India-Sri Lanka Land Link: A Lost Chance to Reimagine South Asia

Sri Lanka’s recent decision to reject the proposed land bridge connecting Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka is being framed as a move to protect sovereignty and environmental interests.

Yet, from a broader Indian perspective, it represents a profound missed opportunity — a chance not just for connectivity, but for pioneering a new model of regional integration that could have aligned security, prosperity, and sustainability.

Historically, the Palk Strait was never a barrier. For millennia, it was a bridge of commerce, culture, and community between India and Sri Lanka. Trade, religious exchange, and migration naturally flowed across these waters, creating bonds that predated modern political boundaries. The land bridge project sought to renew this historical connectivity, but with a vision that matched the demands of a 21st-century world — one where sustainable infrastructure, low-carbon mobility, and climate resilience must be core priorities..…| read more on Urban Acres