While addressing the media in Chennai, India last Friday (6), Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman and MP President’s Counsel (PC) M.A. Sumanthiran made an appeal to the Government of India to exercise its authority to achieve the objectives of the Indo-Lanka Accord and to support the legitimate political objectives of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
“We are appealing to India, because India is a country that stepped in on our behalf when the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed in 1987. Therefore, it is to India we can look to for support, to achieve our legitimate political objectives. At the present moment, there are talks that are happening between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and Tamil parties,” he added.
Sumanthiran told the media: “We are trying our best to resolve the issues within a time frame specified by the President, which is by 4 February 2023. We are extending our fullest support to achieve meaningful devolution of powers as envisaged in the Indo-Lanka Accord. The Indo-Lanka Accord has not been fully implemented.
“That is why at this particular juncture, during our talks with the Government of Sri Lanka, we are also appealing to India as a whole to exercise whatever authority their offices possess, to achieve the objectives of the Indo-Lanka Accord,” he said, while also commenting on the importance of holding Provincial Council elections without further delay.
“We are asking that the Provincial Council elections be held without any further delay. We have asked that no elections should ever be postponed because that is anti-democratic. These issues are all being discussed there and here it is a broad appeal to the people of India, the Government of India, and the State of India to stand by us as they always have,” he added.
He also emphasised that the TNA has continuously urged for a federal solution.
“There is a reason we are urging for a federal solution. The powers conferred should be irrevocable. The 13th Amendment has not been fully implemented. The central Government keeps taking back what it has implemented. So the fundamental principle of federalism is that powers should be irrevocable,” he added.
Accordingly, Sumanthiran, Thamizh Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) Leader MP C.V. Wigneswaran, and Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Deputy Leader MP V. Radhakrishnan attended a conference in Chennai last Friday (6), following which, Sumanthiran made the above comments to the media in Chennai.
Meanwhile, at a meeting held last Thursday (5) at the Presidential Secretariat between the TNA and Government representatives, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the TNA expressed dissatisfaction regarding the lack of progress pertaining to the release of Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) prisoners and the lands originally owned by Tamils that are occupied by security forces.