PM Modi Urges Sri Lanka President To Implement 13th Amendment

Zaheer Hussain
July 28, 2023
549

President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka convened an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of Tamil reconciliation and welfare. This comes just days after his visit to India, during which PM Modi expressed his desire to “ensure a life of dignity” for the Tamil community in the island nation. PM Modi also expressed hope that Wickremesinghe would be committed to implementing the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, which stems from the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987, as well as holding provincial council elections.

PM Modi Urges Sri Lanka President To Implement 13th Amendment

13th Amendment: Why In The News?

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe Held An All-Party Meeting To Discuss The Issue Of Tamil Reconciliation And Welfare.
This Comes Days After His Visit To India, During Which PM Modi Conveyed To Him The Need To “Ensure A Life Of Dignity” For The Tamil Community In The Island Nation.
PM Modi Also Expressed The Hope That Wickremesinghe Would Be Committed To Implementing The 13^th Amendment To Sri Lanka’s Constitution – Which Flows From The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Of 1987 – And Holding Provincial Council Elections.

13th Amendment: Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Of 1987

It Was Signed On 29^th July 1987 In Colombo Between The Then Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi And The Then Sri Lankan President J R Jayewardene In An Effort To Bring The Sri Lankan Civil War To An End.
This Accord Saw The Induction Of The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) In Sri Lanka.

The 13^th Amendment To Sri Lanka’s Constitution

In A Bid To Resolve The Ethnic Conflict In Sri Lanka Between Tamils And The Sinhalese, The 13^th Amendment Was Passed In 1987 As Part Of The Indo-Lanka Accord, Which Was Signed By Then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi And Sri Lankan President JR Jayawardene.
At That Time, The Tamil Insurgency Was Gathering Momentum, Which Later Turned Into A Bloody Conflict Between The Government And The Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The LTTE Demanded A Separate Tamil State And Ran A Military Campaign Before Its Collapse In 2009 Following The Killing Of Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Since Sri Lanka Gained Independence From The British In 1948, The Tamils Have Demanded Political Autonomy In The Northern And Eastern Regions. It Must Be Noted That All Powers In Sri Lanka Are Concentrated In The Centre.
The 13^th Amendment Provides For A Provincial Council System And Devolution Of Powers Over Land, The Police, Education, Health, Agriculture, Housing And Finances To The Nine Provinces Of The Country, Including Sinhala Majority Areas.
However, Its Provisions Were Never Fully Implemented By Successive Sri Lankan Governments. The Amendment Also Provided For Making Tamil An Official Language, And English As A Link Language.
Initially, The North And Eastern Provinces Were Merged, And A North-Eastern Provincial Council Was Created. However, They Were De-merged In 2007 Following A Supreme Court Verdict.

13th Amendment: Why Has It Not Been Implemented So Far?

The 13^th Amendment Has Been Strictly Opposed By The Majority Sinhalese And Sinhala Nationalist Parties. The Sinhalese Have Argued That It Would Undermine The Unitary Nature Of The Sri Lankan State.
Moreover, Sinhala Parties Saw The Accord As An Imprint Of Indian Intervention And The Country Wielding Its Influence On Sri Lankan Matters. Moreover, Sri Lankan Governments Under Different Leaders Have Refused To Part With Land And Police Powers In The Nine Provinces.
Most Sinhalese Political Parties Have Continued To Call For Scrapping The Amendment. On The Other Hand, Tamils Have Said That Not Enough Power Had Been Devolved To The Provincial Councils To Make Them Meaningful.

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