Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu highlighted the strong cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the field of defence and security and development partnership, delivering Lalith Athulathmudali Commemoration Freedom Speech. He said that India could offer more in these fields depending on Sri Lanka’s requirements.
He delivered the speech on “Ïndia- Sri Lanka relations for a shared and secured future” on November 26 at the BMICH. The oration was organised by the Lalith Athulathmudali Foundation, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the Institute for Democracy and Leadership.
The oration coincided with 83rd birth anniversary of Lalit Athulathmudali, the anniversary of the terror attacks in Mumbai (26/11), and the Constitution Day of India. The High Commissioner paid homage to all victims of terror attacks across the globe.
The High Commissioner termed the recently concluded Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka as “a festival of democracy”. He spoke about the recent visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishanker to Sri Lanka, who was the first foreign dignitary to call on new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The High Commissioner also spoke about the visit of President Rajapaksa to India, making India the destination for his first overseas visit. He recalled that PM Modi was the first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka after the Easter attacks. He noted that all these high-level exchanges underlined the special nature of India-Sri Lanka ties.
High Commissioner Sandhu said that national security goes beyond physical securing of one’s own borders; if the region and the world are in turmoil, we cannot remain safe. He added that in this era of internet and cyberspace, ideas and ideologies travel at the click of a mouse, beyond borders, on a real time basis.
Quoting that change is the only constant, the High Commissioner stressed the importance of not remaining prisoners of the past, and of analysing things, as they are today, to see how India and Sri Lanka can together shape a better world for our people. Speaking about his vision of India-Sri Lanka relations for the future, the High Commissioner noted that India and Sri Lanka have a lot to offer to each other, and to the world. He added that though India and Sri Lanka are ancient civilizations, they are also nations of youth.
He pointed out the need to transform the potential into reality, through more connectivity, more travel and tourist inflows, more investments, in both directions.