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VP Radhakrishnan Visits Sri Lanka to Deepen Ties, Engage Tamil Community

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has embarked on a landmark two-day official visit to Sri Lanka, the first such bilateral trip by an Indian Vice President. His agenda includes high-level meetings with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. A key focus is engagement with the Indian-origin Tamil community, including the virtual handover of houses under the Indian Housing Project, which has now built 50,000 homes. The visit aims to strengthen the deep-rooted people-to-people and civilisational bonds between the two neighbouring nations.

Key Points: Indian VP Radhakrishnan's Landmark Visit to Sri Lanka

  • First bilateral VP visit from India
  • Meetings with Sri Lankan President & PM
  • Focus on Indian-origin Tamil community
  • 50,000 houses built under Indian Housing Project
  • Aims to deepen civilisational ties
2 min read

VP Radhakrishnan departs for Sri Lanka on landmark two-day visit to boost bilateral ties

VP C P Radhakrishnan begins a 2-day visit to Sri Lanka, meeting top leaders and engaging with the Indian diaspora and Tamil communities.

"A rich agenda involving meeting with Sri Lankan leadership and interacting with Indian community lies ahead. - Randhir Jaiswal"

New Delhi, April 19

India's Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday departed for a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.

The visit is notable as the first bilateral official trip by an Indian Vice President to Sri Lanka, underscoring the growing momentum in diplomatic engagement between the neighbours.

Confirming the departure, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, posted on X, "Hon'ble Vice President of India, Shri. C. P. Radhakrishnan @VPIndia has departed for Sri Lanka. A rich agenda involving meeting with Sri Lankan leadership and interacting with Indian community lies ahead."

During the visit, VP Radhakrishnan is scheduled to call on Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and hold discussions with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. His engagements will also include interactions with leaders of the Indian-origin Tamil community and Tamil representatives from the Northern and Eastern regions of the island nation.

The Vice President will also address members of the Indian diaspora at a community event in Colombo. At the event, he will virtually hand over houses to beneficiaries from Tamil communities constructed under the third phase of the Indian Housing Project. With this phase, the total number of houses built for Tamil communities will reach 50,000, while an additional 10,000 houses are currently being developed under the initiative's fourth phase.

On Monday, the Vice President will travel to Nuwara Eliya, where he will visit project sites and interact with the local Tamil community. Indian-origin Tamilians form a significant segment of Sri Lanka's population, numbering around 1.6 million, or approximately 7 per cent.

The visit comes amid a series of recent high-level exchanges between the two countries, including President Disanayaka's visit to India in February and Prime Minister Amarasuriya's trip in October 2025. It is expected to further deepen the millennia-old civilisational and people-to-people ties shared by India and Sri Lanka.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
Good to see continuous engagement. Hope this visit also addresses the fishermen issue practically. Our fishermen from Tamil Nadu face constant problems, and a permanent solution is needed alongside these diplomatic gestures.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has visited Sri Lanka, the cultural and people-to-people connections are undeniable. More tourism, student exchanges, and trade will benefit both economies. This visit seems to be laying that groundwork.
V
Vikram M
50,000 houses built and 10,000 more coming! This is real, tangible help for our Tamil brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka. This is what 'Neighbourhood First' policy should look like - action, not just words. Proud of this initiative.
A
Aman W
While the visit is welcome, I hope our diplomacy is also firm on protecting India's strategic interests. Sri Lanka's location is vital, and we must ensure external powers don't gain undue influence. The relationship must be mutually respectful.
K
Kavya N
The VP meeting with the Indian-origin Tamil community is the most important part. Their welfare has been a longstanding concern. Hope this leads to more concrete steps for their education and employment opportunities. Jai Hind!

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