By Raj Sivanathan –
Raj Sivanathan
The indefinite postponement of the Swiss facilitated meeting among Tamil political parties has triggered renewed debate about the future of Sri Lanka’s Provincial Council system. What initially appeared to be a diplomatic initiative aimed at fostering Tamil political consensus has instead exposed deeper structural tensions within Tamil politics and revealed the careful political calculations of the NPP government. This episode must not be viewed in isolation. It forms part of a broader and more consequential political story that is quietly unfolding across the Northern and Eastern provinces.
The proposed meeting reportedly included representatives from the ACTC, ITAK and the DTNA. Its stated objective was to build consensus among Tamil political actors. However the composition of invitees and the perceived direction of discussions raised legitimate questions. Had the meeting resulted in a consolidated rejection of the Provincial Council framework in favour of renewed maximalist federal demands it would have inadvertently strengthened Colombo’s argument that Tamil parties themselves are divided or politically unrealistic. The cancellation therefore avoided immediate escalation but also revealed how fragile Tamil political coordination remains at a time when strategic clarity is urgently needed.
The Provincial Council system introduced through the 13th Amendment remains constitutionally entrenched. There is no formal move by the NPP government to abolish it but elections continue to be postponed. The leadership of Anura Kumara Dissanayake faces a complex balancing act. Its southern electoral base remains cautious about expanded devolution. Its reformist credentials depend on democratic legitimacy. Its influence in the Northern and Eastern provinces is growing but not yet structurally dominant. Holding Provincial Council elections now introduces uncertainty. A fragmented or opposition controlled provincial outcome could limit central administrative control and revive regional political centres. Postponement therefore appears less an ideological attempt to dismantle the system and more a strategic exercise in electoral timing.
The recent visit of Tilvin Silva to India adds further significance to the moment. India’s consistent position has been clear. The 13th Amendment must not be diluted and meaningful devolution remains integral to long term stability. The engagement likely served multiple purposes including reassurance that the NPP will not reverse constitutional devolution, preservation of bilateral political and economic cooperation and management of regional perceptions during a period of domestic political calculation. India may tolerate delay but it is unlikely to accept structural rollback. This reality constrains the government’s options.
For Tamil political actors the current situation demands introspection. The Provincial Council system regardless of its limitations remains the only constitutionally recognised mechanism of devolved governance presently available. If Tamil parties remain divided between pragmatic engagement and symbolic maximalism they inadvertently reduce the pressure on the government to act. The political environment in the North and East is evolving. The NPP is gradually expanding its appeal among Tamil voters who are increasingly focused on governance, economic recovery, land issues and youth opportunity rather than abstract constitutional slogans. This shift signals a generational change in expectations.
Three plausible scenarios now emerge. If the NPP strengthens its position in Tamil majority areas it may call elections from a position of confidence framing the move as democratic renewal. If electoral uncertainty persists postponement may continue risking democratic fatigue and renewed frustration in the provinces. A third possibility is the emergence of a new cohort of forward looking Tamil leaders who refocus the discourse on operationalising and strengthening the existing framework rather than dismissing it outright.
The coming months will be pivotal. The Provincial Council question is no longer simply about constitutional theory. It is about political maturity timing and credibility. The NPP must decide whether postponement strengthens or weakens its reformist narrative. Tamil political actors must decide whether fragmentation serves their long term interests. The Swiss initiative may have been postponed but the larger test of leadership on all sides has only begun. At this crossroads Sri Lanka faces a choice between cautious pragmatism and prolonged uncertainty. The direction taken will define not only the future of Provincial Councils but the quality of Tamil political representation in the decade ahead.
whywhy / February 12, 2026
As far as Sri Lanka’s North East issue is concerned , it remains
thorny . South will never give in and the North will never give up
while India will be doing things that will not harm its interest on
both sides . My view is , India wants the Tamils to stay connected
with it to deal with the South that is poised to embrace any
mother’s son for its prosperity . JRJ and Indira show down is a
never ending drama . The Truth is , India will Never Trust our South
for a friend and it will not at the same time antagonise the south
by fully loading its weight on the North . So everyone is playing safe
with the time . NPP will not be any different . Head to the South and
Tail to the North .
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Rohan25 / February 13, 2026
A very good anaylis however, India and even the West, epsecially India, should have seen that the Tamils were given justice and their rights under a federal setup with police and land rights, even as per Sec 13A, as this is what the Rajapakses promised these governments for their support to defeat the LTTE and then as usual like all previous Sinhalese led government reneged. Mahinda Rajapakse even came on Western Television and openly promised that he would grant Sec 13A plus to the Tamils, soon after the war ended in May 2009, but as soon as they achieved what they wanted, the story, as usual, changed. India played a double game with the island’s Tamils and can never be trusted. When it comes to the push, it will always side with the Sinhalese south against the island’s Tamils, as basically India is run by largely anti-Tamil North Indians and Brahmins, who now hate the prosperity of Tamil Nadu and the role of India’s Tamil population in thwarting the forced imposition of Hindi throughout India in the 1960s, which the centre is still trying its best to implement but failing. They cannot teach the Indian Tamils a lesson or are too afraid, so the Hapless Sri Lankan Tamils will do to get their revenge.
