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Confident ties with B’desh, Lanka will endure: Jaishankar

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India does not seek to control every political move of neighbours, and does not expect that the political dynamics within neighbouring countries will adhere to what India may think is desirable, but Delhi is confident that fundamental realities of interdependence will ensure that relationships with neighbours remains constructive and positive, external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said.

At a time when a regime change in Bangladesh through street protests and a government change in Sri Lanka through electoral route has generated questions about Dhaka and Colombo’s ties with Delhi, Jaishankar also made it clear that India remains focused on building economic regionalism in South Asia.

During a conversation at Asia Society in New York, the minister was asked about India’s “non-reciprocal” approach to neighbours hasn’t yielded benefits with the rise of potentially governments, and about India’s role regarding the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh.

Jaishankar said that India stepped forward in the case of Sri Lanka at a time when others didn’t — in a timely manner and on scale — and that helped stabilised the island state’s economy. “When we did it, we did not have a political conditionality that accompanied it. We were doing it as a good neighbour that did not want to see an economic meltdown at the doorstep. What happens politically in Sri Lanka is for their politics to work out. At the end of the day, each one of our neighbours will have their own dynamics. It is not our intention to suggest that their dynamics must necessarily adhere to what we might consider being better for us.” He added that this was a “real world”, everyone made their choices and countries then found a way to adjust and work together.

Over the weekend, elections in Sri Lanka saw the victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the Janata Vimukhti Peramuna (JVP), an old Marxist party, as a part of wider coalition. While India has engaged with Dissanayake — both before and after the election — his past critical positions on elements of Indian policy and economic interests, at a time of China’s continued engagement, have given rise to apprehensions about Colombo’s approach to India under a new dispensation.

In the case of Bangladesh, which he acknowledged as being a different situation, the ministers traced back the progress of the past decade.

(Hindustan Times)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by Hindustan Times has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Former Eastern Provincial Council member arrested

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Ampara District Organizer of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal party and former member of the Eastern Provincial Council K. Pushpakumar alias Iniya Bharathi has been arrested.

He was arrested over the abduction and disappearance of the former Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University Prof. Subramaniyam Ravindranath.

Sivanathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and former State Minister, was arrested by the Colombo Criminal Investigation Department at his office in Batticaloa on April 8, over this incident.

He was later detained for 3 months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Iniya Bharathi, also known as Kumaraswamy Pushpakumar, was arrested based on information revealed during the interrogation of Pillayan.

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e-Revenue Licence system down due to technical glitch, ICTA says

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The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) said the electronic Revenue Licence system (eRL 2.0) is currently unavailable due to a critical technical infrastructure issue.

According to the ICTA, the disruption began on July 3, 2025, and has made vehicle revenue licence issuing services inaccessible.

The unavailability is expected to continue until July 9, 2025.

The ICTA expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the public and assured that technical teams are working urgently to resolve the issue.

The agency also said that further updates will be shared as work progresses, with an official notice to be issued once services are restored.

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Three injured in Kosgama shooting, including 12-year-old girl

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Three people, including a 12-year-old girl, were injured in a shooting incident at Suduwella, Kosgama, early this morning (6), police said.

They said the victims were travelling in a three-wheeler when two individuals on a motorcycle opened fire using a pistol-type weapon.

The injured include a 30-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter, both residents of Avissawella, as well as a 44-year-old man.

All three have been admitted to Avissawella Hospital for treatment.

Police said the motive for the attack and the identities of the suspects have not yet been established.

Kosgama Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.

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