Sat Apr 05 17:14:56 UTC 2025: ## Modi Urges Sri Lanka to Address Tamil Concerns During Colombo Visit

**Colombo, April 5, 2025** – During a state visit to Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with representatives of Sri Lanka’s Tamil political parties, who pressed for a resolution to the long-standing Tamil question. The Tamil leaders emphasized the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord as the framework for a political solution and urged India’s continued involvement.

Delegations from various Tamil parties, including the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), highlighted concerns about the inadequacy of the 13th Amendment, ongoing land grabs by state agencies, and a perceived decline in India’s interest in the issue. They specifically requested India’s support in holding Provincial Council elections to facilitate meaningful power devolution.

While acknowledging the Tamil concerns, PM Modi stated he had discussed reconstruction and reconciliation with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and expressed hope that the Sri Lankan government would fulfill its constitutional commitments and hold the elections.

Separately, representatives from the Malaiyaha (hill country) Tamil community met with PM Modi, focusing less on political demands and more on socio-economic issues. They sought India’s assistance in education, skills training, and streamlining the process for obtaining Overseas Citizenship of India status, also requesting expansion of the Ceylon Estate Workers’ Education Trust.

Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, expressed gratitude for India’s support, emphasizing the potential for a future of shared growth and wellbeing between the two nations. The meetings underscore the ongoing complexities of the Tamil question and India’s continued engagement in Sri Lankan affairs.

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