New Delhi, April 23 -- Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan visit to Sri Lanka earlier this week shot into prominence not because it was the first official visit by an Indian VP to the island-nation, but due to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's announcement that New Delhi wants to implement the Trincomalee energy hub proposal in eastern Sri Lanka as early as possible.

In the first three decades since independence top level visits between India and Sri Lanka were very rare. First Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited Sri Lanka in 1955 and the first Sri Lankan leader to go to New Delhi was then fourth Prime Minister S W R D Bandaranaike in 1956.

Surprisingly, none of the Vice Presidents of India paid an official visit to Sri L...