Meanwhile, the LTTE as a terrorist outfit has now been countered by the Sri Lankan security forces who have successfully coralled the remaining terrorists within a small land belt. On the other hand, the object of this terror group to establish a ‘ Tamil homeland ‘ in Sri Lanka has become a battle-cry of the Opposition political parties of the Tamil Nadu State during the current election campaign. It has ranged from the extreme of a military intervention to create such a homeland, and of even demanding the breaking of diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka, to the other extreme of a denial of same by the Opposition BJP if they were voted into power, and a similar pronouncement by the ruling Congress Party.

 Sri Lanka’s Media Minister too has rejected the threats by the Tamil Nadu politicians as election rhetoric, and added that the Union Government of India has always opposed the creation of a separate State in Sri Lanka.

Whatever the tone of the rhetoric at election time, the level of tension across the Palk Strait need to be mended for Sri Lanka and India to connect each other as partners in any economic co-operation.It’s implications were described in a concise way by a Sri Lankan diplomat who wrote that, " Given our aloneness on India’s doorstep, we cannot afford to sustain a negative strategic relationship with India ".

 It must be noted that Sri Lanka by itself is a small island nation of  65,410 sq.kms.in a 435 km by 225 km land mass. It’s population is currently around 20 million growing at a low 1.0 % per annum. This has a significant share of dependants comprised of the aged, young, and the disabled. The size of it’s economy is small in relative terms (SL Rs.4411 billion in 2008),and it’s corresponding growth rate since independence has never been able to sustain a figure commensurate with the quantum desired to meet it’s obligations. The per capita GDP ( US $ 2014),which although is in the upper level in the SAARC Region, is a bottom liner in the global league. Nonetheless, the resilience of the economy has enabled the nation to avoid a catastrophy, even after facing the twin assaults of the 9.1 Richter Scale Tsunami, and the 25-year terror-led insurgency. On the other hand, the changing global economic landscape holds tough prospects. The country’s competitive edge for it’s exports and for attracting FDI, may have the danger of losing it’s status, requiring a paradigm shift in strategizing it’s domestic and international linkages.

 In the domestic front, the spatial disparities in growth shows a dominant Western Province. The World Bank in it’s 2008 World Development Report has been explicit in affirming that imbalance in growth is a normal attribute in the development process. However it emphasized the importance of ensuring inclusiveness in a development strategy. In same, the World Bank has therefore advocated the geographic integration between the urban & rural sectors, and between the leading & lagging Provinces. The Physical Planners have always viewed this in spatial terms using the analysis of spatial & aspatial attributes in networking the nodal centers and infrastructure networks. Consequently, a National Spatial Strategy has been formulated by them, with minor variations between that conceived by different Physical Planners.

Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that the Constitution of the Republic in it’s Article 154 R (5) of it’s 13th Amendment has obligated the achievement of ‘ balanced regional development ‘ in the country taking into account :-

a) the population of each Province,

b) the per capita income of each Province,

c) the need, progressively, to reduce social and economic disparities, and

d) the need, progressively, to reduce the difference between the per capita income of each Province and the highest per capita income among Provinces.

The object of a National Spatial Strategy is to contribute to the Constitutional mandate. In such a context, it is not in contrast with the awakened World Bank in reshaping economic geography, as claimed in it’s 2008 World Development Report ( WDR ).The overarchching challenge is to integrate the physical and economic dimensions in the strategy. In Sri Lanka these two function in overlapping but separate compartments. The formulation of the National Physical Planning Policy & of the Plan, is statutorily vested (by Act No.49 of 2000 ),with the National Physical Planning Department (NPPD).Nonetheless, it requires the approval of the National Physical Planning Council, chaired by the Head of Government and comprised of all Ministers from the entire spectrum of development. The NPPD has reported that the said Policy & Plan have been approved by the Council. However it’s integration is lacking in the economic policy framework which is also overseen by the Head of Government. Consequently, it is necessary to resolve this ‘systemic defect’ ; the origins of which can be traced back to the 1952 IBRD Report that laid the groundwork for economic planning in Ceylon, as it was then known. Ironically, the successor of the IBRD, namely the World Bank, has moved towards same in 2008,while Sri Lanka has not.

