Leftist, pro-China Anura Dissanayake is new President of Sri Lanka. What it means for India. Explained in 5 points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Anura Kumara Dissanayake for his victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. Modi expressed hope to work closely with Sri Lanka to further strengthen the multifaceted cooperation.

Dissanayake responded thanking Modi for ‘kind’ words and support. Dissanayake said he shared Modi‘s commitment to strengthening the ties between the two nations.  “Together, we can work towards enhancing cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and the entire region,” he said in a post on X on Monday ahead of his swearing-in.

Dissanayake is a Marxist member of Parliament from Colombo representing Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). The fifty-year-old defeated prominent names including incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who finished third with just 17 per cent of the votes and Namal Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who managed less that 3 per cent of votes in the Saturday’s election.

Voted out the incumbent

Dissanayake’s victory is significant development in the politics of Sri Lanka – the nation grappling in the aftermath of the mass protests that ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022. Sri Lankan people have clearly have voted out the incumbent reflecting the anger in the country.

Steering the country towards economic recovery while addressing the pressing issues of inflation are among the key challenges that Dissanayake faces as the next President of Island nation.

‘Pro-China leaning’

Dissanayake is known for his pro-China leanings. Some of his public statements and decisions didn’t seem to favour India’s interests.

The President-elect did not support the implementation of the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which devolves powers to the country’s Tamil minority, something that has been a long-standing demand of India.

Dissanayake’s party – Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) – is known for its anti-India and pro-China leaning. Party’s founding leader, the late Rohana Wijeweera, has spoken about what he called ‘Indian expansionism’ in the 1980’s and even portrayed India as an ‘enemy’ of Sri Lankan interests, according to media reports.

Gautam Adani’s 450 MW wind power project

JVP opposed the Indo-Lanka accord of 1987. The accord was signed by then president of Sri Lanka JR Jayewardene and Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.

The President-elect has also opposed any investigation into the alleged war crimes committed during the civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sri Lankan forces.

In recent months, Dissanayake spoke about cancelling Gautam Adani’s 450 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka if elected. He described the agreement as ‘corrupt’ and skewed against the Sri Lanka’s interests.

Change in stance?

Dissanayake’s party’s anti-India stand and pro-China leaning notwithstanding, he expressed a desire to engage with India and maintain cordial relations. This signaled a shift in his stance and indicated his wish to work with global players, including India.

Dissanayake said in interviews during campaigning that he would ensure Sri Lanka’s sea, land, and airspace are not used in ways that threaten India and regional stability. He also said that he was carefully considering the impact of economic measures while recognising India’s support in development efforts in Sri Lanka.

India provided Sri Lanka with economic and humanitarian assistance of over USD 4.5 billion and supported Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring efforts during the Island nation’s economic crisis of 2022.

India Trip

Dissanayake visited India New Delhi in February this year on an invitation from the government. He met external affairs minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser (NDA) Ajit Doval in New Delhi.

He expressed interest in replicating certain socio-economic success stories from here in the island nation. In Colombo after the trip, Dissanayake reportedly lauded India’s role in addressing the economic crisis of 2022.

Dissanayake had said in interviews that Sri Lanka and India had long-standing bilateral and diplomatic relations and that his party JVP’s intention was to strengthen the ties.

“We are heavily reliant on medicines imported from India, and during the last economic crisis, survival was impossible without the food aid provided by India. Even though we may possess independent capabilities, strong international relations, particularly with India, are indispensable in navigating the current crisis,” Dissanayake was quoted as saying in interviews.