Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Union)_ The proposal to build a road and rail bridge across the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka has become a focal point of discussions on regional connectivity and economic cooperation. As a result, eminent leaders from Sri Lanka have passionately advocated for the construction of this bridge, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize trade between the two nations and foster comprehensive economic development.
During President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s initial visit to India, both countries agreed to explore the idea of establishing a land link between them in response to the increasing influence of China on Sri Lanka. As outlined in a strategic document, this proposed “land connectivity” over the relatively narrow Palk Strait, which spans approximately 25 kilometers in some areas, would grant India access to crucial ports such as Trincomalee and Colombo while reinforcing the longstanding relationship between the neighboring nations.
Prominent figures in Sri Lanka, including the leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), which is a partner of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), have also hailed the potential economic benefits of an India-Sri Lanka land link. According to them, such a link would provide Sri Lanka with more cost-effective and faster access to the world’s fifth-largest economy. The TPA leader, Member of Parliament Mano Ganesan, proposed that Sri Lanka’s agreement to the bridge should come with a condition: the country should receive “most favored nation” treatment, allowing it to bypass all current trade agreements with India and secure “tax-free status” for Sri Lankan products in the Indian market, akin to the GSP Plus arrangement.
Ganesan believes that leveraging Sri Lanka’s geographical proximity to India can enable local manufacturers to tap into the thriving middle-class consumer market in southern India, a potential opportunity discussed with President Wickremesinghe during his tenure as Prime Minister in the previous government, and subsequently with Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa and Indian High Commissioner Bagley. He also dismissed opposition to the project, describing it as baseless fears and unfounded narratives of supposed dangers.
Further, Ganesan pointed out that numerous countries around the world have common borders, and some are even landlocked, like Afghanistan and Nepal. Addressing concerns about the use of the Indian Rupee, Ganesan views it as a secondary matter, noting that foreign currencies are already utilized both unofficially and officially in Sri Lanka. Further, the advocates of the India-Sri Lanka bridge project view it as a transformative opportunity to bolster economic ties and seize the advantages of geographic proximity to India’s booming markets.
