President Decide: 13th amendment doesn’t serve the interest of the Masses or the Minorities – Only India’s and West’s stooges
Posted on July 4th, 2013
Shenali D Waduge
Is there any need to go through the rigmarole of entertaining Indian envoys when Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s President has already sent his envoy to appraise India of the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s decision on the 13th amendment? For what purpose do we need to be begging to India to understand why the nation is now demanding the President take immediate action on an antiquated illegal legislature which has done and does not serve the masses or the minorities that it originally claimed to solve? Has India no patriots in public office to not realize that 13th amendment is more of a threat to India in the current political chessboard?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So far as Sri Lanka is concerned India is a nation that cannot take an independent decision without thinking they are displeasing the West. The example of IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s reaction to American snooping on India reveals the servility of India and completely nullifies IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s leadership ability on an international stage. Therefore a nation aspiring to be a super power bowing down to Western dictates is a nation Sri Lanka does not need to be taking orders from or going and reporting our affairs to either. This ugly practice must stop. Therefore, MenonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s message carries little bearing for Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sovereignty and this is something Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s President and policy makers are well advised to take note of.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Once again we wish to highlight that the people who supported the LTTE throughout its reign and right through the war are today ganging up on a common platform to save the 13th amendment. These are the people who were suffering from the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unwinnable warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ syndrome and people who wanted to give everything LTTE demanded on a golden platter with not a care for the thousands of civilians LTTE killed or the armed forces who were losing life and limb to save the country. Are we to listen to these lot of unpatriotic and self-centered politicians?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Again we need to remind ourselves of who these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unwinnable warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ promoters were for they are a danger to the entire nation and to society at large. A big name on that list now planted in the Opposition is one who totally destroyed the war victory by pinning the former army commander against the President by pitting him to run as President to create chaos and dilute Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s victory. Joining that list are the relics of Chandrika towing federalist line and now making no bones about why 13th amendment should stay ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” these lot include Dylan, Rajitha, Reginold most of whom are now planted in the Rajapakse Government. The old lefties recently celebrating 70 years in Sri Lanka are really no use to the masses or even the minorities and are simply surviving on the generosity of the President and enjoying the perks at the cost of the tax payer ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” so much so for their brand of socialism! Joining the bandwagon also is Hakeem the very person who beamed towards the cameras after shaking hands and enjoying dinner with terrorist Prabakaran up in the Wanni ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” will the Muslim community be willing to listen to his pleadings on why 13a should stay. Finally and not least we have the mouthpiece of the LTTE, the TNA representing LTTE and the Tamil Diaspora running here there and everywhere pulling out every argument they can think of as to why 13th amendment should stay. There are a handful of others too still in Government who not only pull the federalist line but are doing more damage than the President is aware. These were all promoters of the LTTE and now shamelessly they come forward to promote another disaster. Most of these are also recipients of foreign funds that have even launched foundations in their name and these powerful western NGOs have a knack of making politicians talk and now we see them in action.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Take a good look at the list of all those calling for the 13th amendment ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” these together with one of the biggest pushers for the 13th amendment is the very person who held a cabinet portfolio in the only merged Northern provincial council elected in 1988 which had to be annulled by President Premadasa because within 2 years it declared a unilateral declaration of independence. So his allegiance to the Indian 13th amendment is nothing to be really surprised over.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Government needs to wisely assess the list of those presently lobbying for the continuance of the 13th amendment and the PC system. As far as the masses can see in 25 years it has not served the masses or the minorities except to unleash a wave of unsavory politicians unsuited to lead with criminal tendencies creating havoc and scaring the people of these provinces. The people no longer want to be victims of these provincial councilors and political parties are obviously incapable of selecting suitable candidates to serve the provinces.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We are at a critical juncture. The Government has a very easy decision to make. Does it listen to the list of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unwinnable warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ propagandists promoting LTTE throughout who now promote the 13th amendment or the masses who backed the Government alongside the nationalist forces? How difficult a decision can this be?
