Indian Foreign Ministry Urges New Sri Lankan Leader To Promote Inclusivity

Indian Foreign Ministry Urges New Sri Lankan Leader to Promote Inclusivity

India hopes that Sri Lanka's new president will strive for ethnic and religious inclusivity, including for the predominantly-Hindu Tamils, its Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday, amid fears that the recent election would deepen divisions on the island nation

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2019) India hopes that Sri Lanka's new president will strive for ethnic and religious inclusivity, including for the predominantly-Hindu Tamils, its Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday, amid fears that the recent election would deepen divisions on the island nation.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar came to Colombo on Tuesday to congratulate Sri Lanka's ex-defense chief, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on his election as president last week. Rajapaksa is credited with ending decades of insurgency by the Tamil Tigers, who sought a separate state in the Buddhist majority country.

"EAM [Jaishankar] conveyed to President Rajapaksa India's expectation that the Sri Lankan government will take forward the process of national reconciliation to arrive at a solution that meets the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, justice, peace and dignity," Raveesh Kumar said in a statement.

The election came months after a string of blasts by Islamist militants ripped through hotels and churches across Sri Lanka last Easter, killing hundreds. This led to a series of reprisals against Muslims and Muslim-owned businesses, deepening the sense of insecurity in the previously popular tourist destination.