13A is not an Appendix - M.A.

Sumanthiran
BY ANANTH PALAKINA!-
"une #$ %&1'
In an inter(ie) )ith *e+,on Toda+$ Tami, Nationa, A,,ian-e .TNA/ Par,iamentarian$ M.A.
Sumanthiran$ said the 13th Amendment to the *onstitution is not an Appendix. 0The
1o(ernment shou,d a2ide 2+ the *onstitution and ensure the 3u,, imp,ementation o3 the
Amendment 2e3ore thin4in1 o3 re(isitin1 it to -onsider de(o,(in1 po,i-e po)ers to the
pro(in-es.
5o,,o)in1 are ex-erpts6
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8hat is +our ta4e on the re-ent (ie)s expressed 2+ the 1o(ernment and se(era, other po,iti-a,
parties and indi(idua,s on the 13th Amendment9
A6 5irst o3 a,,$ I )ou,d ,i4e to emphasi:e that the 13th Amendment to the Lan4an *onstitution
)as main,+ introdu-ed to de(o,(e po)ers$ in order to rea-h a po,iti-a, so,ution to the Tami,
;uestion in the North and <ast. It is not an Appendix. There3ore$ the 13th Amendment$ 2ein1
part o3 the *onstitution$ the 1o(ernment -annot simp,+ re=e-t it. The 1o(ernment is
intentiona,,+ tr+in1 to interpret the 13th Amendment to the *onstitution in a )ron1 )a+ and it
)ou,d e(en ,ead to the impea-hment o3 the President. There )as a hue and -r+ to pros-ri2e the
Tami, Nationa, A,,ian-e 3or 2ein1 supporti(e o3 the 13th Amendment. 8hereas )e re;uest
)hat is there in the *onstitution to 2e imp,emented and nothin1 e,se.
So those )ho a1itate a1ainst the 13th Amendment do not understand it is a -onstitutiona,
arran1ement to so,(e a ,on1-standin1 po,iti-a, issue and not to harm the unit+ and inte1rit+ o3
the -ountr+.
Se-ond,+$ the 13th Amendment to the *onstitution is part o3 the Indo-Lan4a A--ord$ )hi-h is a
2i,atera, internationa, treat+ si1ned 2et)een t)o so(erei1n -ountries %> +ears a1o. Ho)e(er$
)hen the demer1er o3 the Northern and <astern Pro(in-es )as -arried out$ it )as pointed out
that there )ere 3,a)s in the Amendment and it )as mentioned that those 3,a)s -ou,d 2e
re-ti3ied. But$ nothin1 has happened so 3ar and the Amendment sti,, remains a -ha,,en1e to 2e
imp,emented in 3u,,.
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This 1o(ernment is o3 the opinion that it need not imp,ement the 13th Amendment$ 2ut it -ou,d
re(isit -ertain issues in the Amendment$ parti-u,ar,+ )ith re1ard to po,i-e po)ers. 8hat is +our
(ie) on this9
A6 8e don?t a--ept the 13th Amendment as a 3ina, so,ution to our po,iti-a, pro2,em. This stan-e
)as made 4no)n to the Indian @o(ernment in a ,etter )ritten =oint,+ 2+ our (eterans$ the ,ate
M. Si(asithamparam$ A. Amirtha,in1am and !. Sampanthan$ soon a3ter the si1nin1 o3 the Indo-
Lan4a A--ord. <(en President ".!. "a+e)ardene a1reed to it and rea,i:ed the ne-essit+ o3
enhan-in1 it 3urther. Later$ durin1 President Premadasa?s period and therea3ter$ in President
*handri4a Bandaranai4e Kumaratun1e?s time$ rea,i:in1 the si1ni3i-an-e o3 the 13th
Amendment ne) mo(es )ere made to enhan-e it 2+ sta2i,i:in1 the North and <ast mer1er.
<(en the @o(ernment o3 President Mahinda !a=apa4sa at the 2e1innin1 mentioned a2out
3o,,o)in1 the Indian mode, in de(o,(in1 po)ers under the 13th Amendment. He had e(en
initiated the A,, Part+ !epresentati(es *ommittee to ,oo4 into the issue.