The Government cannot betray the masses or the nationalist forces ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” EgyptƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Morsi has found the hard way what happens and these are good lessons for all politicians who delay decisions just to please servile nations who never had the interest of Sri Lanka and least of all its President.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s politicians need to realize that there are no better friends than the people of oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s own country and it will ONLY be the nationalists who would come to the defense of the President while all others currently propagating 13th amendment will probably desert the President and flee the country as well. Any politician with the integrity to jump from one camp to another for whatever reasons is capable of doing anything ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” deserting the masses, the minorities and even to ridicule and humiliate oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s own land of birth requires no special effort from them.
Survival of any government must not ignore these dynamics.
July 4th, 2013 at 4:36 pm
“The Government cannot betray the masses or the nationalist forces – Egypt’s Morsi has found the hard way what happens and these are good lessons for all politicians who delay decisions just to please servile nations who never had the interest of Sri Lanka and least of all its President.”
DEFINITELY the option for SL.
GR should take over. MOST PEOPLE will LOVE it!
People are FED UP OF political BS.
July 4th, 2013 at 6:00 pm
INDEED, Sri Lanka should NOT LISTEN to India on the 13th-A!
Since WHEN are VICTIMS of ABUSE required to HEED the ABUSERS after escaping their clutches?
HERE is the HYPOCRISY of Indians.:
First they initiate, train, support and fund Tamil terrorism in Sri Lanka to serve their interests,
then Threaten, Invade and Occupy Sri Lanka under the guise of “Peacekeepers” when that terrorism is in FULL SWING, preventing Sri Lanka from defending itself against their terrorist surrogates,
then they CHANGE OUR CONSTITUTION and IMPOSE the 13th Amendment upon Sri Lanka at GUNPOINT to solve their own problems presumably to ensure “ethnic harmony” in Sri Lanka that they themselves disrupted,
then they allow that terrorism to GROW beyond their ability to control it,
then they declare victory and advance to the REAR back to India leaving Sri Lanka with their terrorist baby to feed,
and now, after the Tamil Separatist Monster they impregnated Sri Lanka with had been aborted at great cost in blood and treasure, they come along demanding that Sri Lanka implement their Flawed Solution to the problem they embedded in Sri Lanka, having abandoned their own responsibility to restore the Sovereignty of Sri Lanka by disarming the LTTE!
They CREATED the”problem”.
They IMPOSED an ILLEGAL “Solution”.
They FAILED to do their part of their “solution”.
And NOW, they are demanding that Sri Lanka implements SRi Lanka’s part of their FAILED ILLEGAL “solution” that they imposed at GUNPOINT, and FAILED to HONOR themselves!
There is no other word for it, but RAPE! Under which Internationally accepted LAW is Sri Lanka compelled to deliver a RAPIST’S baby?
Is there a GREATER CRIME than the STUPIDITY of OUR LEADERS who are STILL arguing this issue and TREATING India as ANYTHING MORE than a ABUSIVE NEIGHBOR who should be kicked in the behind out of the house, down the road, and out the country?
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We should not listen to India on 13 A – Gotabaya
DailyMirror.lk
July 2, 2013
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said today that Sri Lanka should not listen to India with regard to the implementation of the 13th Amendment as the national problem was inherently one that should be solved by Sri Lankans.
“We should not listen to India on this; this doesn’t meant that we lose the relationship we have with India. But if there is a problem it should only be solved by Sri Lankans and not India,” he said.
He said the national question should have a homegrown solution — and the debate about 13th Amendment should not affect the relations between the two countries.
“India is our friend and we need to continue the good relations. This should not be an issue to strain our relationship, and I’m of the view that India understands that. They should understand that this is inherently a Sri Lankan issue and we have to address it with a solution that we devise” he said,
Rajapaksa said the “alienation of provinces based on ethnicity” was not the solution to the ethnic issue.
“This is not the solution; and it has failed. There are Tamils living in all parts of the country and Muslims too — so what about them? How does the Provincial Council system solve their problems? I believe in the decentralisation of administration; but I don’t believe that areas should be demarcated according to ethnicity, religion, caste or creed. This country belongs to all Sri Lankans and we have to think in those terms,” he said. (Hafeel Farisz)
July 4th, 2013 at 6:02 pm
Basil is the WRONG MAN for telling India what it does not want to hear!
