Insight By Sunil Kumar 

The recent proposal by  President Wickremasinghe  to approve a land bridge between Sri Lanka and India may not be beneficial to Sri Lanka from many perspectives.It could open the floodgates to many issues that have been contentious towards Sri Lanka’s National Security  in the past  and have been conscientiously kept secure for very valid reasons.

It could also provide a foothold for Indians in Tamil Nadu as well as the Indian Government to gain access to Sri Lanka in a manner previously kept in control through the protocols of Territorial Integrity and subsequently cause a huge dilemma for Sri Lanka so the President is well advised to rescind this proposal regardless of how lucrative or superficially beneficial it may seem as compromising National Security with all that has transpired in the past needs to be viewed objectively overall.

Apparently there are sources in powerful places Internationally with intentions  to put pressure on Colombo to accept the Asian Development Bank-funded Indian project which surfaced some years back to build a bridge between India and Sri Lanka across the Palk Strait but it could create vast incidental security issues and  is more than likely to even compromise the Territorial Integrity and Sovereignity  of the Island Nation to an incomprehensible degree  where any plans to implement such an action needs to be nipped in the bud and viewed as a dangerous idea perhaps with  sinister consequences overlooked by those trying to initiate such a plan namely the GOSL.

Such a bridge seems just what the doctor ordered for Tamil Nadu to get a foothold on Sri Lanka at a time when tensions  between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are rife over various issues and the plan unthinkable from the perspective of Sri Lanka’s National Security which could also imperil all Sri Lankans who have only just recovered from the evils of Tamil Tiger Terrorism that once threatened to destroy and disrupt the smooth functioning  of the country where the administration and the armed forces had to wage a near  three decade long defensive campaign to quell it.The Tigers are said to be mulling a recovery and awaiting an opportunity to re-emerge and the last thing Sri Lanka needs today.

It must also be remembered that the Tamil Tigers  despite being defunct have always vowed to resume their activities within Sri Lanka given the slightest opportunity and such a move ( the bridge in

question) seems a golden opportunity for them to do just that, remembering that there are underground cells of the LTTE still circulating in the country. So this appears to be a case of playing with fire despite the so called economic benefits  and the media hoopla and hype often initiated by the USA and others where China too must be watching with a wary eye.

Hopefully in hindsight the Sri Lanka Administration will not be baited into accepting the proposal of a land bridge at random and eventually face disastrous consequences unless there are strict measures to enforce who gains access to Sri Lanka from the South of India but even if such measures are implemented, the risk to National Security and the pouring in of undesirables and the like seems imminent and the

plan- if there is such a plan that will be ratified- with the Sri Lankan authorities mulling over its pros and cons is better off abandoned before things get complicated rather than face far reaching consequences in the long term.

If one reads between the lines it certainly points to India’s interest in annexing Sir Lankan territory fueled by the Presidents recent visit  to India and Sri Lanka’s naivete to accede to such a move where Ranil Wickremasinghe and his partners in administration  agree to go ahead with the proposal and could further accentuate the issue towards Sri Lanka’s detriment.

It certainly provides Sri Lanka citizens much food for thought about their well being and posterity.