discussion of
maritime security issues. In these meetings “the maritime problems like piracy, terrorism,
human smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and
illegal waste disposal are discusses by the participating countries.” The first meeting was
held at the Lighthouse Hotel in Galle, Sri Lanka which was attended by 11 countries.
The second meeting was arranged in the year 2011which was attended by 19 countries, 28
countries attended the third meeting in 2012, and 35 countries attended the fourth edition
in 2013. The major goal of this dialogue was “to combat with above smuggling and
trafficking problems and to develop a strategic and maritime cooperation between
different states.” In these meetings various recommendations were given by officials of
different countries to avoid threats they are facing from these problems. After the 8th
round meet of the Joint India-Sri Lanka Commission on 22 January 2013 at New Delhi
India and Sri Lanka signed the “Agreement on Combating International Terrorism and
Illicit Drug Trafficking”.
REFERENCE
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