By Kumar David –
Prof. Kumar David
A brand new constitution is being drafted. It is certain that an attempt will be made to strengthen the President’s repressive powers and provide for forceful use the military jackboot to crush increasing protests feared in the wake of multiplying economic hardship and an advancing epidemic. Gota will have a fight on his hands and the outcome is not certain and I touched on this in last Wednesday’s (23) column.
Among the challenges facing Lanka in this setting is what to do about 13A. There are two schools of thought about what the regime may attempt in respect of devolution of power to Provinces and taming the Tamil and Muslim communities in their areas of domicile. The first view is that the regime via the planned constitution will further curb the limited powers now devolved, the other point of view, towards which some perhaps naively incline, is that Gota has enough on his plate so why add an Indian backlash to his woes. I will now explore this trade-off. The “kill 13A” charge is led by Sinhala-Buddhist Neanderthals and long in the tooth chauvinists such as Sarath Weerasekara, Gammanpila, Weerawansa, Gerry Peries and Nalin de Silva. These cave dwellers are not particularly knowledgeable of the pros and cons of devolution per se; it’s simply that if the minorities say A they will say Z. Conversely those who would prefer not to poke the sleeping Indian tiger in the eye are MR, probably Basil, maybe GL and a few in the opposition including Mangala and the Tamils (TNA and Mano’s bunch).The JVP, given its ugly racist past on 13A is speechless and Vasu, Tissa, Colure and DEW count for nothing whatever they feign or say. You get a glimpse of this background in Austin Fernando’s “Flashbacks of reinforcing 13A” in the Christmas Day issue of the Island.
Among the three siblings, Mahinda over the years comes across as the strategist – and those who know him say he is personally a charming fellow too – Basil is reputedly clever. Gota has shown himself thicker of wit than the other two – what else do you make of a President who slots a kaki uniform in every high office of state in a country with an upbringing in 70 years of liberalism, give or take a few authoritarian interludes. Austin thinks Mahinda does not want to provoke India and has the support of a non-racist minority in the government parliamentary group. This is not say that Gotha will succumb to the racist Neanderthals, nor am to say that they with or without Gotha will carry the day. It is also true as Austin points out that Mahinda, Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala, GL Peiris and Susil Premjayanth were supportive of Chandrika’s 1997 Devolution proposals and her abortive 2000 draft constitution. Austin fondly hopes they will be consistent and principled. How naive! In Literary Hub, 27 May 2017 Rebecca Solnit refers to Donald Trump as the ‘Most Mocked Man in the World’; in a domestic context Lankans say the same of almost the whole of the nation’s political class.
How Gota, Mahinda and the regime draft the new constitution will depend on calculations of political advantage and that alone. I am prepared to believe that Mahinda and Gota are not racists personally, if you say so, which is more than I will concede of the Neanderthals, but we should have no illusions that they are anything but common or garden political opportunists. What to do about 13A in the new constitution will depend only on how, in their minds, they balance the risk of negative reactions from Delhi against the well-known advantages of stoking racism at home. And I am not sure how strong Delhi’s reaction will be if Colombo, de facto or de jure throws out 13A. Modi would rather see a dead Muslim than a living one and Tamil Nadu may bark a bit and settle down. It’s not like the 1980s when burning libraries, murder and rape in 1983 and military victory in Vadamarachchi were high on the state and Sinhala agenda. The regime may calculate that there is not much danger and there is more to be gained by jettisoning 13A than retaining even meagre devolution. If the pandemic and food shortages rouse mass (Sinhala) anger this may be a capital diversion. Mahinda will gladly forget that he mentioned conducting provincial council elections next year.
Law Students Group Sri Lanka / January 6, 2021
“The JVP, given its ugly racist past on 13A is speechless”. Professor David, appreciate you saying this despite the fact that you were in the JVP/JJB national list. JVP has said that they are OK with the abolition of PCs. JVP appear to be going back to their roots, leaving sincere people like Prof. David stranded.
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SJ / January 6, 2021
LSG
I had more than once recently reminded Prof David of JVP’s opportunism and chauvinism.
But he brushed aside the warnings.
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It happened to his friend Vikramabahu Karunaratne too, more than once, even after a JVP bullet injured him severely in the late 1980s.
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When will they ever learn? Will they ever learn?
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old codger / January 7, 2021
Why does everyone forget the real purpose of 13S, which was intended to give a measure of self-government to the Tamils? It wasn’t intended to provide employment or training to Sinhala politicians via Provincial Councils in the South. All Southern PC’s should be abolished. That is the only solution that will make both India and our taxpayers happy.
