“living proof” of the past injustices faced by the community.
Meanwhile, commenting on power devolution and the 13th Amendment that India unfailingly flags in talks with the Sri Lankan side, Mr. Thondaman said: “It is really the failure of our [southern Sinhalese] leadership to pitch the 13th Amendment as something that devolves powers to all provinces, and not as something that gives greater power to only Tamils. That is the reason that the Sinhalese see it as India-imposed, when what India really did [around the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987] was facilitate democracy.”
In his view, the political developments of the last 50 years have strained the historically close ties shared by the neighbours. “No two countries on this planet have ties as close as India and Sri Lanka spanning centuries,” he remarked. There is, however, a shift in perception more recently, he said.
“The humanitarian help that India provided us during the economic crisis has made it amply clear to all Sri Lankans that India is a true friend. Moreover, the foreign policy of PM Modi and Mr. Jaishankar, batting for the Global South, is setting a precedent in the region,” he added.
Source: The Hindu
-Agencies
