From Partner to Patron: India’s Influence & Strategic Control in Sri Lanka’s Central Province
Sri Lanka’s Central Province has been a symbol of colonial exploitation and post-independence neglect—home to thousands of Indian-origin Tamils brought under British imperial labor schemes. Today, the same region has transformed into a geopolitical battleground—for soft power occupation, ethnic patronage, and foreign-state engineering. India is now assuming role of political patron & cultural guardian over Indian-origin Tamil estate community & influencing or rather exerting control over every aspect of their life. Then enters US, under guise of “human rights” & “inclusion” also spreading its influence in a bid to win loyalty & use this minority for western-imperial goals. The warning signs are no longer subtle—they are loud, open, and institutionalized. Is Colombo unaware, unwilling, or complicit in this systematic foreign penetration of its central heartland?
How did Indian Tamils end up in the Central Province?
| Aspect | Detail |
| Group | Indian Tamils (Estate Tamils / Hill Country Tamils) |
| Origin | Tamil Nadu (Tirunelveli, Madurai, Tanjore, Ramanathapuram) |
| Brought by | British colonialists via kangani & maistry recruitment systems |
| Period | 1827–1930s (peak during 1870–1920) |
| Purpose | To work on coffee, tea, and rubber plantations |
| Settled in | Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Badulla, Ratnapura, Kegalle |
| Why Central Province | Ideal for plantation agriculture; distant from nationalist resistance |
British Colonial Motives:
- Exploit Central Highlands for export crops (first coffee, then tea).
- Sidestep local Sinhalese resistance by importing a detached, loyal, low-cost labor force.
- Establish self-contained, politically isolated settlements (line rooms on estates).
India’s Current Penetration – Sector by Sector
Each of India’s activities in the Central Province ties into long-term strategic objectives, with significant national security and sovereignty implications.
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Education
Involvement:
- Indian-funded estate schools.
- Indian syllabus influence in Tamil-medium schools.
- Indian scholarships to estate youth.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Shape future generations loyal to Indian ideology and culture.
- Create an Indian-educated elite to represent Indian interests locally.
Dangerous Implications:
- Since Estate Tamils are now regarded Sri Lankan citizens, the Indian direct involvement with them likely to alienate them from Sri Lanka’s national curriculum and identity.
- India is increasingly attempting to Politically and culturally align with youth leadership
-
Culture
Involvement:
- Opening Indian Cultural Centres in Kandy.
- Sponsorship of Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, Hindu festivals – Pro-Indian culture
- Promotion of Indian Tamil cinema, TV, and literature.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Promote Tamil Nadu cultural hegemony among estate communities & distance them from Sri Lankan identity.
- India is attempting to make Indian-origin Tamils’ identity distinct from Sri Lankan Tamils or Sinhalese.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Cultural ghettoization and resistance to national integration – they end up a class of people who are by paper Sri Lankan citizens only.
- Undermining Sinhala-Buddhist and indigenous Sri Lankan traditions.
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Religion
Involvement:
- Indian-funded kovils and Hindu religious activities.
- Support for Saivite institutions mirroring Tamil Nadu’s religious map.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Embed Indianized religious-cultural footprint in Central Sri Lanka.
- Deepen Tamil Nadu-style Hinduism as identity
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Marginalization of Buddhism in historically sacred areas like Kandy & replacing Indianized Hinduism.
- Import of caste-based religious divisions.
-
Tourism
Involvement:
- Indian-run mythological pilgrimages and tourist circuits (Kandy, Nuwara Eliya).
- Promotion of Hindu sites as Indian heritage points – given that India annually has festival wherein they burn effigy of Ravana after hurling insults & stones at it – this practice may soon become a feature in Sri Lanka if not stopped.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- India using religion and heritage tourism as soft power.
- Control revenue and narrative in sacred localities.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Undermining of domestic tourism sector especially the Sinhala History/Heritage
- Surveillance and infiltration risks under guise of pilgrimage.
-
Sports
Involvement:
- Sponsorship of youth cricket and training camps.
- Introduction of Indian sports professionals in schools.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Attempting to win emotional loyalty through grassroots engagement.
- Use sports diplomacy to propagate goodwill for India.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- National identity replaced by ethnic allegiance to India
- Politicization of young athletes.
-
Infrastructure
Involvement:
- India upgrading Central Province roads and railways.