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SJ / January 8, 2021
OC
You are dead right.
Creation of 7 southern PCs diluted the purpose of the Accord and the PC system.
The Accord talks in detail about the N&E PC and makes a remark in passing about PCs.
If the N&E PC was truly devolved power, then the South too may have benefited from similar devolution. But that was never the intention of successive governments
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GATAM / January 6, 2021
Put 13A to a referendum. Let people decide. No one in parliament wanted 13A when it was passed in 1987. No one wants it now. But just to show 13A supporters it has no support in SL, put it to a referendum.
NPC and EPC former chief ministers are in parliament as MPs!! Obviously 13A is useless. Otherwise they won’t give up the chance to “serve the people” and enter parliament as just plain MPs with no power.
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Jeeves / January 7, 2021
Sir, there are more than one people in Sri lanka, Ceylon, Serendib, Tabrobane, Eelam, or Lanka.
put the referendum to the people that have the issues for which 13A was prescribed. no one can force some medicine on someone else. but let the patient decide it.
What is 13A?. it is one solution that came about to try to solve a long standing major problem that ate up a lot of lives across all ethnic lines in this island. whether WE designed it or our incapacity to formulate one brought about external influence is immaterial. if you shit around in your property way too long it wouldn’t be long before your neighbors come knocking on your door.
please remember it was rejected by both Sinhalese politicians and also the Tamils in the beginning. the Sinhalese preferring a locally devised solution that they conveniently want to take forever to materialize and the Tamils rejecting it ONLY because it does not match the sacrifices they made in lives lost and the economic losses and the stagnancy in the growth of both resulting from it.
India and Sri Lanka exist as the namesake countries only after the 1940’s. before that major ethnic groups of the respective current countries had their own kingdoms.
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SAM / January 6, 2021
Last time India pushed 13A – (Dixit was FM?) they lost the mother PM to Sikh’s and then Son PM to the own tiger’s the mother PM milk-fed?
What’s with India to try and tell us how to run SL?
Try to be more like China = – More India tries to push the white elephant 13A on SL – the more SL aligns with China!!
We are not even the size of ur biggest state? do you plan to developed power within Tamil Nadu also? if We have highways – it take not 5 hrs to go from one end to another..
13A is a loss to SL.. India is trying to ruin and divide SL economically and politically..
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SJ / January 6, 2021
SAM what has 13A to do with Indira Gandhi’s murder?
Have you heard of Operation Blue Star?
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China has no vested interest in 13A one way or other. Are you blackmailing India with China threat in this matter?
China knows well that SL will not go beyond a limit to align with any power; and India knows that China knows.
The China bogeyman is a convenient ploy for India to play a double game.
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GATAM / January 7, 2021
How about USA? As long as 13A is there MCC corridor cannot become a reality. Land powers are with the PC. Getting 5 PCs to agree and not change their mind later is a big ask. So 13A has to go for MCC.
Endia is going against USA by insisting on 13A.
Things have changed since 1987. China does not care about 13A. Unlike Endia, China does not interfere in domestic affairs.
If 13A stays, it must be changed to include 50% of Councillors of each PC must be appointed by the president.
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SJ / January 8, 2021
True, for better or worse, China does not meddle in the affairs of other countries.
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You have funny ideas about the nomination of PC councillors. Are there enough people in the family to fill the places?
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Native Vedda / January 6, 2021
SAM
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“Last time India pushed 13A – (Dixit was FM?) they lost the mother PM to Sikh’s and then Son PM to the own tiger’s the mother PM milk-fed?”
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Brilliant explanation.
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When S W R D Pandaranayakam pushed for Sinhala only language policy his baby Talduwe Somarama Thero assasinated him.
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Cicero / January 7, 2021
Look at what China is doing to Hong Kong.
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SJ / January 8, 2021
C
Please tell us what it is doing.
Anything different from what the US just did about the invaders of the Capitol?
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srikrish / January 6, 2021
Gota is Gota,Definely Gota will mess around 13A
Mahinda is a different kettle of fish!
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Ajith / January 6, 2021
Devolution of power to North East is not a product of India. It is a product accepted by most of the Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhala leadership and people. Only Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalists are against to the devolution. Unfortunately, Sinhala political leadership used devolution as a weapon to win the election through anti minority policies. India came into the picture only because of the foreign policy which was in favour of anti-Indian policies towards Russia and China. So it is the Sinhala political leadership who messed up with devolution of power that should have come long ago in 1950’s. Since then Sri Lanka couldn’t move forward in economic development. This is the real of cost of failure of Sinhala political leadership which affects each and every citizen including majority Buddhist Sinhala.
Gota’s Sinhala only Buddhist only Sri Lanka needs a military state. Military states mean loss of fundamental rights to all including Buddhist Sinhala and poverty because military state means military consumes most of the national income. You may need even atomic bombs like Iran which isolated Iran from International communities. This is the path Sinhala Buddhists decides to go. We should remember it is a Buddhist Monk who lead the struggle to get rid of Military state in 2015 and the country need a Buddhist Sinhala to lead to stop another military state to stop disaster.
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soma / January 6, 2021
Ajith
“India came into the picture only because of the foreign policy which was in favour of anti-Indian policies towards Russia and China”
Wrong.
At the time India was aligned with Russia and JRJ was pro American.
You may say
India came into the picture only because of the foreign policy which was in favour of anti-Indian policies towards America.
Right?
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Soma
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Ajith / January 6, 2021
Soma,
India did not come in 1987. It came long before that. The Tamil Youth movements started in mid 1975. India started to give training to Tamil youths in late 1970’s.
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SJ / January 8, 2021
A
Mrs G started meddling in a big way when she was back in power in 1980.
I doubt Indian state involvement in training of militants prior to that.
But 1987 was the first time a foreign army set foot in this country as an occupying force.
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Native Vedda / January 9, 2021
SJ
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“But 1987 was the first time a foreign army set foot in this country as an occupying force.”
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I am wondering whether forces of Chola, Pandya, Maha, Portuguese, Dutch, and British were indigenous.
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GATAM / January 7, 2021
Unfortunately Tamils rejected devolution.
Major Tamil political parties first accepted PCs in 2012 out of desperation – after 3 years the Sinhalas defeated Tamils in 2009.
Tamils only demanded Tamil Elam. A separate nation. Not a substandard PC which is anyway under the Sinhala national rule.
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SJ / January 8, 2021
Major Tamil political parties first accepted PCs in 2012?
What makes you say so?
Was there any government thought of election to N&E PC after 1978?
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SAM / January 7, 2021
Devolution of power to North East is not a product of India. It is a product accepted by most of the Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhala leadership and people
WTF ??/ WHAT POT ARE YOU SMOKING BRO?
LETS PUT A REFERENDUM AND SEE HOW IT GOES? BUT ALL SRI LANKANS HAVE TO AGREE TO ONE AND ALL ABIDE BY THE RESULTS..!! ALL THE NGO / PHD IN LAW AND POLTICAL SCIENCE SAGES IN WESTERN CAPITALS – THINK THAT MAJORITY WANT IT..
A REFERANDUM WILL SHOW THE TRUE PEOPLE DESIRES AND TNA AND TAMILS KNOW THIS AND WILL NEVER WANT A REFERANDUM AS IT PUT A NAIL IN THEIR MONEY FLOW.
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Nathan / January 6, 2021
I find it difficult to accept that Basil is clever, reputedly or otherwise. Basil is not the brain. That Basil is more cunning than the rest in the family would be more correct. The family owes to MR the foothold it has on the island’s politics. The brain of MR is as good as they get. However, he lets Basil ride the fame!
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Nathan / January 6, 2021
13A is the trap India employed to permanently set foot on Sri Lanka. Modi may come, Modi may go, but 13A is not going to go away.
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N. Perera / January 7, 2021
Modi may come or go, but Indians know who killed Rajiv Gandhi. BJP party came to power because Tamil LTTE killed Congress party leader and Ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. 13A gone with the wind. Sinhalese Ariyans country gave a good lesson to the world, the first country completely wiped out LTTE Terrorists
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Captain Morgan / January 6, 2021
If India does not put its foot down firmly on the implementation of 13A and backs out meekly, we can consider India to be a Eunuch! International Law is entirely on the side of India and it is honour bound to assert its rights in terms of the Indo-Lanka Accord.
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SJ / January 6, 2021
CM
India is torn between saving its credibility re 13Aand gaining control over Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.
It is hard to have it both ways.
The real Indian trap was the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987. 13A was a visible outcome.
There is too much India business at stake in Sri Lanka.
Having got into an obsessive state of mind about Chinese threat, Indian foreign policy is on the horns of a dilemma.
13A is only a face saver for India, but something that Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism sees as a humiliation. There lies he problem.
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soma / January 6, 2021
13A should not be abolished in one go.
Face saving for India is important.
Structure should be minimised as well as measures to curtail administrative costs have to be explored.
Objective should be to compress the white elephant to a white rat.
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Soma
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Captain Morgan / January 6, 2021
Addendum: What the majority Sri Lankan population thinks about the 13th Amendment is of no consequence at all as this is not simply an internal matter. This is an International Agreement that has been made between two sovereign states.
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Eagle Eye / January 6, 2021
Captain Morgan,
“This is an International Agreement that has been made between two sovereign states.”
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No. This is an agreement imposed on a sovereign State.
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Civilized people do not interfere in internal affairs of sovereign States. Some people cannot get rid of their tribal habits.
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Stanley / January 6, 2021
13A was signed at gunpoint. It should be torn up.
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SJ / January 6, 2021
Stanley,
13A was not signed at gunpoint, Indo-Sri Lanka Accord 1987 was.
But LTTE’s consent was actually obtained at gunpoint with Pirapakaran held hostage in a hotel.
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Native Vedda / January 6, 2021
SJ
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“But LTTE’s consent was actually obtained at gunpoint with Pirapakaran held hostage in a hotel.”
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Why didn’t the psychopath commit suicide?
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Mallaiyuran / January 6, 2021
And should be signed back on the basis Computer Hacking, like Colombo Pong Cing & Hangbangtota sales.
( America insist that Lankawe has to protect its sovereignty from China, otherwise face trade sanctions That is too long subject and you seems to feeling sleepy for that long talk. Stanley, sleep well tonight, we talk about well on China deals tomorrow morning).
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Native Vedda / January 6, 2021
Stanley
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“13A was signed at gunpoint.”
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What was the Sri Lankan patriotic members of armed forces and police doing about it? Were they hiding behind VP’s bum?
When you don’t treat your family well neighbor will be ready and willing to grope your female members of your family.
It is no good shouting at them, go fight a war with Hindians, as your pride Ranavirus are expected of them.
This time around LTTE is no longer in existence, hence fight your war against the Hindians. Go fight it yourself, as I don’t think Sambandan’s Amude does not have enough room to protect all of you. Good luck.
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Mallaiyuran / January 6, 2021
” he regime may calculate that there is not much danger and there is more to be gained by jettisoning 13A than retaining even meagre devolution. If the pandemic and food shortages rouse mass (Sinhala) anger this may be a capital diversion. Mahinda will gladly forget that he mentioned conducting provincial council elections next year. “ That is the bonsai of the whole essay tree.
Thank you Prof. K
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Buddhist1 / January 6, 2021
13th Amendment is not only a local issue, its as well an international issue. International not only with India but also at UN where over 150 plus countries participate.
What is needed in SL today is “Respect” and not “Tolerance”. Tolerance is when a group does not like the other persons views and still want to accommodate it. Respect is truly valuing the views of the other person.
Human nature is to attack the other when ones own views cannot be substantiated with facts. This is what’s happening in SL. Policy agendas are today based on ones own survival needs and not for the benefit of the whole country. This leads to divisions within the country and not unity. Unity promotion by the Govt, only in words and not in action is useless, its worth only to be flushed in a toilet.
If we do not treat differences as fuel for growth and unity, we will always be a divided nation. Differences should never be treated as problems but as a platform to understand and respect the others views. If it is not so, then its easy to embrace once own views and that festers into radical ideas and actions. We see this increasingly under the present regime.
Never give legitimacy to hatred from Civilians or from Religions. It is the utmost duty for any government that is in power.
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Eagle Eye / January 6, 2021
These cave dwellers know very well the pros and cons of devolution than a Dumbo electrician, That is the exact reason why they oppose devolution of power to the descendants of Dravida coolies brought to Yapanaya by colonial rulers who:
• Formed the Federal Party in 1949,
• Asked Brits to give 50:50 when population was 10%,
• Tried to grab one third of the country for 11% of the total population;
• Opposed everything done by Native Sinhalayo who were oppressed by colonial rulers to achieve true Independence after British left,
• Passed Vaadukkodei resolution to create a separate State based on a bogus claim ‘Traditional Homeland’,
• Urged Demalu to take up arms to fight against Sinhalayo,
• Carried out ethnic cleansing by chasing away Sinhalayo and Muslims from North converting the area to a mono-ethnic Ghetto,
• Keep on charging the Sri Lankan Armed Forces that they committed war crimes in their operation to eliminate LTTE Tamil terrorists and asking the International Community to punish them,
• Carried out a propaganda campaign all over the world against Sri Lanka and Sinhala Buddhists using blatant lies,
• Claim that they lived in this country before Sinhalayo without a single bit of evidence,
• Ridicule Mahawanse, the Great Chronical of Sinhalayo as fiction,
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old codger / January 8, 2021
Eagle,
“Ridicule Mahawanse, the Great Chronical of Sinhalayo as fiction,”
Of course it is, and great fiction it is too. It should be up there with Grimm’s Fairy tales. I wonder what the author was smoking when he wrote up the first bits.
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SJ / January 9, 2021
OC
Do you not think that the Mahawansa is on par with the Old Testament.
The Adam and Eve story to Noah’s Ark and a little after beats the Sinhabahu legend hands down.
But there is history after that in both, biased like any history ever written
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old codger / January 9, 2021
S.J,
The Old Testament probably created even more problems than the Mahavamsa.
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SJ / January 9, 2021
OC
True.
But very few talk about it hereabouts.
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Eagle Eye / January 6, 2021
Kumar David,
Keep on chanting:
‘India Saranam Gachchami’
‘Modi Saranam Gachchami’
‘Tamil Nadu Saranam Gachchami’
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paragon / January 7, 2021
india is always giving more attention to their political and commercial interest than that of TAMILS in srilanaka. the indo-lanaka agreement came in to effect almost 34 years ago and moving in snail space with out being implemented fully and after cutting the wings of 13th amendment with or with out the knowledge of INDIA. Srilanaka government from JR-PEMA-DBW-CHANDRIKA-MAHINDA AND NOW GOTHA all these leaders know how to play the double game to CHEAT INDIA AND TAMILS IN THE SAME TIME.so no tamil national(?)party should be pleased with the statements issued by JAYSANKER-DINESH.HOW LONG TAMILS ARE GOING TO AWAIT FOR INDIA TO MAKE A MEANING FULL EFFECT TO GIVE SALINE TO HALF-DEAD 13TH MAKE IT TO GET UP WALK IN AT LEAST NORTH-EAST.
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Mallaiyuran / January 7, 2021
Prof. Kumar can select his favorite label to tonight dinner. US Senate changed hands. Media reporting 50:50 republican and Democrats. Whenever a tie brake needed, VP Elect Kamala Harris would play that. Ms Harris seems to be lucky lady. Some or how always a VP will be elected. Not biggie. But bossing over the Senate with a tie brake vote is not every VP’s chance. January has come, but the fun is yet to dawn.
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Pon Lanka / January 7, 2021
They will never touch the 13 A because it is the visa for these guys to enter India . If they scarp it, they may not be able to visit India even for financial, defense and other supports or helps including seasonal pilgrimages to Buddagaya and other shrines viz-Thirupathy, Kerala,Gujarath, Delhi
temples and moreover, wouldn’t be able to know their own future astrological star predictions. Their only other alternative is to visit China of course if they speak Chinese. There is nothing much notably in 13 A .
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R Kaz / January 7, 2021
The Indian political establishment’s concern for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka has always been shallow and mostly faked. The Indian political establishment will be comfortable with the Rajapaksas governing Sri Lanka and making whatever changes to the constitution as long as India’s economic interests in Sri Lanka are protected and their strategic interests are not threatened, e.g. a Chinese military presence in the island.
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Ajay / January 7, 2021
India’s role in the genesis of 13A is not the issue now. Modi’s government is not known for being too crazy about pluralism. Unless it decides Sri Lanka needs to be controlled to prevent further penetration by China, India is not likely to insist on the continuation of the current provincial council system that has proven to be woefully ineffective and terribly corrupt. The real challenge facing Sri Lanka is sticking to devolution while at the same time ensuring the decentralized administrations do not become white elephants and dens of corruption. This is the real task. Power-sharing, pluralist democracy is the only time-tested method of keeping multi-ethnic, multi-religious countries cohesive, prosperous and united. Sri Lankans should rise to the challenge and come up with the right degree of devolution where the minority communities/regions don’t feel alienated, but feel they’re legitimate parts of the political system, while the majority community feels confident there’s no threat to the sovereignty of the country.
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Eagle Eye / January 7, 2021
Ajay,
With the formation of NPC, only Malabar Vellala elite Tamils became legitimate parts of the political system. The low caste Tamils who are the majority in Yapanaya could not become a legitimate part of the political system because Vellala Tamils do not allow them to become a legitimate part of the political system. So what is the point in having PCs if they do not benefit ordinary folks?