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Rohan25 / February 13, 2026
Due to their shortsightedness, India and the West played their game badly, especially India, which wanted revenge on the LTTE for the Rajiv assassination and also to teach its own Tamil population a lesson by allowing the Sri Lankan state to commit horrific war crimes on the island’s Tamil population, on the pretext of fighting the LTTE, what India could not, or was afraid of doing to its own Tamil popultion, they allowed Sri Lanka to do its own Tamil population and now they are watching the result of their bungling and their petty reveng, with nations like China, Pakistan, and others getting a strong foot hold within Sri Lanka and Islamic fundamentalism on the rise within local Muslim population, that at the begining was encouraged by the Sri Lankan state and even India, as a tool to destroy and marginalise the Tamils but now has come to bite even the Sinhalese and India.
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SJ / February 13, 2026
“The Truth is , India will Never Trust our South etc.”
Does any big power trust anyone?
Fantasy about Indian intentions in SL led the Tamil youth to cause disaster for all Tamils.
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whywhy / February 14, 2026
” Does any big power trust anyone ? “
They do of course . But there are levels in that trust .
Nordic countries maintain a high level of trust
among them while the US and Russia at low . Marco
Rubio of the US , at Munich Security Conference just
couple of hours ago said ” US will always be a child of
Europe . ” Another level of trust . In the speculation of
a third world war due to US and Iran tension , what do
you think of a third world war ? Trusted allies divided
into groups fight the enemy , in brief . So , trust is there
at different levels .
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Jit / February 12, 2026
We should abolish the PC system right away! Tamils can neatly merge with the mainstream if the central govt is run by non-racists like the NPP. What have we achieved by PCs since the 1990s other than producing utterly corrupt and useless scumbags like Pillayan, Karuna etc? Plus vanishing trillions of tax payer money into thin air and Cayman Island accounts? One of the main reasons why SL is pushed into insolvency status now!
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Nathan / February 13, 2026
Jit,
… if the central govt is run by non-racists like the NPP.
What BIG IIFFF!
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nimal fernando / February 13, 2026
“Tamil Representation”
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Any “Representation” ……. based on race/ethnicity is a load of bullshit: unadulterated.
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Show one Tamil “Representative” who truly represented the Tamils. I’ll show you hundreds who “represented” themselves for personal benefits/perks.
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Likewise, the “Representatives” for the “Sinhalese,” the “Sinhala-Buddhists,” the “Muslims,” the “Upcountry Tamils.”
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Thinking is a long journey ……. journey of seeking the truth overcoming emotions, …… personal likes/dislikes. …….. Why always hover at the start/beginning ……. unto death?
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There’s another journey: emotional journey. Many of ye are veterans of immense experience: travelled thousands of miles.
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Only ones that can be excused ……… are the truly great lovers in history and in Lanka/forum ……. they have proved with unfaltering dedication that they have the right to their emotions! :)))
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Ajith / February 13, 2026
“Any “Representation” ……. based on race/ethnicity is a load of bullshit: unadulterated.”
It is too late. After 77 years of Buddhist Sinhala rule you tell race/ethnicity/ religion and after a bankruptcy only this race/ethnicity is load of bullsit.
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nimal fernando / February 14, 2026
You seem to be a great expert in these matters.
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Which came first …… the chicken or the egg?
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Two sides of the same coin. …… One feeds off the other.
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There wouldn’t have been rampant “Sinhala-Buddhism” without rampant “Tamil” “Tamil” “Tamil” “Tamil” “Tamil-Hinduism.”
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Both are nothing but unadulterated bull ……. for personal profit/advantage/gain/privilege/avoidance-of-honest-toil ……. for the respective “Representatives/practitioners” ……. who wallow in it.
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If it really mattered ……… would the “Sinhala-Buddhists” and the “Tamil-Hindus” ……… be in the shitholes they are in now?
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There is a vicious rabid band of “Tamil” expats (and local “Sinhalese”) ……. living comfortably in the West …… who keep the drumbeat going ……. to dupe their fellow brethren back home in the frontlines …… who always become the mincemeat in the sandwich …… in any conflicts …… stirred up by both sides …….. from the safety of distance ………..
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Count me and Native, out!
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Ajith / February 14, 2026
“There wouldn’t have been rampant “Sinhala-Buddhism” without rampant “Tamil” “Tamil” “Tamil” “Tamil” “Tamil-Hinduism.””
Are you sure? What is Tamil – Hinduism? Do you know who was the father of Federal Party? Is he a Hindu?
Anyway, So, according to your knowledge Sinhala Buddhism is acceptable because of Tamil Hinduism and you say the corruption of Rajapaksa regime is acceptable and NPP’s actions against corruption is not acceptable? further you agree that Buddhism is equal to Sinhala Buddhism. Now we can see your real Sinhala Buddhism.
You never understand the suffering of the Tamils who was massacred in 1958, 1977, 1983 and until now. You only pretend that you realised the truth after it bited your stomach.
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nimal fernando / February 15, 2026
Read what you have written ……… you have a mind of a child.