- Power infrastructure and mobile towers by Indian companies.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Create physical integration between Indian-influenced communities and Indian shipping/logistics.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Indian presence in high-altitude strategic terrain.
- Security vulnerability in national communication and energy grids.
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Joint Ventures
Involvement:
- Indo-Lankan ventures in tea factories and agribusiness.
- Indian companies processing local plantation outputs.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Economic dominance of estate sector.
- Make Sri Lanka dependent on Indian-owned value chains.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Erosion of domestic control over national resources.
- Pressure on Sri Lanka to concede trade or land concessions.
-
Agriculture
Involvement:
- Introduction of Indian seeds, fertilizers, agri-tech to estate areas.
- Indian-trained agricultural officers operating in estates.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Control agricultural inputs and training pipelines.
- Embed Indian agri-economy within Sri Lankan estate sector.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Displacement of traditional practices.
- Dependency on Indian supply chains for food sovereignty.
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Roads & Rail
Involvement:
- Modernization of Kandy–Matale rail line and Badulla rail upgrades.
- Indian-financed estate road development.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Secure access routes into highlands.
- Enable commercial and strategic mobility.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Military-use dual-purpose infrastructure.
- Possibility of Indian-facilitated troop movement or surveillance during geopolitical crises – these areas cannot be ignored or ruled out.
-
Hospitals & Health
Involvement:
- Construction of Dickoya Hospital (fully Indian-funded).
- Indian health camps, telemedicine, and eye surgeries.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Win hearts and minds through healthcare diplomacy.
- Promote Indian pharma and telehealth control completely erasing hela medicines.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Health data exposure.
- Undermining local public health capacity and planning.
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Training & Vocational Programs
Involvement:
- ITEC training for estate youth as per Indian curriculums.
- Yoga, tailoring, ICT and language programs funded by Indian High Commission.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Create Indian-trained and India-dependent workforce loyal to India
- Shape minds and aspirations to align with Indian economic interests.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Shift in youth allegiance and migration priorities.
- Loss of human capital to India-centric labor markets.
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Scholarships
Involvement:
- Over 800 scholarships yearly to Indian universities.
- Programs focused on estate Tamil students.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Groom future leaders aligned with India’s geopolitical interest while citizens of Sri Lanka & making use of all entitlements given by Sri Lanka.
- Plant pro-Indian ideological agents in Sri Lankan institutions & private sector.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Policy infiltration through Indian-trained graduates.
- Dismantling of Sri Lankan national consciousness.
-
Housing
Involvement:
- Over 60,000 houses built by India across Central, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.
- Many bear Indian flags and are tied to MoUs with political conditions.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Cement demographic loyalty and ensure permanent Indian-origin voting blocs that use vote-base to suit Indian political interests.
- Use housing diplomacy to gain political influence.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka :
- Creation of India-aligned ethnic enclaves in the heartland of Sri Lanka
- Politicization of basic rights in return for foreign allegiance.
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Land Leased to India
Examples:
- Dickoya Hospital land under long-term Indian management.
- Indian Cultural Centres in Kandy on state land.
- Land for Indian-funded housing and schools leased under bilateral agreements.
India’s Strategic Objective:
- Establish semi-sovereign Indian zones in interior Sri Lanka & use these to stage anti-Sri Lanka protests when/if required.
- Permanent bases for Indian cultural, political, and intelligence operations.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka:
- Violates Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity – but Sri Lanka’s politicians & political parties are only to blame for permitting incursions.
- Creates enclaves vulnerable to foreign interference or claims in future conflicts.
Indian Mission Influence in Sri Lanka’s Central Province
India has a diplomatic & consular presence in Sri Lanka’s Central Province in the form of a Deputy High Commission Office in Kandy. It serves as a critical soft power tool over the Indian-origin Tamils also known as Estate Tamils / Hill Country Tamils & Malaiyaha Tamils.
This Mission covers not only Central Province but Uva Province & parts of Sabaragamuwa too.