Should send ALL THREE …. Gota, Basil and Lalith Weeratunga … who had kept India informed during the Eelam War.
Gota will provide the necessary BACKBONE to SAY WHAT MUST BE SAID!
Basil wants to APPEASE; Gotta will OPPOSE!
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Sri Lankan Minister leaves for India to discuss changes to13th Amendment
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 04, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and Senior Adviser to the President Basil Rajapaksa left for India Thursday to apprise high ranking officials of the Indian government on the Sri Lankan government’s stance on13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa is expected to inform the Indian officials of the government’s stance on police and land powers and the reasons behind that stance.
He will meet Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid and National Security Advisor Shivsankar Menan during his two day stay in India.
Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at the cabinet press briefing held in Colombo today said the Sri Lankan government has informed India at diplomatic level on the proposed revisions to the 13th Amendment.
The Sri Lankan government is required to officially inform the Indian government of the intended changes to the 13th Amendment since India is also a partner of the agreement, according to Minister Rambukwella.
The 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, which created the provincial council system in the island under the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987 as a solution to devolve power, is found to be problematic under the current political situation.
Minister Rambukwella said although land and police powers were vested with the provincial councils by the 13th Amendment these powers have not been practically used by the provincial councils for over past 25 years. The Minister added that the government is considering to dilute those powers vested in the provincial councils.
July 4th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
SHAME ! Sri Lanka for the first time, is experiencing a Nit Wits Political Clown Circus. It is true that the masses should now watch, who are wanting the 13th Amendment, and those who said the Pee-laam War in un-winnable.
Egyptian Presidents predicament is a cue to our President. ” Not all the Kings Horses and all kings men ” ~~~again.
All the development work the President has initiated, will be totally negated, if he errs in his judgement of the expectation of the masses, over the 13th amendment. His wavering on a decision to nullify the 13th amendment, is making the masses lose confidence in him as a strong political leader. HE SHOULD NOW TELL INDIA TO piss off AND IMMEDIATYELY HOLD A REFERENDUM TO ABROGATE THE 13TH AMENDMENT.
His 2/3rd Power is not going to work. Majority will gang up against his wishes. So the talk of 2/3rd is gelatinous.
If the President fails to annihilate the 13th, it is going to be catastrophic for Sri Lanka. Simultaneously, he should kick out the Parliamentarians who have threatened him to keep the 13th amendment. Their names have been mentioned in the media, over and over again. Masses should keep a vigilant eye on them and banish them from politics.
July 4th, 2013 at 8:04 pm
Lets leave India out of this for the time being along with the godfathers’ of Tamil terrorism the TNA. How about our own politicians from the government and the opposition?.It’s no secret that the PCs are full of wives,husbands,sons and daughters,in laws,shakers and even cooks and drivers of current parliamentarians,mind you from the government as well as the opposition..Getting rid of the 13th means that these hooligans will be out of a lucrative business.Not to mention duty free vehicles along with foreign educational tours which are nothing else but sex tours! The $64 thousand question is how many parliamentarians will vote for the abolition of the 13th?
July 5th, 2013 at 12:04 am
We Agree: Holding PC Elections WITHOUT REMOVING Police & Land Powers is a Prescription for SUICIDE for Sri Lanka!
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Sri Lankan movement demands government to postpone Northern Provincial Council election
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 05, Colombo: A Sri Lankan nationalist movement, Joint Association of Patriotic Movements (JAPM) has called on the government to postpone the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) election.
The movement has demanded that the election be postponed until police and land powers are removed from Provincial Councils.
JAPM member Ven. Thrikunamale Ananda Thera has said the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to introduce amendments to the 13th Amendment needs to support the government by repealing the provision to assign police and land powers to PCs.
He has noted that separatist forces urged the government to hold the Northern Provincial Council election before introducing constitutional amendment in order to set up a Tamil Eelam.
According to Ven. Ananda Thero, these forces were trying to use the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) platform to win their demand.
He has added that people needed to come together to defeat international interference.
