Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has informed Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that there is “absolutely no change in the government of India’s stand on the question of reconciliation and devolution of political powers in Sri Lanka.”
Replying to a letter from Ms. Jayalalithaa, he said the Centre had long advocated the creation of an environment in Sri Lanka in which all communities, particularly the Sri Lankan Tamils, were masters of their own destiny within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.
“We will continue to work towards this end,” Mr. Singh said in his July-16 letter, details of which were given in a press release by the State government on Thursday.
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The Chief Minister had on July 14 written to Mr. Singh urging the Centre “to take all possible steps to bring pressure to bear upon the Sri Lankan government not to take any steps to repeal or even dilute the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution in any manner.
Ms. Jayalalithaa had also called upon the Centre to ensure that the process of democratic decentralisation in Sri Lanka was in no way jeopardised.
The process would eventually lead to the Tamils of Sri Lanka realising their legitimate aspirations, she said in the letter.
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