Revoke 13th amendment – a threat to both India & Sri Lanka
Posted on January 6th, 2018
Shenali D Waduge
The Indo-Lanka Peace Accord was signed on 29 July 1987. JR Jayawardena signed on behalf of Sri Lanka & Rajiv Gandhi signed on behalf of India. What it achieved, what it did not achieve is just as important as what both countries need to now decide about its continuance! The scenario is certainly not what it was 30 years ago. Both signatories are now dead. JR having died naturally and Rajiv Gandhi being assassinated by the very militant group that his mother helped birth. What is most important for India to realize is that the troika – 13a, the PC system and the Indo-Lanka Accord have dampened friendly relations between the Sinhala’s majority & India. To mend festered ties India must now allow Sri Lanka to bury the 13a & the PC system for good. Moreover, having helped create Tamil militancy and allowed India to be a logistics hub for LTTE terrorism, India is morally bound to apologize by reversing the damage India had caused.
That the Accord and the 13th amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution on 14 November 1987 and with it the Provincial Council’s Act no 42 of 1987, were drafted by the South Block of the Indian External Affairs Ministry goes without saying. The manner it was forced upon Sri Lanka also does not need to be again reminded. When we drafted the 13th amendment, most of the Sri Lankan Tamil leaders – TULF leaders as well as militant leaders wanted Jaffna to be the capital of the North & East, but we insisted that Trincomalee should be the capital because of strategic importance of the sea port to India” said Former IPKF Commander General A S Kalkat clearly revealing India’s interference into Sri Lanka’s internal affairs. The Accord was signed under virtual duress. Emergency was declared. Media was banned. Sri Lankan Ministers were forced to sign undated resignation letters.
The reality is that the Indo-Lanka Accord has no real basis for continuance. None of the clauses were upheld. Clause 2.16 a) promising not to allow Indian territory to be used for activities prejudicial to the unity, integrity and security of Sri Lanka was never upheld by India. Tamil Nadu continued to be used as a logistics hub for anti-Sri Lankan activities. By signing the Accord India did not and could not eliminate or lessen LTTE terrorism or maybe India did not wish to do neither!
The bullying nature of India has made successive Governments fear to review and revoke the Accord on account of its failures using legal provisions like Pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be honored in full – which was not the case)
The irony was that India was offering a Peace Accord and a new administrative system after having armed, trained and financially supported Tamil militancy. The Jain Commission report clearly establishes this.
The 9 Provincial Councils are costing Rs.600billion annually with nothing extraordinarily being given to the public that the earlier municipal, district, urban councils cannot do. The amount incurred annually calculated into 30 years could have been better used for Sri Lanka’s development. Another valid reason why Sri Lankan polity are angry with India.
30 years has lapsed. We are now in 2018.
Given that India stresses on the impact of Sri Lanka’s security directly impacting India’s security, India needs to seriously relook at the 13th amendment introduced as a political toy merging two provinces in September 1988 and electing Varatharaja Perumal its first Chief Minister in December 1988 who called unilateral declaration of independence forcing President Premadasa to dissolve the merged NE province and bring it under the Centre.
In 2006 the NE merger was declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. On 1st January 2007, the two provinces were formally demerged and elections were held for the first time in 2012.
Coming to the present, does India have complete control over Tamil political parties or the mainstream UNP? Both are like chameleons and can change like the weather. Can India trust them? India would recall how Hillary made a special visit to Tamil Nadu for direct talks with the late State Chief Minister while the US ambassador has made frequent visits to Muslims in East Sri Lanka. These visits are not to share a cup of tea and a friendly chat. Remember Saddam misread the US envoys ‘advice’ and invaded Kuwait only to have US invade Iraq! How secure does India feel about being a strategic partner of US if India remains under US surveillance?
In falsely claiming North East as ‘Tamil speaking homelands’ India made the same disastrous mistake in promoting the ethno-lingual division (federalism). India is reminded to relook at Dr. Ambedkar’s book Thoughts on Linguistic States, written in December 1955 one state, one language” citing examples of Germany, France, Italy, England & US.
Ambedkar asks
Why do Tamils hate Andhras and Andhras hate Tamils? Why do Andhras in Hyderabad hate Maharashtrians and Maharashtrians hate Andhras? Why do Gujaratis hate Maharashtrians and Maharashtrians hate Gujaratis?”
Ambedkar also says
A linguistic State with its regional language as its official language may easily develop into an independent nationality. The road between an independent nationality and an independent State is very narrow. If this happens, India will cease to be Modern India”
Dr. Ambedkar’s solution for India was the insertion that regional language shall not be the official language of the State. The official language of the State shall be Hindi” this certainly means that Sinhala should remain the ONLY official language of the Sri Lankan state. Let us remind India that it was after the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 that Tamil was made an official language alongside Sinhalese. Another faux pas & intervention committed by India.
These thoughts by Dr. Ambedkar is extremely noteworthy for both India & Sri Lanka
Any Indian who does not accept this proposal as part and parcel of a linguistic State has no right to be an Indian. He may be a hundred per cent Maharashtrian, a hundred per cent Tamil or a hundred per cent Gujarathi, but he cannot be an Indian in the real sense of the word except in a geographical sense. If my suggestion is not accepted India will then cease to be India. It will be a collection of different nationalities engaged in rivalries and wars against one another.”
http://drambedkar.co.in/wp-content/uploads/books/category2/9thoughts-on-linguistic-states.pdf
This should be the very reason why Sri Lanka should refuse to division on linguistic lines as being promoted via a bogus new constitution.
Every country that has experimented by dividing people along ethnic-linguistic lines has failed including India. Such a solution is completely devoid of logic when over 50% of the Tamil population do not live in the North/East. Therefore, India knowing the troubles it is suffering should not want Sri Lanka to suffer same fate unless this is part of India’s quest to continue to destabilize Sri Lanka.
Media plays a major role in forging or destroying relations between countries. The ownerships of media entities reveal their overall plan.
India’s media is also in non-Hindu hands. A report titled ‘Who controls Indian media’ gives some shocking insights. NDTV funded by Gospels of Charity in Spain. NDTV has bought India Today. CNN-IBN is 100% funded by Southern Baptist Church. Times Group (Times of India, Femina) is owned by Bennet & Coleman with World Christian Council making 80% funding and the other 20% funded by an Englishmen & Italian who is related to Sonia Gandhi. Star TV is run by Australian Robert Murdock supported by St. Peters Church Melbourne, Hindustan Times owned by Birla Group collaborates with Times Group. The Hindu is now under Joshua Society, Switzerland.
Leaders of the Muslim League has major investments in Mathrubhoomi while Asian Age & Deccan Chronicle is owned by a Saudi company.
The situation is really no different in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has warned India many a time that the West will balkanize it just as they did to the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Tamil Nadu is earmarked to become a Christian satellite state combining Sri Lanka’s North & even East. These are warnings that India cannot ignore. That India has been blind or had ignored warnings is now clear as the damage is affecting India so much that the Indian Government has been forced to take action.
When India ordered Compassion International to leave for illegal conversions, the US State Dept even issued a statement. In 2014, over 1million Indians converted to Christianity in one single day!
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/world/asia/compassion-international-india.html
The Christian population in India has grown from 26.5 million in 2001 to 76.9 million in 2015 (3.2m converted annually)
India is tuned to the problem ONLY AFTER allowing the problem to grow and spread and exert influence of key Indians throughout India.
Since 2014, more than 20,000 NGOs have lost their license to accept foreign funding. George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and the National Endowment for Democracy have been asked to get National Security clearance first.
http://www.haindavakeralam.com/estimated-rate-conversion-2-hk21066
India needs to take stock where conversions are taking place in strategically located states. South India had 1.5m churches in 1990 by 2011 there were over 4million churches!
The Congress chairperson a staunch Catholic was accused by none other than Dr. Subramaniam Swamy of using LTTE to smuggle Indian artefacts out of India and sold in her sister’s shop in Italy. Elsewhere many Indian writers have brought up the links of the Church and the LTTE as well as the many Western-Government funded NGOs & charities that helped LTTE terrorism thrive. India too mindful of this has taken measures to ban some of these NGOs.
The most vociferous LTTE supporters are all Church-linked. Vaiko and N Ram of the Hindu shared the dais with Catholic priest Jegath Gasper Raj (who has raised funds for LTTE) founder of the Tamil Maiyam, of which former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi is a coordinator.
According to Aravindan Neelakandan Evangelism in Tamil Nadu is steadily moving to the next level of making Dravidian politicians the vehicles of Christian evangelism”
https://swarajyamag.com/politics/vaiko-conversion-and-beyond
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/4959
Leaving aside the LTTE and Western/Church links there is also the jihad factor which should be seriously addressed. The West’s pivot to Asia is clearly using its Muslim satellite states to provide the manpower, the Western intelligence to provide the arms & training and Asian countries to be plagued with a Muslim/Islamic menace. We see this unfolding in the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar where West is eyeing Myanmar’s natural resources as well as eyeing the Rakhine state which enables them to target China better. The transport of Muslims are ‘refugees’ is also part of a bigger plan. Both India & Sri Lanka must view this from a strategic point of view instead of emotionally being blackmailed into housing them on humanitarian grounds. All Muslim refugees should be directed to Muslim-majority countries.
In Sri Lanka too we should not take lightly the Oluvil Declaration for autonomy by the Muslims and the manner Eastern province is under extremist Islamic influence of late – trips by US envoy to East should not be taken lightly, the many Muslim settlements and expanding of territory redrawing boundaries is all with strategic planning for bigger games to come. The self-autonomy calls are strengthened by the 13th amendment and the PC system which is a major reason why India must support its removal.
Garikai Chengu writing to Global Research clearly portrays America as creating both Al Qaeda & ISIS terror groups. The links are alarming. Documents published by Germany’s Der Spiegel in 2010 reveal the US embassy in Yangon monitored telephones & communication networks through Special Collection Service run by CIA & NSA. While in 2011 the Guardian newspaper publishing Wikileaks revealed US funded civil society groups in Myanmar that forced it to suspend controversial Chinese Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy River. It is only a matter of time that the same entities will start pressing Kashmir buttons against India.
It is undeniable that the West’s links to these armed Islamic militants and the pivot to Asia should worry India just as it should worry Sri Lanka whose geopolitical location must be protected from becoming a ground base for terror.
As is always the case what is said diplomatically through speeches & statements is not necessarily what ends up happening and we have plenty of reasons to distrust India and India should not feel upset over it. However, when India’s Foreign Secretary Jaishankar arrived in February 2017, he called upon the TNA to move away from the merger of the North and East and to go easy on its demands. Is this a subtle indication that India is prepared to change its stance on the 13th amendment? Let us remind India & readers that 36 of the 37 subjects have been devolved except land & police powers. However, given the TNA-LTTE links and the demands for self-determination & self-autonomy Sri Lanka has every right to be reluctant to give land & police powers to the provinces. The best option now given the global political scenario and the fact that a more dangerous wave of terrorism is now engulfing Asia using the tentacles of West, Western Christian Media, Western-linked Islamic terror groups, India must give a nod of approval to revoke the 13th amendment and the Provincial Council system. With India having enough of headaches on its home turf India cannot afford to allow Sri Lanka to be taken over by these elements which will only hasten India’s disintegration as well.
While India has been happy to think it is influencing Sri Lanka, the real plotters have steadily enveloped their operatives across not only Sri Lanka but India as well.
Shenali D Waduge
https://www.globalresearch.ca/america-created-al-qaeda-and-the-isis-terror-group/5402881
http://nation.lk/online/2017/02/25/13a-and-indias-u-turn.html
http://www.sinhalanet.net/13a-is-implemented-but-a-failure-36-of-the-37-subjects-have-been-devolved
January 6th, 2018 at 3:07 pm
13th Amendment is a byproduct of a political intervention by India following the Indo-Lanka Accord. It is ill-conceived, evidently not practicable, and definitely not acceptable to all sections of our people. It will create avenues for separatists to work towards destabilizing and dividing the country. Sri Lankans are governed by Laws of their own making and not by what is imposed. Devolving power on ethnic lines is bound to have disastrous consequences for the entire nation. Sirima Bandaranaike was totally against the India-Sri Lanka Accord. According to its Constitution, Sri Lanka is a unitary state and its sovereignty is with the people and is inalienable. Any amendments to this Constitution should be enacted with the approval of the people. 13th Amendment to the Constitution was enacted by J.R. and his UNP government, without the approval of the people, but under arrogant pressure exerted by India.