Indian-origin Tamils are concentrated across
Nuwara Eliya District: Hatton, Dickoya, Maskeliya, Talawakelle, Lindula
Kandy District: Gampola, Nawalapitiya, and areas around Hantana
Badulla District: Bandarawela, Hali Ela, Welimada
Sabaragamuwa: Rakwana, Balangoda areas with plantation populations
The Indian Mission in Kandy offers:
- Mobile consular camps – Indian passport/OCI/PIO services to persons of Indian origin
Citizenship assistance for recent Indian-origin migrants
- Close engagement with estate trade unions and political leadership
Implication for Sri Lanka : Creates dual-loyalty and emotional ties to India; undermines Sri Lankan national identity among estate Tamils.
| Objective | Method |
| Strengthen cultural allegiance | Promote Indian identity through schools, temples, and cultural programs |
| Control estate politics | Influence local leaders, fund pro-India parties (e.g., CWC) |
| Create a loyal vote bank | Deliver services directly to estate communities, bypassing Sri Lankan state |
| Extend Tamil Nadu’s cultural frontier | Promote Hinduism, Tamil language, and traditions rooted in India |
| Humanitarian camouflage for long-term control | Use housing, education, health, and economic aid to entrench influence |
India’s Strategic Objectives Behind These Regular Visits
- Direct Diplomatic Access to a Target Population
- Estate Tamils are the only community in Sri Lanka regularly and publicly engaged by a foreign mission at grassroots level.
- India bypasses Colombo and provincial governments, acting as a parallel state in the region.
- Cement Emotional & Cultural Loyalty
- By attending Hindu religious festivals and Tamil cultural events, the High Commissioner plays the role of guardian and kin—not a foreign diplomat.
- Emotional manipulation: estate families begin to see India as their “original homeland and patron.”
- Sustain a Politically Useful Vote Bloc
- The Indian High Commission cultivates loyalty to pro-India estate Tamil parties (CWC, DPF, etc.).
- Estate Tamils become a predictable vote bank in key electoral districts.
- Neutralize Integration with the Sri Lankan State
- Consistent Indian presence in the form of dignitary visits discourages full national integration.
- Projects are presented as Indian “gifts,” not Sri Lankan government services.
Dangerous Implications for Sri Lanka
| Risk | Description |
| Loss of sovereignty | Indian diplomats operate with quasi-administrative roles in Central Province, influencing local governance. |
| Identity manipulation | Estate Tamils develop dual or hybrid identities, more loyal to India than Sri Lanka. |
| Electoral interference | Visits often precede elections, subtly directing estate Tamil voters toward India-aligned candidates. |
| Permanent psychological occupation | Children grow up with India-branded schools, books, uniforms, and flags, believing India is their benefactor, not Sri Lanka. |
| Territorial soft power encroachment | Regular diplomatic visits normalize Indian control of entire regions without legal sovereignty. |
US visiting Central Highlands too
While the nature of India’s visits to Estate Tamils can be understood, we have to wonder why the US envoys have been increasing their visits to Estate Tamils & creating new programs & initiatives for them as well as using them as a launch pad for LGBTQIA promotions!
These visits began by Alaina Teplitz (2018-2021) & has been continued by present envoy Julie Chung (2021 to present). Not only the US envoys but officials from USAID, US embassy officials & even human rights officials are regularly visiting the areas.
They have visited Indian-built housing schemes, schools, overseen womens’ livelihood projects and created civil society meetings with plantation unions and NGOs.
When US visits a segment community we know it is to create a narrative around “marginalized minority” merging with their toolbox of human rights, freedoms etc as a legitimate ground for western influences under “rights’ banner. US would use these narratives to undermine the majority Sinhala Buddhist control. Though the community is heavily cultivated by India, US has ways & means to shift that in favor of their control. US will also be concentrating on youth leaders, women and grooming them to think & act in the interest of the West.
Implications for Sri Lanka
| Risk | Description |
| Parallel foreign control | Both U.S. and India are managing a key population base independently of the Sri Lankan state. |
| Weaponization of minority identity | Estate Tamil grievances are used as tools to pressure Sri Lanka at the UNHRC and international forums. |
| Strategic foothold in heartland | Estate region = highlands, water resources, tourism potential. Foreign soft power here becomes a security threat. |
| Internal political destabilization | Estate-based leaders groomed by foreign missions could later push autonomy or constitutional change agendas. |
| Support for regime change operations | The U.S. uses grassroots NGOs and activists from estate areas to mobilize dissent, especially during elections or crises. |
What Sri Lanka’s leaders & think tanks should see is that the community will be easy targets & vulnerable to vested interests of both India & US who are both separately & jointly competing to control them & use them to their geopolitical advantage. Either way Colombo’s governance will be undermined. Is Colombo even aware of such a scenario taking place under their very nose?
Shenali D Waduge
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