July 5th, 2013 at 1:18 am
we have been shouting about this for 24 years out which MR has been in power for 8 years. Just a reminder
July 5th, 2013 at 5:44 am
The Indian imposed 13-A all done under DURESS lasted 26 yrs under previous governments. No questions were asked, no debates, let alone get rid of it – all this went on for 26 yrs. In fact, the last govt. tried to USE the 13-A to further the divisive work of the ltte via so called Peacekeeper Norway !
At least under the present govt. the whole 13-A sham is allowed to be freely exposed by the public. Even India must be happy to at least water this monstrosity down as imposing the whole of it will spell doom for India. Let’s move forward together and see an end to past Cold War antics.
It is good move to postpone elections till the mess is sorted out. Also a lesson to Sri Lanka to be mindful of its relations with Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu should be treated as a separate area, and not as a part of the rest of India. Only LOCAL Labour should be used in Lanka unless labor is attached to foreign aid projects and comes and goes with the projects.
July 5th, 2013 at 6:31 am
Indians are the problem. West is just sucking to India or India is misleading the West. We should make it a point to attck the real enemy, India.
July 5th, 2013 at 7:53 am
Tamil Indian Leaders are the problem. They are USING Sri Lanka to solve their own problems. Sri Lanka fell into the Tamil LABOR needed trap here. Now is the time to extricate ourselves from the 13-A trap. Outside interests may USE Sri Lanka for their own purposes, and eventually India. India is falling into a trap of its own making.
Remove the 13-A. Use local Labor only. Take care of local Labor needs.
July 5th, 2013 at 10:01 am
Almost every reason has been voiced to why the 13th amendment should be abolished and I add one more. No Sri Lankan voted for any Indian politician to represent the voice of Sri Lanka or to meddle in Sri Lanka’s constitution and no Indian national voted to elect a Sri Lankan politician to stand firm on the 13th amendment. It is that simple. India has as much right to interfere into the Sri Lankan constitution as she has with the US constitution or bringing it home, the Pakistani Constitution. Only Sri Lanka seems to be caught in this web of deceit spun by Tamil Nadu’s influence in New Delhi. A web so thorough that it would entangle a spider.
July 5th, 2013 at 1:17 pm
ALL PATRIOTIC CITIZENS of Sri Lanka should FLY A BLACK FLAG on the day of the upcoming Provincial Council Elections.
This is a day of MOURNING comparable to that DAY OF INFAMY …. March 4, 1815 …. when Sri Lanka LOST ITS SOVEREIGNTY and its Hallowed Crown to the British Invaders.
DECLARE Provincial Council Election Day, a DAY OF SORROW & MOURNING, and FLY A BLACK FLAG!
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India emphasizes full implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 05, Colombo: India has stressed the need for Sri Lanka to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution including the devolution of police and land powers to the provinces.
During a meeting with Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and President’s senior adviser Basil Rajapaksa in New Delhi, India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has emphasized that the 13th Amendment should not be diluted and Sri Lanka should go beyond the amendment to ensure meaningful devolution of powers.
Minister Rajapaksa is visiting New Delhi to inform the Indian officials of President’s decision to hold elections to Northern Provincial Council and convey the Sri Lankan government’s stance on the proposed changes to the 13th Amendment to the Indian leaders, mainly as a formality since the amendment was introduced under the Indo-Lanka agreement of 1987.
Minister Khurshid welcomed the proclamation made by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa President Friday (July 05) to hold the elections to the Northern Provincial Council.
President Rajapaksa today directed the Elections Commissioner to hold the elections to the Northern PC and according to the Elections Commissioner elections will be held in the latter half of September.
The government expects to amend the legislation giving land and police powers to provinces before the provincial council elections are held.
Khurshid has stressed the importance of all political parties in Sri Lanka being represented in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), which has appointed to resolve the issues relating to constitutional reform, and expressed hope that all parties would join the process.
The Indian Minister has commended the government’s efforts in reconstruction, resettlement, and infrastructure development as well as the steps taken to improve the livelihoods of the people in the Northern Province including rapid strides made in the agriculture sector.