January 6th, 2018 at 4:50 pm
True about Sri Lanka.
But India wants to divide Sri Lanka and Tamilize the areas outside the north-east. That doesn’t divide India. Tamil Nadu is the second richest Indian state (it was the fourth poorest state a decades ago). Tamil Nadu benefits by being part of India economically and security-wise. There is no active Independence movement in Tamil Nadu today.
Creating a Tamil nation in Sri Lanka helps both India and Tamil Nadu (not to mention the West).
Quote – The Christian population in India has grown from 26.5 million in 2001 to 76.9 million in 2015 (3.2m converted annually)
This is not a true account as no census was held in 2015. According to the 2011 census, only 28.7 million Indians were Christians or 2.3% (Buddhists were 8.8 million or 0.7%).
Sri Lanka’s political leadership is far more dominated by Christian influences than India or Tamil Nadu. Sirisena is the only exception but then Sirisena is the worst Indian puppet. Leaders of Singapore and Malaysia are Christian educated. They have served their nations very well.
January 6th, 2018 at 11:27 pm
13th amendment is the lifeline of sinking political crookery ship of Sri Lanka and the heaviest weight of sinking Sri lanka. It is the beggar’s wound of Jayawardanapura begging club. None of the politicians (including great heroes) will remove it. None of the poltical slaves, blinded by ignorance and fettered by desire will forcefully push politician to remove it.
It is a not a problem at all to India. It is benifical to them. Soon Tamil Nadu will get amalgamated with Sinhale and Sinhalas will learn Tamil , taught by our great heroes. Slaves will cherr on. All most all in Tamil Nadu are able to speak Hindi nowadays. Indian constitution amendments made sure they graudally assimilated to Hindu+Hindi culture, whereas we learn Tamil and Hindi and wear like Indians.
I may sound like Christie but he appears just another slave, cheering Indian inspired crooks, barking at wrong trees.
January 7th, 2018 at 1:13 am
Revoke 13 amendment Yes who will do it that’s the million dollar question?????. Two leaders who started it has already dead and gone. One got killed by their own making a terror machine produced and directed by evil Indian parasites itself and the other one who introduced the biggest Bank robber to Sri lankan politics. So let’s see who will be the hero who will come forward and revoke number 13 which brought almost all the problems in our once peaceful nation. We wish and hope a new fearless, wise, far thinking sinhala buddhist leader will appear from somewhere to save our motherland before we become failed state and paupers.
January 7th, 2018 at 2:56 am
Looks like BJP groups attack and kill Buddhists in Endia as we speak.
Obviously when a DOG BITES A MAN the MAN DOES NOT BITE THE DOG.
“http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/new-battles-of-bhima-koregaon-how-a-200-year-old-war-inspires-dalits-to-fight-caste-system/story-RvATarPBLu54Gocfs4DVDO.html”
ENDIA BANDH!!
January 7th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
Thank you, Shenali, for another important article.
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Looking at the past Cold War times events, Lanka is NOT a Democracy.
If Lanka were a Democracy, the ILLEGAL 13-A would NOT be there.
January 8th, 2018 at 9:58 am
Thank you again for writing this article about the 13A. The best opportunity existed when Mahinda won the war for Sri Lankans against the LTTE terrorists. Unfortunately he was stupid not to scrap the 13A immediately after the war. Perhaps he has now realized this mistake. Mother Lanka has been ruined by this 13A, both economically and sociologically, which as you have so logically shown has not benefited either Sri Lanka or India. All Sri Lankans who are patriotic want this scrapped and politicians should take note of this fact.
January 11th, 2018 at 8:33 am
Getting rid of the ILLEGAL 13-A is the important thing to do.
For the MR govt to get rid of the ILLEGAL 13-A right after the war with the LTTE, was no easy matter.
Why ?
The 13-A is the ‘weapon’ of all the ‘divide & rule’ folk, isn’t it ?
Now that the facts are exposed, Yahap is in a position to get rid of the ILLEGAL 13-A.
After all, RW was appointed the ‘Exec PM because the west wants it so’ said a hapless Prez.