It is in the formulation of the National Spatial Strategy, that the Island’s connectivity to the global marketplace became prominently manifest. Thus, it was clear that it’s small economy has to have the opportunity to expand with capital flows and technology transfers from external sources. These seem to be getting depleted from it’s traditional sources in the West, and is shifting to India and China and other places in the Asian region. It’s reality has been aptly traced in a recent Article published in the media titled," How the West lost Sri Lanka ".Although this cannot be literally true, the fact remains that the island nation, however small, is strategically located in the world’s busiest sea route, the Indian Ocean. India regards it as her backyard with her lifelines concentrated therein. Further, India’s economic vitality and it’s forecast rise to be the world’s third wealthiest nation in 2040,becomes a factor to be reckoned by the littoral States of the Indian Ocean. Therefore, it is noteworthy that presently, India is the largest supplier of goods to Sri Lanka, it’s fifth largest buyer, and the 2nd largest investor. Furthermore, tourist arrivals from India in 2008 led all other nations. Also, India & Sri Lanka have entered into a Free Trade Agreement. In addition, India has committed to assist Sri Lanka in several tangible projects, including the construction of a coal power plant in the East, and to supply 1000 megawatts of power by installing a submarine cable between Rameswaran & Talaimannar with connections to overhead transmission lines from Madurai to Rameswaran, & Talaimannar to Anuradhapura.

In these circumstances, it will be key in expanding it’s economy for Sri Lanka to explore every opportunity, bi-laterally and multi laterally, to connect with India. Traditionally, Sri Lanka’s connectivity with India was by air and sea. The former mode has made quantum leaps, while the latter has gained momentum in commercial shipping due to the comparative advantage of Colombo Port’s productivity & strategic location on the main sealane. Colombo accounts for 50%of it’s total throughput & about 80 % of it’s trans-shipment volumes from the Indian sub-continent. The land connectivity for mass traffic by Ferry across the Palk Strait ceased after the cyclone damaged the landing jetties at Talaimannar & Danushkodi. Eventually, the conflict in the north denied Sri Lanka’s subsequent efforts to recommence the Ferry service.

The connectivity across national borders for promoting development is inherent in the concept of Transnational Spatial Planning. It comprises a systemic framework for networking the strengths & weaknesses of countries in finding pragmatic paths towards their respective goals of development. It is of particular relevance to Sri Lanka which is geographically located as India’s neighbour. The two are massively contrasting in land mass, wherein India is 58 times that of Sri Lanka. It’s population of over one billion separated by the cordon of 30 kilometers water, adds to the uniqueness of the contrast with Sri Lanka’s 20 million. Each has however been blessed with attributes which can provide an environment conducive for a sustainable partnership. The synergy of the attributes will acquire different characteristics over time. The ‘ how and what ‘ bonds the partnership between the two require a hypothesis which stands to be refuted or validated with the test of time. It is that which is ingrained in the concept of Transnational Spatial Planning.

The enquiry on the spectrum of countries in the world that can offer content to the aforesaid hypothesis indicate a varied range. Thus, while Transatlantic Alliances and land-based Unions in Europe offer interesting perspectives, others like the ‘ Oresund spatial region ‘ across the Oresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden, and the Bahrain-Qatar link, comprise more pragmatic examples of transnational spatial integration. They offer much to emulate empirically the prospect of spatially integrating Sri Lanka with the four Southern States of India across the Palk Strait.

