Modi's Sri Lanka Sojourn

Ravan Mandir in Uttar Pradesh, as I observed during my recent visit, a temple claiming to mark the birthplace of Ravana, the central character in the Ramayana, remains largely forgotten, drawing little attention from the masses.

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Situated in an area characterized by extreme poverty and surrounded by the harsh realities of modern Indian inequality-despite India's projected rise as the third-largest global economy by 2030-the temple's isolation reflects the broader disconnection between India and Sri Lanka.

While Ravana is demonized across India during the annual Dussehra festival, where effigies of the Lankan king are burnt in a symbolic ritual of good triumphing over evil, Sri Lanka holds him in high regard, revering him as a heroic, spiritual leader and a legitimate ruler of ancient Lanka. This contrasting portrayal of Ravana-as a villain in India and as a revered leader in Sri Lanka-highlights the profound contradictions at the heart of Indo-Sri Lankan relations, which remain largely absent from mainstream discourse.

This intertwined relationship-rooted in myth and cultural heritage but shaped by geopolitics has been marked by moments of unity and tension. There have been times when the two nations worked together, fought side by side, and supported each other unconditionally During Swami Vivekananda's visit to the US, with a stopover in Colombo, his companion Anagarika Dharmapala generously offered some of his speaking time to Vivekananda, who had not been included on the speakers' list. This is how Vivekananda's iconic speech at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, beginning with "Sisters and Brothers of America!", became one of history's most renowned orations.

Later, Vivekananda played a decisive role in the establishment of the Maha Bodhi Society. Furthermore, Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Sri Lanka in 1927, during which he sought to rally support for India's struggle against British colonialism, saw Sri Lankans offering both moral and financial support. Subhas Chandra Bose also visited Sri Lanka during World War II to garner support for the Indian National Army and his fight for Indian independence. Dr. B.R.