Modi wants more devolution in Sri Lanka - Indian Media
May 27, 2014 10:59 pm
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to deliver on his promises to devolve wide powers to the country’s Tamil-majority regions — a formula called ‘Thirteen-Plus’ that was promised during diplomatic negotiations with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in 2010.
“Early
and full implementation of the 13th Amendment and going beyond would contribute
to this process,” Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh quoted Mr. Modi as telling the
Sri Lankan President.
‘Thirteen-Plus’
has never been precisely defined, but the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s
Constitution which created provincial councils and made both Tamil and Sinhala
official languages.
Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had boycotted Mr. Modi’s swearing-in
ceremony on Monday, to protest against his invitation to Mr. Rajapaksa.
Courtesy
the Hindu