Earlier Khurshid has conveyed Indian government’s view on the 13th Amendment to his Sri Lankan counterpart Minister G.L. Peiris stressing the need to keep the amendment unchanged.
Minister Rajapaksa has also held meetings with the National Security Advisor shiv Shankar Menon and the Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.
July 5th, 2013 at 5:48 pm
“President Rajapaksa today directed the Elections Commissioner to hold the elections to the Northern PC and according to the Elections Commissioner elections will be held in the latter half of September.”
Rajapaksha crapping in his panties when Endia ORDERS him something.
That was VERY FAST action like loose motion!!!
July 6th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
This Pusillanimous Politician, Rajitha Senaratne, is DEAD WRONG!
Moving NOT TO REPEAL the 13th Amendment and HOLDING PC ELECTIONS in September will be the FACTOR DECIDING the Government’s FATE!
It has ALWAYS BEEN the PATRIOTS of Sri Lanka who have STOOD FAST & SUPPORTED the UPFA Government through THICK & THIN; NOT the WEAK HEARTS & TREACHEROUS ALLIES who have tempoprarily attached themselves to the UPFA for PERSONAL GAIN; kissing the hand they would rather bite!
LOSE the PATRIOTS, and the UPFA Government will LOSE POWER as well.
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Move to repeal 13th Amendment would decide the government’s fate – Sri Lankan minister
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 06, Colombo: A Sri Lankan government minister says that any move to repeal the 13th Amendment to the Constitution would be a deciding factor on the government’s fate.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the media that the government will lose power if the 13th Amendment is repealed.
Explaining that a political solution to the ethnic issue could only be found by removing any misunderstandings in the minds of the minority communities, the Minister has said that those opposed to the 13th Amendment are not nationalists, but chauvinists.
According to Dr. Senaratne, devolution of power under the 13th Amendment is the best possible solution available at the moment, since it maintains a unitary State, retaining control with the government and Parliament.
He has added that it was unlikely that amendments to the 13th Amendment would be made before the Northern Provincial Council election.
July 8th, 2013 at 2:35 am
JAYAWEWA! Perhaps the VOCIFEROUS PERSISTENT ARGUMENTS of PATRIOTS against ILLEGALITY of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, and its inbred offspring, the 13th Amendment, are FINALLY GETTING THROUGH to the Mass Media in Sri Lanka!
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We aren’t obliged to honour Indo–Lanka Accord
DailyMirror.lk
Monday, 08 July 2013
There was a news item published in both Indian and Sri Lankan media that Menon was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka sometime soon to convey India’s displeasure about Sri Lanka’s decision to unilaterally amend the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution, which gave birth to the Provincial Councils. Minister Basil Rajapaksa has meanwhile paid a visit to India to brief the Indian Government about the proposed changes to the amendment.
India directly and indirectly has warned Sri Lanka not to violate the Indo-Lanka Accord signed in 1987. Most of the provisions in the 13A are a direct result of the Indo Lanka Accord. Hence, it is pertinent to look at the so-called bilateral agreement though in my view, there is no such valid Accord between the two nations.
Duress Factor
According to the principles of Contract Law and International Law, accords signed under duress are voidable. President Jayewardene was of course under duress to sign the accord. India covertly trained and armed the separatist terrorists in Sri Lanka. This was later exposed by Western intelligence units. India openly defended the terrorists, attacked Sri Lanka in international forums and finally, invaded Sri Lankan airspace to coerce Sri Lanka to sign the Accord.
In his biography, written by K.M. De Silva and W.H.Wriggins,President Jayewardene has explained in detail the trauma he underwent. India invaded Pakistan in 1971 and created a new country called “Bangladesh”. India invaded Sikkim in 1975 and annexed it to India as its latest State and these memories must have been foremost in President Jayewardene’s mind when he chose the best out of the two options available and signed the Accord.
