Monday, June 17, 2013

India to convey its view on S Lanka's 13th Amendment after consideration

PTI  
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India would convey its views on alleged attempts by political parties in Sri Lanka to repeal the 13th Amendment to its Constitution, after considering its implications.


"While this is a matter on which a decision will be taken by various political parties within Sri Lanka, we will certainly consider its implications and make known to the Sri Lankan authorities our views in the matter," Singh said in a letter to DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

As per the 13th Amendment that followed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord of July 1987, Sri Lankan government had agreed to devolve some authority to the provinces.

Observing that the Centre had consistently worked for all communities in Sri Lanka to find their rightful place in the country, Singh said, "We will continue to work for attainment of this goal through a process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka."

The 90-year-old DMK patriarch on June 9 had written to Singh, expressing apprehensions over "attempts" to abrogate the Rajiv-Jayawardene Accord and repeal the 13th Amendment to the Lankan constitution and sought India's intervention to protect the rights of ethnic Tamils in the island nation.

Karunanidhi had said the amendment was a direct consequence of a bilateral accord between India and Sri Lanka.

Besides some groups were planning a series of protests, seeking repeal of the 13A and cancelling the September polls to the Northern Provincial council, Karunanidhi had claimed
IE