How Sri Lankans view India might be changing as the country grapples with political and economic chaos.
During the ongoing anti-government protests in Sri Lanka, protesters shouted slogans targeting former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family. But they also raised chants against India.
Over the years, Sri Lanka has built up a huge amount of debt - to the point that it is now struggling to buy essentials such as food, fuel and medicine. Experts say that Sri Lanka's desperate financial need, in a way, has helped Delhi regain its influence in the island-nation of 22 million people after China made inroads by offering loans and other forms of financial aid for infrastructure projects in the past 15 years.
Colombo moved away from the Indian sphere of influence starting 2005, after Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected president. The gradual shift was consolidated during his second term, which saw several agreements with China on infrastructure projects, such as a port in the southern town of Hambantota. In addition to the loans by Delhi, the government of Tamil Nadu, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK party, has also sent shipments of food and medicine to Sri Lanka. Political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday had asked Delhi to convene a meeting to discuss the evolving situation in the neighbouring country.
But experts say that India's decision to offer assistance to Sri Lanka also has strategic significance - one that gives Delhi leverage over its neighbour. Ms Amarasuriya says that just like India, Sri Lanka too needs to make decisions that are in its best interests, and that it remains to be seen whether the country would have to give up control of its economic and strategic locations.
Sri Lanka is, however, yet to fully implement the 1987 India-Sri Lanka Peace Accord which promised new laws to devolve powers to all provinces, including where the Tamils were in a majority.
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