True results of the Accord
India’s influence with the separatist terrorists was reflected in its undertaking to disarm all terrorists within 120 hours. However, the LTTE launched its fight against the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) on October 8, 1987, thus putting an end to a very short honeymoon. Although India undertook to disarm the terrorists, it failed to fulfil its obligation with respect of the LTTE, which came to be known as one of the strongest terrorist outfits. Some people boast that 37 other terrorist groups surrendered their weapons as a result of the Accord. It is of course true but it was counter-productive from a military perspective. Before the Accord, the 38 terrorist groups were involved in fighting each other for supremacy rather than fighting the Sri Lankan forces. After the Accord, there was no intergroup rivalry to weaken each other, and this resulted in the LTTE gradually increasing its attacks on the Government forces. Moreover, the LTTE was transformed into a professional military force from an amateur hit-and-run terrorist group thanks to the Rs.50 million received from India for the rehabilitation of its cadres. In the light of the above, and as a result of the Indo-Lanka Accord, Sri Lanka had to pay a huge price in terms of human and material resources to defeat the LTTE.
Indian violations of the Accord
Let us assume for a moment there was a valid accord between the two nations. However, Sri Lanka has now been relieved of its obligations as India failed to fulfil its obligations. According to Paragraph 2.16 of the Indo–Lanka Accord, Sri Lanka’s obligations as mentioned in the Accord were conditional to India taking five steps in the event military groups refused to surrender their weapons. Since the LTTE neither ceased hostilities nor surrendered their weapons, India was duty bound to perform those five tasks.
The first was to ensure that Indian territory was not used for activities prejudicial to the unity and security of Sri Lanka. But Tamil Nadu State politicians used its territory in supporting the LTTE with the tacit approval of the Central Government of India. All successive Central Governments of India after 1996 tolerated the anti-Sri Lankan activities of Tamil Nadu politicians including the Central government as it survived on the support extended by the Tamil Nadu political parties. India never made any serious attempt to eliminate or at least curtail such activities. Hence, India has violated the first condition.
The second was that the Indian navy was obliged to co-operate with its Sri Lankan counterpart to prevent Tamil militant activities. The Indian Navy did not do so to prevent such activities after the departure of the IPKF from Sri Lanka. The LTTE freely transported weapons and other supplies from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. Similarly, when the top terrorists were injured in the battle, they were transported to Tamil Nadu for medical treatment without any resistance from the Indian Navy. The inactivity of the Indian Navy broke the second condition.
The third was that India agreed to provide military assistance to implement the Accord as and when requested. As the clause clearly says, such assistance should be provided as requested by Sri Lanka. However, the IPKF did not conduct operations as requested by Sri Lanka. Instead, they acted as they wished. As a result, President Premadasa was reluctantly compelled to request the IPKF to withdraw from Sri Lanka. They did not honour this request. They came out with their own plan for the departure, rejecting the deadline set by President Premadasa. In this backdrop, India has not honoured the third condition either.
Repatriation of Indians
The fourth was that India agreed to expedite the repatriation of Indian citizens who were residing in Sri Lanka to India. This is in fact an obligation overdue for a long time. It was estimated that there were 975,000 people of Indian origin residing in Sri Lanka as at October 30, 1964. They were not recognised as citizens of India or of Sri Lanka and came to be know as ‘stateless’. Under the Sirima-Shastri Pact signed on October 30, 1964, India agreed to grant citizenship to 525,000 of them while Sri Lanka agreed to grant citizenship to 300,000. The balance 150,000 people were equally distributed between the two nations in another agreement signed on January 27, 1974.
Although India should grant citizenships to 600,000 as stated in the above agreements, only 506,000 applied for Indian citizenship. Sri Lanka did not want to force Indians to leave the country. Hence, Sri Lanka brought a special parliamentary Act in 1986 to grant citizenship to balance 94,000 and their descendants. However, India failed to grant citizenship to the people who applied for Indian citizenship and thus did not even honour the above agreements. India kept using the Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu as the excuse for its failure. That is why there was an obligation as per the Indo–Lanka Accord of 1987 for India to expedite the repatriation. India is yet to honour this obligation although Sri Lanka has granted citizenship to all Indians residing in Sri Lanka and had also started bringing back the refugees in Tamil Nadu.