The Palk Strait and the Palk Bay area has already spawned a host of prospects for priming Lanka’s development, which have however remained in it’s embryonic stage. A key proposal comprise the UN-ESCAP Agreement entered into by 23 countries in it’s region to provide an Asian Highway and a Trans-Asian Railway. It’s Accord signed in Shanghai in 2004 has already been ratified by the legislatures of India & Sri Lanka. The main route is to start in Tokyo and terminate in Istanbul. A second trunk route will veer north through Russia on to the border with Finland. Numerous finger highways are also being planned to link with other Asian nations. In it’s original scheme, the Asian Highway was to carry a spur from India across the Palk Strait by Ferry to Sri Lanka. This needs to be reviewed in the post-conflict era to provide a land connectivity across the Strait to link with India’s Golden Quadrilateral Highway Network. It’s prospect can be envisaged to contribute to the island’s national & international trade, stimulate economic development, promote Tourism, and above all to make it possible for the average person and his or her family to journey to other countries in the region at an affordable cost.

Another proposal in the Palk Strait having prospects to prime Lanka’s development by it’s connectivity with India ,comprise the Land Bridge proposed by Sri Lanka in 2002.It’s acceptance in principle by India led to it’s pre-feasibility study to be launched. However, the matter rested there when the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu State wrote to  the Indian Prime Minister asking that the matter be viewed not as one of economic co-operation between the two countries, but as a vital issue concerning the security of Tamil Nadu and of India. Giving reasons for the objections, the Chief Minister said that LTTE’s terrorist actions by it’s gun culture & suicide killings made it premature & unwise to contemplate the Land Bridge between the two countries. The revival of the proposal may be a long way off, but it’s centrality in promoting a South India-Sri Lanka economic sub-region offers much prospect than to shove it into the backburner. It can certainly create the conditions across the Palk Strait that can prime Lanka’s development by being an integral part of the Asian Highway & the Trans-Asian Railway.

A futuristic proposal in the Palk Bay that appeared in the Current Science Journal of October 2004,was about an ‘ industrialized regional complex ‘,consisting of complementary floating and land-fixed facilities which could serve both countries ‘.Eventually, it could become " a base seaport servicing a funicular space elevator anchored to a floating passenger and freight station sited in the calm waters of the equator ".The space elevator has now moved out of science fiction into reality, as evident from the competitors participating in the NASA sponsored  Space Elevator Games in the USA. The space elevator made of a carbon nanotubes ribbon attached to an off-shore sea platform would stretch to a small counterweight approximately 62,000 miles into space. Mechanical lifters attached to the ribbon will then climb the ribbon carrying cargo & humans into space at a price of one-hundredth the cost of sending it in the Space Shuttle."

The potential to develop the Palk Bay was a matter first raised in 2005 by the Indo-Lanka Joint Commission, wherein it’s Joint Communiqué stated that " the two sides agreed to explore avenues for closer economic co-operation between the two countries in the Pak Bay area ". It was subsequently included as an item for discussion between the President of Sri Lanka & the Indian Prime Minister, when the former visited India in 2006.It was welcomed by India which looked forward to it’s submission by Sri Lanka in the form of a Paper that can be studied by the India-Sri Lanka Expert Group, and it’s Report to be considered during the CEPA negotiations. On the other hand, CEPA has now been put on hold, and the Paper too had not materialized. Consequently, it remains to be prepared and discussed in an appropriate Forum so that the Palk Bay area can feature in economic co-operation between the two countries. Sri Lanka’s economy can be primed in the process.

I have addressed you of the delicate situation in the Palk Strait-Palk Bay area arising from the "Kachchativu gridlock", the Sethu Canal Project, and the political fallout from northern Sri Lanka’s terror-led ethnic conflict. On the other hand, the consortium of proposals which require to be configured in a Transnational Spatial Strategy to optimise it’s synergies, was also highlighted. Consequently, Sri Lanka needs a primer to connect with India for sustainable development. The buffer for capturing the prospects lie in the Palk Strait, which may need to be carefully re-engineered for it to become a primer and not a hazardous ‘ time bomb’ for Lanka’s development.