Colombo: The prominent Tamil representatives of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a long-term political solution to the Tamil issue pending for years and India’s intervention in the implementation of the controversial 13th Amendment. requested.
The 13th Amendment came about as a result of the 1987 India-Sri Lanka agreement between the then Sri Lankan President JR Jayawardene and the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It has provisions for delegating rights to the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. India has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to protect the rights of Sri Lanka’s minority Tamil community through full implementation of the 13th Amendment, early holding of provincial council elections and conciliation process.
However, Sinhala majority supporters of the ruling Sri Lanka People’s Party have been advocating for the complete abolition of the provincial council system. A delegation of public representatives led by senior Tamil leader and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan met Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay here on Tuesday and handed over a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi. Two other groups also joined the TNA, including CV Vigneswaran, former Chief Minister of Tamil-dominated Northern Province. TNA leader MA Sumanthiran said, “Many promises have been made from time to time on the question of Tamil citizens. Our request is to fulfill these.”
read also
The letter is a reminder of several promises made by Indian and Sri Lankan leaders in the past to work on the 13th Amendment. Prime Minister Modi has been requested to ensure that Tamil speaking people live in dignity, self-respect, peace and security in the areas of their natural habitat with the right to self-determination within the framework of an undivided nation. “The Government of India has been actively engaged in this work for the last 40 years and we are grateful for India’s unwavering commitment to seek an equitable and long-term solution,” the letter read.
This letter assumes significance at a time when about a week ago, India has given a loan of $ 900 million to Colombo for food imports and to strengthen the depleting foreign exchange reserves in Sri Lanka amid shortage of almost all essential commodities. announced to give India on Tuesday announced a $500 million line of credit to Sri Lanka to help it purchase petroleum products. Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa last week held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the two discussed projects and investment plans by India to boost the island country’s economy. (agency)