IPKF killing Sinhalese
The fifth was that India undertkes to ensure physical security and safety of all communities living in the Northern and Eastern provinces. India grossly violated this clause when the IPKF with the support of the LTTE began killing the Sinhalese living in Trincomalee District in September 1987. The IPKF was so brutal that even the Chief Monk of China Bay Temple was shot dead by the IPKF because of his resistance to the slaughter of the Sinhalese. In the aftermath, tens of thousands of helpless Sinhalese fearing for their lives flocked to Kantale and Habarana looking for safety there.
Because India has failed to fulfill any of its obligations, it goes without saying that Sri Lanka has no obligation whatsoever to carry out its undertakings such as the introduction of the provincial councils and establishment of one council for Northern and Eastern Provinces (popularly known as the merger). Hence, Sri Lanka is free to amend the provisions in respect of provincial councils without consulting India or worrying about the Indo-Lanka Accord.
This Accord is not a landmark in Indian-Sri Lankan diplomatic relations, which have spread over several millennia but a scar continues to remain from a shameful past. It only confirms how India has deviated from “a Non Interfering Pancha Seela Policy in its relations with its neighbours,” introduced by Sri Nehru. Since the Indo–Lanka Accord reminds the world of India’s shameful past, India should attempt to do its best to avoid discussions with regard to the Accord. If India insists on the Accord, Sri Lanka will be reluctantly compelled to remind India of the reasons for Sri Lanka to have signed the Accord, which it did under duress and also how India had failed to honour any of its obligations.
July 9th, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Little by Little, the INDIANIZATION of Sri Lanka PROCEEDS AT A FURIOUS PACE!
Now State Governments of India are getting into the ACT ALSO, even as the Indian Federal Government imposes its Devolution Strategy to Slice & Dice Sri Lanka into a motley collection of warring autonomous Provinces!
Why is the GOSL turning a BLIND EYE to ALL THIS activities by Foreigners in our country?
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Design set for Sita temple in Sri Lanka
By A. Srivathsan
TheHindu.com
Madhya Pradesh government’s initiative near Nuwara-Eliya; estimated to cost Rs. 2 crore
The Madhya Pradesh government is all set to start building a Sita temple, designed in the South Indian architectural style, at Divurumpola in Sri Lanka. Sita is believed to have undergone her agni pareeksha (test by fire) at this spot. The design has been finalised.
Divurumpola is near Nuwara-Eliya, in the central part of the country.
The State government has been pursuing the proposal with Sri Lanka since 2012. Early this year, it commissioned a Bangalore-based firm of architects to do the design, and assigned the State Tourism Department to coordinate the project.
The architects concerned, who did not want to be identified, told The Hindu they had chosen the Vijayanagara style. The proposed complex would comprise three shrines, a tank and an ornate pillared hall.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism officials said the estimated cost is about Rs. 2 crore. Tenders would be invited shortly.
Since 2007, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has been promoting sites associated with the Ramayana. It had identified about 50 such sites and proposed plans to develop them to attract Indian tourists.
However, a few Sri Lankan historians had objected to this project because they thought it distorted archaeological evidence and alleged that these sites were mere inventions.
The Sri Lankan press had earlier reported that Ravana Balaya, a Sinhalese Buddhist organisation, had demanded that a statue for Ravana, the mythical Lankan king associated with the Ramayana tale, should be built before constructing a Sita temple.
They explained that they are not opposed to the construction the temple, but wanted the government to honour Ravana first.
Keywords: Madhya Pradesh government, Sita temple, Sita temple design, Divurumpola, M.P. tourism officials
July 9th, 2013 at 8:26 pm
Ravanan temple must be built ABOVE and next to the Seetha temple.
Ravanan treated Seetha with DIGNITY but Rama CHASED HER away after she survived throwing her into fire (Sathi Pooja).
NOWHERE it says Seetha wanted to LEAVE Ravanan. But she LEFT Rama WILLINGLY.
This is BLOODY ENDIAN expansion into SL. Can’t our losers see that?
Madya Pradesh is doing this. But then WHY South Endian style? Disgusting!