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Low caste Tamils in Yapanaya told the Sub-Committee on Power Sharing not to give Land and Police powers to NPC because they know the outcome. Vellala Tamils want power to keep low caste Tamils under their control
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The Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S.Jaishankar is completely out of touch with ground realities in the Northern Province.
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These racist Tamils who became a legitimate part of the political system became the main threat to the Unitary State.
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“but feel they’re legitimate parts of the political system, while the majority community feels confident there’s no threat to the sovereignty of the country”.
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old codger / January 8, 2021
Eagle,
“Ridicule Mahawansa the Great Chronical of Sinhalayo as fiction,”
Of course it is, and great fiction it is too. It should be up there with Grimm’s Fairy tales. I wonder what the author was smoking when he wrote up the first bits.
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leelagemalli / January 8, 2021
My Dear Coder,
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So called SINHALAYO are trying to cheat us (sinhalayo/srilankens) passengers trying to travel back home today (Europe to COLOMBO return)- why on earth are divine forces yet mum ? We see something is in the health of MAFIA BOSS, we cant wait further..
:
Instead 2 lacks of RPs, we are asked to pay 6 lacks /passenger.
:
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Rumble 2021 / January 11, 2021
EE
Corrections – it is an exclusive FP/TULF/TNA Tamil/Hindu/Vellala with some exceptions for some Christians…tolerated given they are not the low cast..
Now the Majority in the North are Indian Tamils/Cast Oppressed Tamils + an Indian Embassy.
Indian/foreign ministers interest never was and never will be for the Sri Lankan Tamils except for their expansion project under the disguise of National security period (JVP/Hon MR concerns in 60’s and 70’s are all proven spot on). The FP/TULF/TNA was a mere vehicle to achieve that. All the Indian intended objective were achieved one has to give credit to the clever game played by Indian government leaving the innocent Indian public out who are mostly as clueless as we all were and are now etc.
If we were lucky LTTE would have worked out something with Hon MR then when the opportunity presented may have resulted in one Nation surviving the onslaught a foreign power executed an International Crime against an innocent Nation.
For anyone argue the FP/TULF/TNA objectives were not achieved is blatantly wrong and we should all be proud.
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Plato / January 9, 2021
After the recent visit of the Indian Foreign Minister Dr.S. Jaishankar, 13A. is messing around with Gota!
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Good Sense / January 9, 2021
Prof. Kum imagines/visualizes that the 13A would be jettisoned, at the behest of the Rajapakse “family”, with the possible promulgation of a new constitution. But the Provincial Councils were hung by the neck and they are dead-dead-dead many moons ago and those against the councils may be thanking Ranil & Co very grudgingly for the legal abracadabra performed in some pretext or the other keeping the elected councils dissolved and dormant and its shell visible in the form a Governor’s office/secretariat. Strangely, the leading political parties, presumably voicing for the “Tamil Cause” are silent on this matter. The reality is that the Indian “assisted/enforced” 13A is a word-to-word copy of the Indian constitution with a variation (such as merger of two adjacent provinces etc.) and that poses certain other logistical issues yet unsolved. I really do not know how a group of lawyers who have flourishing practices finding all the time and energy required to draft a fresh constitution. In fact, this is the same path that Ranil & Co went through. They, at the first opportunity promulgated the 19A and the new constitution became a dream. This government promulgated the 20A for starters and ……
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SJ / January 12, 2021
GS
“The reality is that the Indian “assisted/enforced” 13A is a word-to-word copy of the Indian constitution with a variation (such as merger of two adjacent provinces etc.) and that poses certain other logistical issues yet unsolved.”
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If it was any kind of a copy, let alone word-to-word, the copying device must have had a built-in contorting facility.
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To work, it required mutual trust and goodwill between the main parties concerned, which India knew was lacking.
India’s use of its proxies in the N&E to subvert the LTTE, prompted the latter to act daftly to weaken 13A.
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srikrish / January 12, 2021
Good Sense,
It is true that 13A is a carbon copy of similar provisions in the Indian constitution.
But North East merger is not part of 13A. it is enumerated in the provincial Council Act No 42 of 1987.
Both the Constitutional amendment and the Provincial Council Act were passed on the same day and certified on 24 November 1987.
Well Ranil passed 19A- a constitutional amendment with a two third majority and went for a new constitution, but failed to get it passed.
Now Gota passed 20A with a two third majority and goes for a new constitution . Will he repeat the performance of Ranil? most probably
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