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Find another child for your playpen to play with.
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Some are grown past ….. simple children’s games. :)))
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nimal fernando / February 14, 2026
minced meat —-> mincemeat
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before St. Sebastian loses his halo …….
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Native Vedda / February 13, 2026
nimal fernando
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“Show one Tamil “Representative” who truly represented the Tamils. I’ll show you hundreds who “represented” themselves for personal benefits/perks.”
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I agree.
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However the real fact of the matter is by being the ‘representatives’ of majority they wield lots of power, they claim to represent the majority, and in doing so they command enormous power. That power grants them access to vast resources, institutional protection, and often a sense of impunity. The political system functions like a revolving door — regardless of party affiliation — ensuring continuity of privilege and influence.
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With such authority, they can legally — and at times otherwise — impose immense hardship. Entire sections of their own people, as well as others, can be sidelined or deprived. When it suits their purpose, they are willing to deploy majoritarian symbolism and rhetoric to consolidate control.
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The result is seventy-eight years of entrenched power structures, deepening polarization, and unresolved injustices, having to bow down to unelected Saffron army, which is bent on erasing the identity of “Others”.
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Tyranny of the Majority.
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Native Vedda / February 13, 2026
nimal fernando
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Please watch Palanivel Thiagarajan:
Tamil Nadu Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan Exclusive Interview | India Today ROUNDTABLE Tamil Nadu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoNv9__5V8U
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“There’s another journey: emotional journey. Many of ye are veterans of immense experience: travelled thousands of miles.”
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In Sri Lanka, we have known only one path — a saffron-tinted nationalism used as an efficient tool for corruption, a shield for wrongdoers, and a system that buries innocent people in unmarked graves or leaves them maimed and broken, while granting impunity to those responsible.
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Between 1971 and 2009, it is estimated that around 225,000 innocent people in Sri Lanka were either killed or forcibly disappeared. Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) promised to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address this grave failure of governance.
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Do you know when this commission will be set up?
Is he worried about rebellion of the armed forces with the support of saffron army?
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Rajapaksas, Dileep, Weerawansa, Weerasekere, Sajith …. are ready to pounce on public frustration to regain lost ground.
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Lester / February 13, 2026
Any form of “devolution” or “power-sharing” is the first step towards a separate state.
Ideological Stance: The ACTC, particularly through its current manifestation as the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, advocates for a federal state that recognizes the existence of two nations—Sinhalese and Tamil—on the island
Federalism makes sense for a country like Switzerland because there are four different languages plus English and the standard of living is rather high. No one wants to do a fake freedom struggle because they would be worse off. A fake freedom struggle is not a guarantee of future success. You need intelligent people to run a country.
A much better model for Sri Lanka is Singapore , in which all power is vested with the Centre. Some of the Malays disagreed with this setup. They wanted an Islamic nation, that is how Singapore was created (division of Malaya). Now Malaysia is far worse off compared to Singapore. The Malays in Singapore are better off than the Malays in Malaysia.
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Ajith / February 13, 2026
Devolution or permanent Bankruptcy of Sinhala Buddhism is the reality.
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nimal fernando / February 13, 2026
Finally finally a Lankan blonde ……. seek and ye shall find ……… https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ufSxn0bF8FU
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Naman / February 14, 2026
The Country should concentrate on catching the murderers looters rapists kidnappers etc etc. Don’t WASTE time energy and money talking about Provincial Councils elections etc. No more elections until the next Presidential election. Only the people who was in power before are hoping to come back through some election.
There is no need for PC elections if AKD rule the country where the RULE OF LAW is maintained equally without any discrimination. Sensible reasonable SL citizens will go along with this!
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Naman / February 14, 2026
Retaining some form of PTA is needed until those who brought bad name for the country and those brought economic meltdowns are behind bars.
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Ajith / February 14, 2026
“Retaining some form of PTA is needed until those who brought bad name for the country and those brought economic meltdowns are behind bars.”
This is what was told when it was brought temporarily by JRJ. Are you suggesting that AKD to have it until they eliminate Tamils from this island?
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Naman / February 14, 2026
Ajith
I certainly did not mean to say that AKD can use the PTA for eliminating the SL Tamils. If the some of the Tamils who were stooges of Rajapaksas are brought in front of justice that will be fine 100%. Similar fate should await other guilty ones.
I hear Gota R managed to leave the country! The Rajapaksas passports should have been impounded as soon as AKD came to power. Why didn’t the USA take GR back to face a legal case against him
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Ajith / February 15, 2026
“I certainly did not mean to say that AKD can use the PTA for eliminating the SL Tamils. If the some of the Tamils who were stooges of Rajapaksas are brought in front of justice that will be fine 100%. Similar fate should await other guilty ones.”
But what is the guarantee that AKD will not use againt Tamils. JVP was very close to Rajapaksas’s during the period, and it is not guarantee AKD will continue the same tactics forever. Who thought Gota will runaway within two years. You cannot trust any Sinhala leaders who trust on Sinhala Buddhism. If AKD wants to do the good he doesn’t need PTA or existing constitution. With his two third majority he can do all the good things that need to change the system now.
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