TNA meets BJP members in southern India

Friday, 29 August 2014 01:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R. Sampanthan along with other politicians on Wednesday met members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in southern Chennai. The delegation led by Sampanthan met State Unit President of BJP in southern Tamil Nadu Province Tamilisai Soundarrajan and India’s Junior Minister for Heavy Industries Pon Radhakrishnan. The members said Tamils in Sri Lanka live in fear as President Mahinda Rajapaksa still considers them as refugees. The delegation urged India’s intervention in seeking permanent solutions for Tamils living in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. India deployed troops in Sri Lanka’s northeast in 1987 in a bid to end Tamil separatism. The troops ended up fighting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and returned home in March 1990 after losing nearly 1,200 men. The TNA delegation, led by Sampanthan, had met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (23 August), who had assured them all help to ensure justice and self-respect for Tamil minority in the island nation. Modi reportedly told the TNA delegation to address the aspirations of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. Sampanthan had also met India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday (22 August) to discuss the implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution, which sought to devolve autonomy to provinces and hence, by extension, the Tamils who dominate the island’s northeast. Reportedly, Sri Lanka’s main political party, the TNA, accused the Government of attempting to dilute the provisions of the 13th Amendment and trying to change the demography of the former war zone. Modi had also reportedly assured full support to provide relief rehabilitation and reconstruction to the northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka. The 13A Amendment came into existence due to India-Sri Lanka Accord signed in 1987 between then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayewardene. Ever since the TNA assumed charge at the Northern Provincial Council, the question of devolving more powers to the provinces has been in focus, with the alliance alleging that much of the power remained with the Governor of the Province, appointed by the President. India has been advocating early resumption of talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the TNA. While the Sri Lankan Government points to the TNA’s unwillingness to be part of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) it had set up for the purpose, the TNA appears to have little hope in the PSC, whose members are constituents of the ruling coalition.