Harini Amarasuriya obtained her first degree from the University of New Delhi. When she completed her school education, the universities were closed due to the 1988-89 JVP insurgency. The opportunity for Harini to attend the University of New Delhi was provided by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka. She was admitted to the university through a scholarship scheme offered by the Indian High Commission to Sri Lankan students. Following her appointment as a National List MP for the NPP, Harini further strengthened her ties with India. One reason Anura Kumara Dissanayake was invited to visit India was Harini’s close relationship with the Indian High Commission.
Anura’s opportunity to visit India and meet with the Foreign Minister and National Security Advisor was a significant victory for the NPP. By that time, though Anura was a popular leader in Sri Lanka, he had not yet been acknowledged as a statesman. The invitation from India led the upper-middle class and floating voters in Sri Lanka to form a positive opinion of Anura’s potential to become the next president. Until then, though they saw him as a leader who spoke to their concerns, they had doubts about whether he could truly become a statesman. India subtly filled this gap, signalling their recognition of him as a suitable leader and a statesman.
Historically, Indian governments, including those led by Congress and Vajpayee’s BJP, have given high recognition to opposition leaders from Sri Lanka. A prime example is when, in 1993, the then-Indian Defense Chief invited Chandrika to India. After 1994, both the Congress and BJP governments also invited opposition leader Ranil to India, providing him the opportunity to meet with the Indian Prime Minister. During Ranil’s government from 2002-2004, opposition representatives visited India and met with Indian leaders. In 2015-2019, when Mahinda was the opposition leader, he visited India and met with Prime Minister Modi.
However, no such invitation came from India after Sajith Premadasa became the opposition leader in 2019. Ranil claimed that Sajith had received an invitation but did not go. In any case, the message sent to Sri Lanka when Anura visited India before Sajith and met with the Indian Foreign Minister and National Security Advisor was that India also acknowledged Anura, not Sajith, as the next potential president of Sri Lanka. In other words, despite Sajith being the opposition leader, India recognized Anura as the true leader.
Anura’s political journey toward the presidency reached a significant milestone with this visit to India. Following this, foreign envoys and IMF representatives who visited Sri Lanka showed a growing interest in meeting him. India was the catalyst behind this opportunity. What is Anura’s evaluation of this chance provided by India? Will he express his gratitude to India? Time will tell.
