Category: News

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that during his official visit to Sri Lanka the two countries will review the multifaceted India-Sri Lanka friendship.

Issuing a statement ahead of his visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Modi stated that his visit to Sri Lanka will take place from April 04 until April 6, and that this visit comes after the successful visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India.

“From Thailand, I will pay a two day visit to Sri Lanka from 04-06 April. This follows the highly successful visit of President Disanayaka to India last December”, he added.

Furthermore, the Indian Prime Minister expressed that the two countries will have the opportunity to review progress made on the joint vision of ‘Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future’ and provide further guidance to realise the shared objectives.

“I am confident that these visits will build on the foundations of the past and contribute to strengthening our close relationships for the benefit of our people and the wider region”, the Indian Prime Minister noted.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to take steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka. Opposition parties of AIADMK and the BJP also supported the motion.

The resolution emphasised the challenges faced by Tamil Nadu’s fishermen due to ongoing arrests and seizures by the Sri Lankan Navy. Chief Minister MK Stalin led the discussion on the House floor, insisting that the only permanent solution was the retrieval of Katchatheevu and emphasised the ongoing plight of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

He urged the Union Government to amend the agreement with Sri Lanka and called on the Prime Minister, who was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka, to discuss the issue with its leaders. “This House unanimously urges the Union Government to take all steps to retrieve Katchatheevu and secure the release of our fishermen,” Stalin declared.

“The Union government seems to forget that Tamil Nadu fishermen are Indian fishermen as well,” he said, pointing out that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 assurance that fishermen would not come under attack, they continued to face arrests and the seizure of their boats.

“In 2024 alone, over 500 fishermen have been arrested—that is two per day. The External Affairs Minister himself admitted in March that 97 fishermen are still in Sri Lankan prisons. This must stop,” Stalin said while presenting the resolution.

BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan supported the resolution but questioned why the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had not taken action when it was in power at the Centre.

“We believe that only PM Modi can retrieve Katchatheevu,” she stated, while also pointing out, “But why didn’t the DMK raise this issue when they were in power at the Centre for decades?”

She referenced an RTI reply stating that Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister–Stalin’s father M Karunanidhi–at the time was aware of the island’s transfer and was expected to “keep reactions low-key.”

Stalin, however, rejected claims that the DMK had consented to giving away the island in 1974, stating, “DMK then opposed the decision and even convened an all-party meeting against it.”

The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a committee comprised of ministers to submit a report with recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers related to the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on 4 Sri Lankan individuals including General Shavendra Silva recently.

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the UK government to impose sanctions on 4 Sri Lankan individuals recently.

He stated that therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a committee comprised of ministers to submit a report with recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.

The committee is comprised of ministers with the following composition:

• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath

• Minister of Justice and National Integrity, Harshana Nanayakkara

• Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekara

The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) Government’s main constituent party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s (JVP) involvement in the killings during the 1988-1989 insurrection is likely to be discussed during the Parliamentary debate on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Establishment and Maintenance of Places of Unlawful Detention and Torture Chambers at the Batalanda Housing Scheme.

The CoI report has considered the alleged youth killings at the Batalanda housing scheme by the Government of that period.

The CoI Report is set to be taken up for Parliamentary debate from 10 April. In light of this, several parties, particularly government critics, including Opposition political parties, are questioning whether the Government will also take steps to serve justice to those killed by JVP members during the same period.

When questioned by The Daily Morning as to whether the NPP would also push for a mechanism to serve justice for the killings attributed to the JVP, General Secretary of the NPP Parliamentarian Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe said: “We have not discussed this yet. The matter will be debated in the Parliament on 10 April, and during the debate, what we are going to do will come up.”

The 1988–1989 insurrection in Sri Lanka was a violent uprising led by the JVP against the then Government. It was alleged to be driven by growing dissatisfaction with economic hardships, political instability, and the Indo-Lanka Accord, which allowed Indian Peacekeeping Forces into the country. It was reported that the JVP launched armed attacks, assassinations, and strikes to destabilise the Government, while the State also responded with countermeasures, including the alleged operation of unofficial torture chambers in the Batalanda housing scheme. It is believed that an unofficial detention and torture centre operated there, targeting suspected members of the JVP during the Government’s crackdown on the insurgency.

The CoI report on it, which was prepared during the tenure of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, was recently tabled in the Parliament by the NPP Government, and is to be taken up for a two-day debate from 10 April.

Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., announced that the Jaffna International Airport (JIA) yesterday welcomed the inaugural direct IndiGo flight from Tiruchirappalli to Jaffna.

The new international service, which will operate six days a week, has taken a major step forward in enhancing direct regional air connectivity, significantly improving travel options between India and Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.

Under the new schedule, IndiGo flights will depart Tiruchirappalli at 13:25, reaching Jaffna by 14:25. The return flight from Jaffna will take off at 15:10, arriving back in Tiruchirappalli by 16:05.

The move is expected to boost tourism, trade, and business in the region, catering to both leisure and corporate travellers.

By enhancing direct access to Jaffna, the route strengthens the airport’s role as a key regional hub, while also deepening economic and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka.