Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes for Sri Lanka political solution
Modi backs Tamil Nadu National Alliance ‘genuine’ demand
By : e.t.b. sivapriyan
Update: 2014-08-24 03:43 GMT
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reaffirmed India’s commitment towards finding an acceptable political solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil problem during a meeting with the island’s Tamil leadership, as he pitched the need for all the stakeholders to engage “constructively” in achieving a solution that builds upon the 13th Amendment.
The Prime Minister told a delegation from the Tamil National Alliance, which is the ruling party in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka that he had held “extensive” talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 27 about the Tamils issue and he had insisted that an acceptable political solution be found to ensure that the rights of minority communities were protected.
Mr Modi also evinced interest in meeting with the Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran to get to know of the situation in the province. Sources told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Wigneswaran is likely to travel to India’s capital in the coming weeks to meet PM.
“The meeting was satisfactory. We explained the prevailing situation in northern Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister responded by saying that he raised the issue with President Rajapaksa when he had come for his (Modi’s) swearing-in ceremony. The Prime Minister said everyone should work in tandem to ensure that a political solution is found,” TNA Leader and delegation head R Sampanthan told DC.
He said the Prime Minister gave a “patient hearing” to the delegation and insisted that a political solution that satisfies the Tamil people would have to be found in consultation with the Sri Lankan Government.