Title: India in the Sri Lankan Ethnic Conflict: An Unhelpful intervention or a helpful contribution to the management of the problem? (1980-1990) Between 1980-1990 period is very important for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka as Indian direct intervention in to the conflict. During the early 1980s India played a limited role and then she involved as a mediator. Finally after 1987 India directly intervene to the conflict as a peace keeper. There are several factors significantly important to Indian influence in each period. Finally the study will reveal India involved to the conflict due to foreign policy in Sri Lanka which India considered harmful to India. The study will also determine Indian involvement actually made it more difficult to resolve the problem rather than achieving a resolution for the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict.