Swaraj’s Lanka visit ends, no word on Tamils’ rights

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 6

The joint statement issued today at the end of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj’s two-day official visit to Sri Lanka finds no mention of India’s consistent demand for the ‘political devolution of rights’ for the Tamils.

While issues ranging from fishermen to India’s assistance in building homes for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) find significant mention in the statement, the rights of the Tamils is a loud omission. Sources privy to the discussions said the omission was a deliberate attempt by both the Indian and Sri Lankan Governments. Sources add that Sri Lanka feels India’s insistence on demanding political rights for the Tamil minority is not viewed positively by the people of Sri Lanka. On the contrary, it is often viewed as another example of India’s interference in Sri Lanka’s internal matters.

In March last year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka, he had said: “We stand with you in your efforts to build a future that accommodates the aspirations of all sections of society, including the Sri Lankan Tamil community, for a life of equality, justice, peace and dignity in a united Sri Lanka. We believe that early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment and going beyond it would contribute to this process.”

For the last few years now, India has been pressing Sri Lanka for an implementation of the 13th amendment, which will ensure equal rights to the Tamils. Sources in South Block maintain that under Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka deliberately moved slowly on the implementation.