Top spokesman for the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) Dr. Wasantha Bandara yesterday (09) said that even two months after Sri Lanka entered into a Defence MoU with India, the Parliament, the country’s supreme legislative body, was yet to be informed about any of its contents.

Dr. Bandara found fault with the Opposition for not vigorously campaigning for the release of the seven MoUs, finalised during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo in early April. Those who represent the current Parliament seemed to be ready to go blindly with India, Dr. Bandara said, urging them to take a fresh look at the developing situation.

Responding to The Island queries, the civil society activist said that a top Indian defence delegation recently visited Colombo where the entire gamut of defence matters was discussed while the National People’s Power (NPP) government kept the Opposition in the dark.

The Indian delegation, led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, last week separately met Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (retd.) Aruna Jayasekara and Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (retd). Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Santosh Jha attended both meetings.

The Defence Ministry here quoted Singh as having reiterated India’s commitment to maintaining close and friendly relationship with Sri Lanka and further enhancement of defence and security cooperation, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region during his meeting with AVM Thuyakontha.

Dr. Bandara asked why the NPP couldn’t take the public into its confidence. “The government owed an explanation. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Defence Minister as well as the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces, cannot engage in a secret dialogue with India, under any circumstances,” Dr. Bandara said.

The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) that dealt with defence was yet to discuss the Defence MoU, Dr. Bandara said, asserting that the whole parliamentary process seemed to be deeply flawed. Such a vital MoU should have been discussed at the relevant SOC before the government finalised it, Dr. Bandara said, pointing out that the current Indian posture in foreign policy matters may not be conducive to Sri Lanka, the former JVPer said.

Dr. Bandara pointed out that Prime Minister Modi announced the planned signing of the Defence MoU last December, several weeks before the NPP government mentioned it. The announcement made by Premier Modi, during President Dissanayake’s first official visit abroad since the presidential election, indicated that Sri Lanka didn’t have any other option than to proceed with New Delhi’s plans.

The PNM spokesman said that though some made an effort to portray the NPP-BJP government agreement on defence as a continuation of the dialogue between Modi and Ranil Wickremesinghe, the reality is different. A joint statement issued on July 21, 2023, soon after the conclusion of Wickremesinghe’s visit, hadn’t referred to an MoU on defence cooperation, Dr. Bandara said, asserting that specific MoU on defence was obviously a new addition.

Dr. Bandara said that nationalist groups got together in a bid to challenge the constitutionality of the Indo-Lanka MoUs.

The Patriotic National Movement, Global Sri Lanka Forum, Swadeshika Jathika Viyaparaya and Thunhela Jathika Viyaparaya filed a petition, requesting the Supreme Court to prevent the implementation of the MoUs, he said.

Challenging constitutionality of the seven MoUs finalised on April 07, 2025, in terms of Article 126 read with Article 17 of the Constitution, the petitioners, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera, Dr. Wasantha Bandara, Shyamendra Wickremarachchi, Chaminda Priyadarshana, Dr. Asoka Indrajith Kamaladasa and Ballanthudawa Achchige Nuwan Chamara Indunil asserted that the implementation of MoUs would violate the sovereignty of the people—including their economic sovereignty and right to governance—as well as the independence of Sri Lanka as a free state and nation.

“We are really concerned about the failure on the part of the parliamentary Opposition to take up this matter,” Dr. Bandara said, adding that the political parties here seemed to be dancing to India’s tune. The PNM spokesman questioned the rationale in India arranging groups of parliamentarians to visit New Delhi. “Have we ever gained from such foreign trips?” Dr. Bandara asked.

Among the 29 respondents were members of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, secretaries to the relevant ministries complicit in the issue at hand, Cabinet Secretary and the Attorney General.

The MoUs covered implementation of HVDC interconnection for import/export of power, cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation, development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, defence cooperation, multi-sectoral grant assistance for Eastern Province, cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine and cooperation between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

Dr. Bandara alleged that India was taking advantage of the continuing economic crisis to pressure Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, those who represented Parliament, and the executive, lacked the strength to protect national interests.

By Shamindra Ferdinando