The Chief Minister of the Tamil Nadu state, MK Stalin, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to make his presence felt in the process of reforming the Sri Lankan constitutional system in a way that ensures the Tamil minority’s rights. The letter further stated that the new proposed version seems to fall on the side of a ‘unitary Ekkiyarajya’ system, which would further alienate the Tamils.
Stalin said that for an enduring peace, it is necessary to construct it on foundations of the 1985 Thimpu Principles that call for political autonomy, recognition of Tamils as a separate nationality, and federal governance structures. He pointed out that decades of a unitary state structure have historically enabled systematic discrimination and land grabs in traditional Tamil homelands.
The Chief Minister called on India to use its diplomatic weight to ensure that power is genuinely devolved to the provinces. In this regard, he emphasised that "As a regional power and a party to the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka accord, India has a ‘moral and strategic imperative’ with regard to a new constitution that protects a pluralist and egalitarian framework, rather than reproducing the injustices of the past."
Also read: TN CM Stalin announces ₹3,000 cash gift for 'Pongal'
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