Cyclone Ditwah and India-Sri Lanka relations: playbook for diplomacy in the neighbourhood

I vividly remember boarding the then INS Vikrant — formerly HMS Hercules — with my father during a special port call to Colombo in the 1970s.

- By MILinpa Moracopa

Milinda Moragoda

I was a young boy then, absorbed in a hobby of building model airplanes and ships, especially aircraft carriers. The encounter was unforgettable. It was my first time aboard a carrier — a steel giant that captured both my imagination and my awe.

INS Vikrant, along with INS Udaygiri, was already berthed in Colombo as cyclone Ditwah struck. INS Sukanya soon joined them to strengthen the operation.

So, the announcement that the newly built, fully indigenous INS Vikrant would make its maiden overseas visit to Sri Lanka for the International Fleet Review 2025 and the Sri Lanka Navy’s 75th anniversary celebrations stirred nostalgia. But, only afterward did I fully grasp how fortuitous and meaningful her arrival would prove to be.

Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka with devastating force, leaving hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, alongside widespread destruction to infrastructure and housing. This prompted the government to request international assistance. India responded within hours. Humanitarian relief operations under Operation Sagar Bandhu were swiftly mobilised.