• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, near Colombo on April 5.

• This marks PM Modi’s second visit to the memorial, having previously paid his respects during his first Sri Lanka tour in 2015.

• ​The IPKF Memorial commemorates the soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, who made the supreme sacrifice in defending the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

• The memorial stands as a solemn reminder of the 1,169 Indian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving as peacekeepers in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990, under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. Additionally, over 3,000 personnel were wounded during the mission. 

• Established in 2008 by the Sri Lankan government, the monument honours the Indian forces' efforts to stabilise the region during a turbulent period.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)