There3ore$ 2e3ore ta,4in1 o3 re(isitin1 and ma4in1 ad=ustments on the issues o3 its -on-ern$ the
1o(ernment shou,d 3irst a2ide 2+ the *onstitution and imp,ement the Amendment in toto$ i3 it
is to ma4e an+thin1 meanin13u,.
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The TNA has intera-ted -,ose,+ )ith the Indian ,eadership in the past and is ,oo4in1 3or)ard to
meet ne) Indian Prime Minister$ Narendra Modi. Ho) do +ou assess the Indian stan-e on the
13th Amendment9 Your 3e,,o) par,iamentarian$ Suresh Prema-handran has said that instead o3
-ontinua,,+ -hantin1 the ?13th Amendment mantra?$ the Indian @o(ernment shou,d 1et into
a-tion to see its 3u,, imp,ementation. 8hat do +ou sa+ a2out it9
A6 A3 -ourse the 13th Amendment is a ?mantra?. <(en the pre(ious Indian @o(ernment )as 3irm
on the imp,ementation o3 the Amendment. <(en the Lan4an ,eaders ha(e reiterated to the
Indian ,eadership on se(era, o--asions that the 13th Amendment )i,, 2e imp,emented and it
)ou,d e(en 2e enhan-ed. T)o +ears a1o )hen the present Indian <xterna, A33airs Minister$
Sushma S)ara=$ 3un-tioned as the Apposition Leader in the Indian Par,iament$ she ,ed an
Indian Par,iamentar+ de,e1ation to the is,and. She had met the 1o(ernment ,eaders$ as )e,, as a
TNA de,e1ation ,ed 2+ !. Sampanthan.
S)ara=$ indi-atin1 the Indian stan-e on the Lan4an issue$ emphasi:ed the importan-e o3
imp,ementin1 the 13th Amendment durin1 her meetin1 )ith the 1o(ernment ,eaders as )ith the
TNA de,e1ation.
Prime Minister Modi has -ate1ori-a,,+ imp,ied the need o3 imp,ementin1 the 13th Amendment
durin1 his 3irst meetin1 )ith President !a=apa4sa soon a3ter his s)earin1-in -eremon+. So )e
don?t see an+ -han1e in the Indian @o(ernment stan-e )ith re1ard to the imp,ementation o3 the
13th Amendment. So India 2ein1 instrumenta, in initiatin1 the Amendment$ an+ 1o(ernment in
po)er in the -ountr+ )i,, 4eep on -hantin1 the ?13th Amendment mantra? 3or its 3u,,
imp,ementation.
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Ho) do +ou see the 1o(ernment emphasi:in1 on the TNA?s parti-ipation at the Par,iamentar+
Se,e-t *ommittee to dis-uss the 13th Amendment or an+ other matters -on-ernin1 the sett,in1
o3 the Tami, ;uestion9
A6 8e,,$ the Par,iamentar+ Se,e-t *ommittee is the rep,i-ation o3 ma=oritarianism. 8e pointed
out on a 2i,atera, arran1ement )here the 1o(ernment )on )ith the support o3 the ma=orit+ and
the TNA )ith the 2a-4in1 o3 the minorit+ -ou,d 3irst o3 a,, shed their di33eren-es 2e3ore
a--ommodatin1 others in the ta,4s. 8e prepared a -omprehensi(e report on our stan-e )ith
re1ard to the Par,iamentar+ Se,e-t *ommittee. <ar,ier )e had 1# rounds o3 ta,4s in %&11 )ith
the 1o(ernment. But$ nothin1 3ruit3u, )as a-hie(ed durin1 those ta,4s.
There3ore$ ta,4s on an+ issue at the PS* )ith ma=orit+ parties ta4in1 the upper hand$ )e 3ee,
that nothin1 -ou,d 2e a-hie(ed in a meanin13u, manner.
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Ho) do +ou see the 3un-tions o3 the Northern Pro(in-ia, *oun-i,9
A6 *hie3 Minister o3 the Northern Pro(in-e$ *.B. 8i1nes)aran$ has pointed out his ina2i,it+ in
-arr+in1 out the administration o3 the ne),+ esta2,ished Northern Pro(in-ia, *oun-i,. The
1o(ernment is tr+in1 to manipu,ate e(er+thin1 throu1h the @o(ernor. The President had made
se(era, p,ed1es 3or the su--ess3u, administration o3 the Northern Pro(in-ia, *oun-i,. Ho)e(er$
the @o(ernor o3 the Northern Pro(in-e has more sa+ in the administration o3 the Pro(in-e than
the *hie3 Minister e,e-ted 2+ the peop,e )ith an o(er)he,min1 support.
