By Sugeeswara Senadhira/Daily News
Colombo, December 16: It is no secret that a posting to Colombo in any capacity is highly coveted by Indian diplomats. There are many advantages for them, including a similar cultural environment and the proximity to India (New Delhi is around four hours away by air and most other cities are much closer) in case of an emergency back home. It is also one of the biggest Indian missions, apart from Dhaka and Washington. DC.
Several of the Indian diplomats who served in Sri Lanka have ended their careers in top positions in India. One of them, V.V. Giri, reached the zenith to become President of India. Another one, Gopal Gandhi became a candidate in the Presidential race and served as the Governor of West Bengal.
Two other former diplomats who served in Colombo – Dr. Subrahmaniam Jaishankar (Foreign Minister) and Hardeep Singh Puri (Petroleum Minister) are powerful members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet of Ministers. Dr. Jaishankar has visited Sri Lanka several times over the past two years.
Some others, such as J. N. Dixit (whose famous book Assignment Colombo is required reading for all Indian diplomats, not just for those heading to Colombo) and Nirupama Rao ended up as Foreign Secretaries.
Over the years, we have seen a galaxy of Indian High Commissioners in Sri Lanka. Their styles of functioning varied. Some were arrogant or high handed and at least one of them behaved almost like a Viceroy of Colonial days. On the other hand, some used smooth diplomacy with firm persuasive powers. Those diplomats who crossed the protocol boundaries were not very popular among the Sri Lankan political leadership, the people and the bureaucracy, to say the least. That adversely affected bilateral relations.
High Commissioner Gopal Baglay who bid goodbye on December 15 to take up his new posting in Canberra, Australia, leaves an indelible mark in the diplomatic arena in Sri Lanka because of his gentle diplomacy. He set an example for other diplomats from whichever country to emulate by his ability to put across even the most sensitive issues in a friendly way and strictly adhering to the diplomatic framework.
Baglay, who can speak several languages including Russian, Urdu and Ukrainian, is a man who could win friends even in the most unfriendly audiences because of his gentle manners. He came to Sri Lanka during the peak of Covid-19 in an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane bringing vaccines and other relief supplies to Sri Lanka as there were no regular flights between the two countries during this period.
In fact, one of his first official tasks was handing over such consignments to Sri Lankan leaders.
The success of his calm diplomacy served not only India’s interests but also strengthened friendly ties and cooperation between India and Sri Lanka during his tenure of three years, a very challenging period in which the two countries had to overcome many hurdles.
Baglay cultivated a close relationship with Sri Lankan political leaders including President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. He also consulted regularly with former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda.
When he paid a farewell call on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Gunawardena at Temple Trees, he thanked the Premier for his continuous and unstinted support for his efforts towards a closer and stronger relationship between the two countries.
“Greatly honoured to pay a farewell call on PM @DCRGunawardena and be graciously hosted by him,” the High Commission of India here said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The High Commissioner thanked the Prime Minister for his continuous support towards a closer and stronger India-Sri Lankan relationship for mutual benefit. He expressed the fullest confidence that the same support would be given to his successor Santosh Jha too. (Incidentally, Jha too served in Colombo from 2007 to 2010 as Commercial Counsellor).
Prime Minister Gunawardena thanked the High Commissioner for the support given to Sri Lanka during most difficult times.
Baglay’s vast knowledge on religion became very evident when he spoke at the Sita Amman Temple function in Nuwara Eliya last year. India and Sri Lanka are bound by historical civilizational and religious ties, High Commissioner Baglay said and referred to the rich heritage of common civilizational values built by the Bhagawat Gita, Ram Charit Manas, Ramayana and the Upanishad. He said the Sita Amman Temple and the new Meditation Centre, for which he, together with Prime Minister Gunawardena laid the foundation stone, would enhance religious ties and promote people-to-people contacts.
Baglay appreciated the presence of a group of devotees who had travelled from India specially for the occasion and described them as ambassadors of a civilizational heritage and values that India and Sri Lanka shared for millennia.
He also thanked the Prime Minister for the initiatives undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka to enhance connectivity between India and Sri Lanka, including the recent resumption of the Chennai-Jaffna Alliance Air flight, and the announcement on the resumption of ferry services from Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai (KKS) next year.
He further stressed the significance of the Ramayana Trail for attracting more Indian tourists to Sri Lanka and also for deepening the people-to-people ties between the two close and friendly neighbouring countries.
He added that the expansion of religious and cultural tourism will further enrich the people-to-people relationship.
While appreciating the High Commissioner’s services to the promotion of bilateral ties the Prime Minister said that looking at the present, it shows that India has not only regained its rightful position in the world but also raised its stance in the international diplomatic and political order. The Prime Minister said that India is playing a crucial role in promoting development and humanitarian goals around the world.
High Commissioner Baglay always emphasised the diversity of centuries-old bonds, deeply rooted among India and Sri Lanka. As Sri Lanka and India are children of the same ancient culture and both countries have common cultural ties, India will always help when Sri Lanka needs India’s help, the High Commissioner said. In fact, India extended around US$ 4 billion in assistance to tide over the 2022 economic crisis. This gesture was facilitated by Baglay.
Gopal Baglay’s tenure witnessed a leap in the age-old relationship between India and Sri Lanka and the cultural bonding that keeps strengthening through time.
There is no doubt that he will be equally popular Down Under, with his fine diplomatic and interpersonal skills.
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