Dissanayake, Lanka's next President, no stranger to India

New Delhi: Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a leader of Sri Lanka's Marxist JVP party who will be the country's next president, is no stranger to India. He visited the country earlier this year on New Delhi's invitation and later expressed interest in replicating certain socio-economic success stories from here in the island nation.

Dissanayake was hosted by India earlier this year. During his trip, Dissanayake and his team visited the Unique Identification Authority of India's centre in Delhi and dairy brand Amul's facilities in Gujarat. He also met external affairs minister S Jaishankar, the then foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. Doval met him again recently during his trip to the island nation.

On his return to Colombo, Dissanayake is said to have lauded India's role in addressing the economic crisis of 2022. It is understood that he may want to replicate Amul dairy group's strategy in Sri Lanka.


In an interview following his India visit, Dissanayake said Sri Lanka and India had long-standing bilateral and diplomatic relations and his party's intention is 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," he said. "While this may not align with our preferences, it reflects the harsh reality, compelling us to leverage India's friendship to overcome this crisis."

The JVP's political fortunes have been on the rise as it has been voicing the concerns of Lankans.

Dissanayake has secured the support of a wider and diverse demography, following the political instability and economic crisis that the island nation faced in 2022.

The JVP, which has in the past launched armed insurrections against the elected governments and shared difficult ties with India, may adopt a pragmatic approach, as advocated by Dissanayake.