Editor’s Note
Demining is a dangerously mean task that has disproportionate dividends at the end of the day. It provides security to the area’s inhabitants and opens up the arteries of livelihood. In Sri Lanka, we did such a task, the narrative of which has not been communicated with even a tenth of the vigour as narratives of operations that maimed, killed and destroyed the region have received. This article provides a glimpse.
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Sometimes, the most powerful contributions to diplomacy and regional cooperation go unnoticed. They don’t feature in headlines or diplomatic communiqués but transform lives and quietly shape the future. One such example is India’s discreet yet deeply meaningful role in Humanitarian Demining Operations (HDO) in Sri Lanka during the turbulent decade that straddled peace and post-conflict reconstruction.
Between 2002 and 2012, while the world focused on negotiations, politics, and geopolitics, India sent something far more tangible to Sri Lanka—trained hands, capable minds, and compassionate hearts. Through two Indian NGOs—Horizon Trust and Sarvatra Technical Consultants—primarily staffed by Indian Army veterans, India extended a helping hand to remove one of the war’s cruellest remnants: landmines.
A Ceasefire That Enabled Hope
The Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in 2002 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was not just a lull in violence; it was a window of opportunity. It allowed for the resumption of humanitarian work, particularly in regions devastated by decades of conflict. One of the most urgent needs was demining—clearing areas rendered unsafe by millions of anti-personnel mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).
India, guided by quiet diplomacy and a long-standing commitment to regional peace, stepped into this space not with rhetoric but with results. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) backed two Indian organizations—Horizon Trust and Sarvatra Technical Consultants—to support Sri Lanka’s national demining strategy, which is aligned with UN humanitarian standards.
The Legacy of Danger
By the end of the war in 2009, Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces were riddled with landmines. The LTTE had laid extensive minefields across civilian areas to deter military movement, while the Sri Lankan Army had employed its mine networks during counter-insurgency operations. The task for Indian deminers was arduous due to a lack of accurate minefield maps and limited knowledge of minefields, especially those of the LTTE variety. These weren’t just military installations; they became ticking time bombs beneath schoolyards, homes, farmlands, and roads.
According to Sri Lanka’s National Mine Action Centre (NMAC), over 1.2 million mines and UXOs were scattered across nearly 500 square kilometres. The danger was everywhere- and constant for displaced families returning to rebuild their lives.
India’s Humanitarian Response: Low-Profile, High-Impact
What distinguished India’s role was its low-profile, quietly efficient, and deeply humanitarian character. The mission wasn’t about influence; it was about impact.
Horizon Trust: Rebuilding Lives, One Field at a Time
Pune-based Horizon Trust (HT) was one of the two Indian NGOs that began demining in Sri Lanka in early 2003, focusing on the Jaffna Peninsula and Mannar district. Staffed by former Indian Army engineers and Tamil-speaking personnel, HT brought technical skills and cultural empathy to the field.
Their work went beyond physical demining. Teams trained residents in mine risk awareness, helping communities recognize the signs of danger and avoid tragedy. They manually cleared homes, roads, schools, and farmland. By 2009, Horizon had decontaminated over 100,000 square meters, directly enabling the resettlement of displaced families and reopening vital infrastructure. The Sarvatra team comprised former sappers of the Bengal Engineer Group (BEG), while Horizon drew its personnel from the Bombay Sappers and Madras Sappers.
Sarvatra Technical Consultants: Where Precision Met Scale
If Horizon Trust represented patient craftsmanship, Sarvatra Technical Consultants brought industrial-scale precision. Beginning operations in early 2003 in heavily mined areas like Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, Sarvatra deployed mechanical clearance equipment—flails, tillers, and explosive ordnance disposal tools—to cover vast terrain efficiently.
Their teams, comprised of Indian ex-servicemen, trained local Sri Lankan military and civilian deminers, contributing to long-term national capacity. By 2012, Sarvatra had cleared over 130,000 square meters and safely neutralized hundreds of UXOs and IEDs.
Building Trust Through Quiet Diplomacy
What made these efforts particularly powerful was their execution through quiet diplomacy. Both NGOs worked under the guidance of India’s MEA. They coordinated closely with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Resettlement, and later, the Ministry of Prison Reforms and Hindu Religious Affairs. The Milinda Moragoda Institute for Public Empowerment (MMIPE) played a critical role in facilitating local engagement. The High Commission of India, Colombo, played an important role in coordinating the activities of the two NGOs at all times.
India’s demining effort stayed under the radar, deliberately so. There were no high-decibel declarations or media blitzes. In fact, the early days were marked by disinformation campaigns by LTTE sympathizers and other India baiters, who viewed any Indian involvement with suspicion. But over time, facts overtook fear. As villages reopened, families returned, and accidents dropped, the humanitarian nature of the mission became undeniable.
Beyond Demining: Responding to the Tsunami
In 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Sri Lanka’s eastern coast and parts of the north, both Horizon and Sarvatra immediately stepped up. They aided in rescue and relief, distributed medical aid, and supported rehabilitation efforts, showing how their presence extended far beyond minefields. They became part of the local fabric—trusted, reliable, and deeply appreciated.
The Impact: Numbers That Tell a Human Story
The legacy of India’s demining effort in Sri Lanka is not just measured in cleared ground, but in restored lives:
- Over 20,000 civilians safely returned to once-mined areas.
- Nearly 30 kilometres of roads were reopened, reconnecting communities.
- Multiple local demining teams—both civilian and military—were trained, building Sri Lanka’s capacity for the future.
- Women were recruited into demining operations, introducing an unprecedented level of precision and transforming gender roles in post-conflict zones.
- Both NGOs utilised their “CSR” funds to help local communities in self-help programs and vegetable farming
- The track record was impeccable: zero casualties among the Indian teams over a decade of hazardous work.
This success also planted deeper roots: trust, credibility, and goodwill between India and Sri Lanka in a post-war setting where healing and reconstruction needed delicate handling.
Lessons for the Future
As India and Sri Lanka renew their partnership under the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) signed in April 2025, this past collaboration offers valuable lessons:
- Defence cooperation need not be limited to military drills or naval presence; it can be grounded in human security.
- Humanitarian operations like demining yield long-term strategic dividends—they build trust, reduce hostility, and stabilize regions.
- Soft power and cultural familiarity, such as language skills and local customs, act as force multipliers.
- The use of ex-servicemen in such missions is a model worth emulating—they bring discipline, experience, and a service ethic that bridges uniformed duty with civil reconstruction.
Restoring Dignity from the Ground Up
India’s humanitarian demining efforts in Sri Lanka remain one of the most underappreciated examples of regional cooperation rooted in compassion. It wasn’t about politics, prestige, or posturing. It was about people—the farmer who could return to his land, the child who could walk to school, the mother who could cook in her kitchen without fear.
In today’s world, where defence dialogues are often dominated by firepower and deterrence, India’s quiet legacy offers a profound alternative: true security enables peace to return—not just through treaties or troop movements, but through trust, safety, and restored dignity. Sometimes, the most lasting victories are not those won in battle but those achieved by ensuring no one has to walk through war again—even if it’s one careful, painstaking step at a time.
Pratap Heblikar
