Panel backs autonomous units for hill-country Tamils, Muslims

If Northern and Eastern provinces are merged, Muslims should get a separate region, says the panel

An official committee on constitutional reforms has supported the idea of forming “internal autonomous units” for Muslims in the East and hill-country Tamils in the Central Province.

Though three out of 20 members in the panel have proposed the idea, the panel has chosen to make this as one of its recommendations in the chapter dealing with devolution.

The panel, which gave an account of the plight of the hill-country (Malayaha) Tamils, felt the proposed unit needed to be empowered to address economic, social, cultural and religious issues concerning the community and it should enjoy legislative and executive powers over defined matters, having an impact on the lives of the community.

While summarising the problems of the community whose members are living in 14 districts, the committee said the present system of local governments did not fully incorporate human settlements in the plantation sector, which were recognised as private entities.

The formation of Pradesiya Sabhas, the lowest unit of administration in the country, was not done on uniform criteria and the lack of Tamil-speaking officials at local government authorities became an impediment for the community to get the benefit of efficient service delivery.

Separate region

As for the Muslims, the panel pointed out that the community’s representatives felt that the Muslims would get marginalised in the event of the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces and if the merger was allowed, they should get a separate region, including non-contiguous areas of the East where the community was in majority.

‘Novel suggestion’

The committee even described as a “novel suggestion” the idea of the merged North-East province having two Chief Ministers, one being a Tamil and the other Muslim.

Considering the importance of the Muslims and the hill-country Tamils in the overall Sri Lankan society, the panel, in its suggestion on the proposed Constitution’s preamble, stated that the two be recognised as constituent parts.

Also, it recommended that members of the two communities be included in the proposed National Land Commission.