Asada M Erpini

13^th Amendment (13A) to the constitution of the sovereign Republic of Sri Lanka and implementing it by the Sri Lankan government ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” according to some, even going beyond the 13^th Amendment ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” constitute the catchphrase of the day for all those outsiders who think that they hold the magic wand that will solve all Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s problems. The stance taken by the proponents of 13A seems to be that nothing in the country will succeed unless and until 13A is implemented fully, and that once it is done, the island nation would flow in milk and honey.

The 13^th Amendment was the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that was forced on Sri Lanka by the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1987 to deal with LTTE terrorists. Although a key feature of the so-called ceasefire or Peace Accord that accompanied the 13^th Amendment was handing over of weapons by the LTTE, that it was only a puny pistol that Pirabaharan surrendered and the whole world knows that it is the armed forces of Sri Lanka that brought back the long-cherished peace through the military defeat that they inflicted on the LTTE in May 2009, the Ceasefire Agreement and the 13^th Amendment both being completely impotent as far as the main purpose for which they were conceived and given birth were concerned.

Although the 13^th Amendment did not deliver the promised goods, it spawned white elephants and cancers that keep eroding the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

The Provincial Councils that came into being with the 13^th Amendment have become a springboard for the aspiring national-level politicians to launch their political careers. Security personnel and high-powered vehicles that fly from one place to another at breakneck speed pushing the mere mortals and their lowly tuk tuks away from their privileged path eat into the already meagre resources of the country while duplicating the machinery and the infrastructure that Sri Lanka does not need or can hardly afford.

Additionally, to all the outside busybodies who want Sri Lanka to believe that they are concerned about the well being of the Sri Lankans, the 13^th Amendment is the platform from which unsolicited advice continues to pour. The current Indian Prime Minister, who, in his moves to keep the Tamil Nadu Karunanidhis, Vaikos and Jayalalithas happy, had no qualms about stabbing Sri Lanka in the back as far as the anti-Sri Lankan UNHCR resolution was concerned, continues talking about how India helped Sri Lanka by toning down the text of the resolution through the addition of words to the effect that action against Sri Lanka needed to be taken ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in consultation with or concurrence withƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka, although many know that that isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a proviso that already existed as far as such matters were concerned. He, however, in the same tone, continues that the 13^th Amendment has to be implemented fully by Sri Lanka, as if Sri Lanka is one of the states of the Union of States of India.

Sri Lanka is a small country. Many of the states in India are far larger as regards the land area and boast much higher populations. The Indian union government has to decentralise power to the individual states if there is to be any chance of an effective administration. Sri Lanka is a different kettle of fish. Its population is just above 21 million and the land area is only 65,000 sq. kilometres. Sri Lanka does not have to follow any Indian, or Indian-baked ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” or should it be half-baked -, devolution model for running its affairs. If Sri Lankans want decentralisation of the administrative powers from the centre, it is Sri Lanka that should decide on the format and the basis of the unit of devolution.

The illegitimate 13^th Amendment, hatched by India, should be thrown out without delay.

The 13^th Amendment (13A) to the constitution of the sovereign Republic of Sri Lanka and implementing it by the Sri Lankan government ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” according to some, even going beyond the 13^th Amendment ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” constitute the catchphrase of the day for all those outsiders who think that they hold the magic wand that will solve all Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s problems. The stance taken by the proponents of 13A seems to be that nothing in the country will succeed unless and until 13A is implemented fully, and that once it is done, the island nation would flow in milk and honey.

The 13^th Amendment was the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that was forced on Sri Lanka by the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1987 to deal with LTTE terrorists. Although a key feature of the so-called ceasefire or Peace Accord that accompanied the 13^th Amendment was handing over of weapons by the LTTE, that it was only a puny pistol that Pirabaharan surrendered and the whole world knows that it is the armed forces of Sri Lanka that brought back the long-cherished peace through the military defeat that they inflicted on the LTTE in May 2009, the Ceasefire Agreement and the 13^th Amendment both being completely impotent as far as the main purpose for which they were conceived and given birth were concerned.

Although the 13^th Amendment did not deliver the promised goods, it spawned white elephants and cancers that keep eroding the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

The Provincial Councils that came into being with the 13^th Amendment have become a springboard for the aspiring national-level politicians to launch their political careers. Security personnel and high-powered vehicles that fly from one place to another at breakneck speed pushing the mere mortals and their lowly tuk tuks away from their privileged path eat into the already meagre resources of the country while duplicating the machinery and the infrastructure that Sri Lanka does not need or can hardly afford.

Additionally, to all the outside busybodies who want Sri Lanka to believe that they are concerned about the well being of the Sri Lankans, the 13^th Amendment is the platform from which unsolicited advice continues to pour. The current Indian Prime Minister, who, in his moves to keep the Tamil Nadu Karunanidhis, Vaikos and Jayalalithas happy, had no qualms about stabbing Sri Lanka in the back as far as the anti-Sri Lankan UNHCR resolution was concerned, continues talking about how India helped Sri Lanka by toning down the text of the resolution through the addition of words to the effect that action against Sri Lanka needed to be taken ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in consultation with or concurrence withƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka, although many know that that isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a proviso that already existed as far as such matters were concerned. He, however, in the same tone, continues that the 13^th Amendment has to be implemented fully by Sri Lanka, as if Sri Lanka is one of the states of the Union of States of India.

Sri Lanka is a small country. Many of the states in India are far larger as regards the land area and boast much higher populations. The Indian union government has to decentralise power to the individual states if there is to be any chance of an effective administration. Sri Lanka is a different kettle of fish. Its population is just above 21 million and the land area is only 65,000 sq. kilometres. Sri Lanka does not have to follow any Indian, or Indian-baked ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” or should it be half-baked -, devolution model for running its affairs. If Sri Lankans want decentralisation of the administrative powers from the centre, it is Sri Lanka that should decide on the format and the basis of the unit of devolution.

The illegitimate 13^th Amendment, hatched by India, should be thrown out without delay.

Asada M Erpini