Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Meera Srinivasan

Subramanian Swamy asks Sri Lanka to gear up for cyberwarfare

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy visited Sri Lanka on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s invitation for Navarathri celebrations at his official residence. File (Source: The Hindu)

Sri Lanka must gear up for cyberwarfare by augmenting its capabilities to meet the demands of 21st century national security, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy said on Wednesday.

Visiting Sri Lanka on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s invitation for Navarathri celebrations at his official residence, Temple Trees, Mr. Swamy spoke at the Institute of National Security Studies – a think tank established under Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence.

“National Security in the 21st century is not about advancing armies or aeroplanes flying above… and no country is big or small. All countries are superpowers or nothing, according to their preparation to meet cyberwarfare,” he stated, underscoring the need for countries to work out their objectives, priorities, strategy, and resource mobilisation that he termed the “four pillars” of national security.

Responding to questions later, Mr. Swamy shared his perspective on the civil war, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE; the current tensions between India and China and a “likely war” between the powers, and emerging geopolitical dynamics. On Indo-Lanka relations, he observed that Sri Lanka had got a “raw deal” from India since the Rajapaksa government came to power, and it was “sought to be corrected”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Swamy called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and advocated a “strong, friendly relationship between Sri Lanka and India,” a statement from the President’s office said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.