Federal power for Tamils in Sri Lanka: CM urged to press the central government.
Tamil Nadu: Leaders of Tamil parties from Sri Lanka urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to pressure the central government to exert influence on the Sri Lankan government to establish a federal system that would grant political power to Tamils in Sri Lanka.
At the Chennai Secretariat, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam party leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, Sri Lanka Tamil National Alliance leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Alliance General Secretary Selvarajah Gajendran, Tamil National Party leader Nallathambi Srikanth, Democratic Sri Lanka Tamil Government Party leader K.V. Thavarasa, Tamil National Green Movement leader Ponnudurai Aiyankarasan, and others met with the Chief Minister.
During the meeting, they stated, “The Sri Lankan government is attempting to introduce legislation in Parliament that emphasizes a unitary system without granting power to Sri Lankan Tamils.”
This legislation is even worse than the 13th Amendment outlined in the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. Currently, provincial chief ministers and ministers have no real power.
Therefore, they urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to pressure the Indian government to implement a federal system that would prevent the unitary system of government and empower Sri Lankan Tamils.
Furthermore, Sri Lankan MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam expressed hope that India’s pressure to help economically struggling Sri Lanka would lead to a solution for the Tamils.
Later, Thirumavalavan told reporters that Chief Minister Stalin had assured them that he would take the necessary steps after hearing the demands of the Sri Lankan Tamil party leaders.
Box…
‘For the fishermen of both countries’
‘Sri Lankan government is creating animosity’
Tamil National People’s Front leader Selvarajah Gajendran accused the Sri Lankan government of exploiting the conflict by creating animosity between Tamil Nadu fishermen who fish across the border and Sri Lankan fishermen. He said he has urged the Chief Minister to find a permanent solution to this long-standing problem, which has severely impacted the livelihoods of the fishermen.
Furthermore, Selvaraj Gajendran said he would meet with Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Naam Tamilar Party chief coordinator Seeman, and others to seek their support for their demands.
