The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has signalled a renewed effort to strengthen ties with India, as the party’s General Secretary Tilvin Silva undertook a weeklong official visit to the country at the invitation of the Government of India.
Silva is accompanied by National People’s Power (NPP) Members of Parliament Kitnan Selvaraj and Karunananthan Ilankumaran, alongside Inter-Company Employees’ Union General Secretary Janaka Adikari and Kalpana Madhubashini, a member of the JVP International Committee. The visit is being carried out under the visitor programme of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
The delegation has already held talks in New Delhi with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. According to official statements, discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, exploring growth opportunities, and advancing social welfare initiatives.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar wrote on X, “A warm interaction with Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva and his delegation from Sri Lanka. Discussed further strengthening our deep bonds. Spoke about growth opportunities and social welfare initiatives. India has stood by Sri Lanka during the economic crisis and recently, in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. India will always remain a true and trusted partner for Sri Lanka.”
A warm interaction with Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna General Secretary Mr. Tilvin Silva and his delegation from Sri Lanka.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 6, 2026
Discussed further strengthening our deep bonds. Spoke about growth opportunities and social welfare initiatives.
India has stood by Sri Lanka during the… pic.twitter.com/JV5c3F33Ze
After New Delhi, the JVP delegation is scheduled to visit the Indian states of Gujarat and Kerala, where discussions are expected with the respective Chief Ministers. The itinerary also includes a visit to India’s Amul Milk Cooperative, a move that has drawn particular attention given the NPP government’s recent policy decisions.
After taking office, the NPP scrapped a proposed joint venture involving Amul, the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB), and Milco Ltd. In July 2024, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had submitted a Cabinet paper proposing to lease farms owned by NLDB and Milco to Amul for 99 years. Under the plan, Amul would have held a 52 percent stake, with Sri Lankan entities retaining 48 percent ownership. The NPP opposed the agreement during its election campaign and cancelled it after assuming power.
Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath later stated that the government would not renew the agreement, adding that both NLDB and Milco were operating profitably and had stabilised under the new administration.
The JVP’s outreach to India has also sparked political debate at home. Opposition MP Harsha de Silva criticised what he described as decades of missed opportunities in Sri Lanka’s economic engagement with India, calling it a colossal waste of time and potential. Reflecting on Silva’s meeting with Jaishankar, de Silva urged leaders to recognise the importance of closer integration with India, which he described as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
In a post on X, de Silva questioned the government’s lack of progress on the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement, writing, “Nothing happened for the last 1.5 years, in fact ‘ECTA’ does not even appear in any of the official statements during the visits of the President or PM.” He added, “I am aware that the opportunistic nationalists will attack me saying this line of thinking will cost the opposition the next election and fuel divisive politics. Of course I remember the attacks against me when we were establishing #1990 #SuwaSeriya… what if I backed down?”
What a colossal waste of so many thousand young lives and decades of lost time… wonder what #JVP #NPP boss Tilvin Silva had to say to @DrSJaishankar in Delhi?
— Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) February 9, 2026
Hope at least now these people realise the importance of economic integration with the world’s fastest growing nation.… pic.twitter.com/JyxM3BpliA
The JVP’s engagement with India marks a notable shift for a party that was historically hostile to New Delhi. Anti-Indian sentiment, combined with opposition to the presence of Indian troops on the island, was a central factor behind the JVP’s second insurrection in 1987, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Sinhalese.