The *oun-i,?s hands are tied )ith re1ard to the po,i-e and ,and po)ers. *hie3 Minister
8i1nes)aran had met President Mahinda !a=apa4sa se(era, times$ sin-e the Northern
Pro(in-ia, *oun-i, )as esta2,ished ,ast +ear. I ha(e e(en a--ompanied the *hie3 Minister )hen
he met the President. The *hie3 Minister pointed out to the President on the need o3 appointin1
a -i(i,ian @o(ernor to the North. But he has said that he )ou,d ma4e the -han1e )hen the
in-um2ent @o(ernor?s period ends in "u,+. The *hie3 Minister had re;uested the President to
-han1e the *hie3 Se-retar+. But nothin1 has happened so 3ar. There3ore$ the NP*
administration is ,ar1e,+ a ?,ame du-4? )ith hard,+ an+ po)er 3or its hea,th+ 1o(ernan-e.
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8hat is +our (ie) a2out the stan-e o3 Tami, Nadu o(er the Lan4an Tami, issue9
A6 8e,,$ our ,eader has )ritten a ,etter to the Tami, Nadu *hie3 Minister to -oordinate )ith the
*entra, @o(ernment o3 India to 3ind an ami-a2,e sett,ement to the Lan4an Tami, issue. !i1ht
3rom the 2e1innin1 o3 the Lan4an Tami, -risis$ the State o3 Tami, Nadu has 2een (er+ mu-h
-on-erned a2out the po,iti-a, de(e,opments in the is,and. So )e expe-t the =oint e33ort o3 the
Indian *entra, @o(ernment and the Tami, Nadu State @o(ernment in 3indin1 a po,iti-a,
so,ution 3or our -risis.
76
The TNA re-ent,+ met the Sri Lan4a Mus,im *on1ress .SLM*/ in the <ast. 8hat )as the
out-ome o3 that meetin19
A6 8e met SLM* Leader$ Minister !au33 Ha4eem$ a,on1 )ith the Part+?s @enera, Se-retar+
Hassan A,i in Ka,munai ,ast )ee4. 8e mana1ed to sort out se(era, re1iona, issues =oint,+$
espe-ia,,+ the pro2,ems that emer1ed in the Ka,munai Muni-ipa, *oun-i,. urin1 the meetin1
the TNA and the SLM* a1reed to -ontinue )ith more ta,4s on sortin1 out di33eren-es 2et)een
the t)o parties and on dis-ussin1 the )a+s and means o3 )or4in1 -,ose,+ in the 3uture.
76
The TNA has announ-ed it )ou,d see4 ne) su11estions ,o-a,,+$ as )e,, as 3rom the Tami,
iaspora )ith re1ard to a po,iti-a, so,ution to the Tami, ;uestion. 8hat do +ou intend 2+ this
mo(e9
A6 The announ-ement has 2een made 2+ TNA Par,iamentarian$ Suresh Prema-handran. Sin-e
)e are sti,, in the pro-ess o3 sett,in1 our po,iti-a, issues$ )e ,oo4 3or)ard to re-ei(in1 ne)
su11estions and )e )ou,d ,i4e to )or4 -,ose,+ )ith those )ho support us in 3indin1 a dura2,e
so,ution to our -risis.
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The Presidentia, po,, is expe-ted to 2e he,d next +ear. 8hat )i,, 2e the TNA?s stan-e on it9
A6 8e ha(en?t dis-ussed an+thin1 so 3ar on the Presidentia, po,, or on the -ommon -andidate
either. The minorit+ Tami,-Mus,im (oters remain a 4e+ de-idin1 3a-tor in the e,e-tion and the+
represent %>C o3 the tota, (oter stren1th. So )e ha(e to -are3u,,+ ma4e our de-isions )ith
re1ard to the Presidentia, po,, and on the -ommon -andidate.