Modi’s address a message to our govt.: Wigneswaran

The Indian Prime Minister had "planted a very positive idea" in the minds of those at the Central government, says Sri Lanka's Northern Province Chief Minister

In this Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013 photo, C.V. Wigneswaran, a former Supreme Court justice and chief candidate for Tamil National Alliance, the main Tamil party and once a political proxy for the Tigers, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, ahead of the northern provincial council election. His party wants a federal system, with more power shifted to the regional government, though the central government rejects any sort of power-sharing. Saturday’s elections is being seen by the United Nations and the world community as a crucial test of reconciliation between the Tamils and majority ethnic Sinhalese who control the government and the military. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the Sri Lankan Parliament on Friday was a message to Colombo on the need for greater devolution of powers, said Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

Speaking to presspersons on Saturday after his brief meeting with Mr. Modi, Mr. Wigneswaran said the Indian Prime Minister had “planted a very positive idea” in the minds of those at the Central government.

“I hope the Central government will take it upon themselves to change the Constitution in such a way that more and more powers will be given to the periphery,” he said.

Earlier, speaking at the event at the Jaffna Public Library where Mr. Modi laid the foundation stone for the Jaffna Culture Centre being built with Indian assistance, Mr. Wigneswaran said Mr. Modi propagated “cooperative federalism.” The transformation in Gujarat under Mr. Modi’s leadership was possible because of the “content and quantum” of devolution, he said.

On what Mr. Modi told him at their meeting, Mr. Wigneswaran quipped: “Nothing, he just congratulated me and said I don’t look 75.”