Democracy not a spectator's sport, it's hard work, says Sri Lankan PM at alma mater Hindu College

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) Sri Lanka has consistently upheld a sovereign pledge -- "never to permit" her soil to be used in a manner that threatens the security of India, and this principle remains "sacrosanct", its Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said on Thursday.

In her address to a gathering at her alma mater Hindu College under Delhi University, Amarasuriya also underlined that "democracy is not a spectator's sport, it's hard work".

"It means engaging with your community, standing up for justice and contributing to the common good, in whatever capacity one can," she said.

Describing India as an "unwavering partner" in her country's journey, Amarasuriya recalled India's assistance during the economic crisis in the island nation, and asserted that it was the "hand of a true friend extended in our darkest hours".

The beauty of democracy is something India and Sri Lanka share in this region, where "ordinary citizens like me and you, shaped by public education and shared struggles, can rise to serve their nation", she said.

Her over 20-minute address was imbued with nostalgia, as she walked down the memory lane, recalling the formative years of her life as a student of the college, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in sociology from 1991 to 1994.

To mark the occasion, she planted two trees -- Ceylon Ironwood and Harshringar -- on the front lawn of the college campus.

The 126-year-old college literally rolled out a red carpet for its "distinguished alumna", with Principal Anju Srivastava describing her visit as a "proud moment" and a "milestone occasion" for the institution.

"For me, returning to Hindu College is also so much about India-Sri Lanka relationship. Twenty-two nautical miles of the ocean, the Palk Strait separates our two countries. But what unites us is so much more," Amarasuriya said.

The India-Sri Lanka relationship is rooted in civilisational, cultural, religious and historical ties, which stretch back more than two millennia, the visiting prime minister said.

"And, I should also add cricket," she said.

"When I came here to study in 1991, whenever I would mention my name, they would inevitably ask me do you know (Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath) Jayasuriya," Amarasuriya recalled.

"India and Sri Lanka are bound by the common heritage of tradition, values and mutual respect. These cultural ties are woven into the fabric of our societies," she said.

"So, we may disagree with each other at times, we may not like everything about each other, but that's like family... We learn to live together and work together, and at the end of the day, respect each other," she added.

Amarasuriya also emphasised that New Delhi has been "supporting our economic recovery", providing critical assistance during times of crisis, and standing up with Colombo in the island nation's pursuit of stability and growth.

"When Sri Lanka faced her most severe economic crisis in 2022, India extended credit lines... These are not forgotten. It was a hand of a true friend extended in our darkest hours," the Lankan prime minister said.

"Sri Lanka, on her part, has consistently upheld a sovereign pledge -- never to permit her soil to be used in a manner that threatens the security of India. This principle remains sacrosanct," she said.

"Our partnership, one can clearly see, is not episodic, but structured; it is not a temporary convenience of today, it is a necessity of tomorrow," the Lankan leader said.

The visit by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India last December and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Sri Lanka in April this year signalled deepening of the ties, she said.

She also said that for her, joining politics in 2020 "was not a leap", as described by some, and it was not an "abandonment of academia, but an extension of it".

"The academic bearings instilled in me at the Hindu College were never far from me," she said.

Amarasuriya said she arrived in Delhi in the 1990s as a student on an ICCR scholarship and carried with her a "mixture of dreams, uncertainties, hopes, questions and also more than a little nervousness".

On Thursday, she returned to her alma mater as the prime minister of Sri Lanka, and the excitement on the campus was palpable.

"As I entered the college through the very same gate today, I was filled with nostalgia and admiration," Amarasuriya said.

Huge posters were put up on the corridors and walls to welcome her, along with pennants bearing images of Indian and Sri Lankan flags, with 'Ayubowan' -- Sinhalese greeting -- dotting the pathways designated for her visit.

Amarasuriya also went to her classroom in the sociology department and interacted with some of the current students.

In honour of her visit, Amarasuriya's name was affixed to the social and ethnographic research lab of the sociology department, which she visited to unveil a plaque, the principal said.

"I want to urge you to always build bridges. Don't build barriers, whether within educational institutions, homes, offices, or between nations and communities. Always remember to find ways to collaborate and partner," she said.

Amarasuriya is on a three-day visit to India from October 16-18, her first to the country after assuming office as the prime minister.

Thanking her teachers, she said, "They didn't just teach me theory, they encouraged me to think critically and to never accept injustice as inevitable." PTI KND ARI