India, which has repeatedly maintained that there should be a political solution, has once again stressed it, when the high level delegation of the Sri Lankan government visited India last week. The Sri Lanka delegation comprised of Gothabaya Rajapakse, Defence Secretary, Basil Rajapakse, President’s Advisor and Lalith Wijetunga, Secretary to the President.

It was at the meeting with this delegation that the New Delhi stressed on a political solution through the devolution of powers. It is clear that repeated requests made by India to drop the military approach and to resolve the problem through a political solution has fallen on the deaf years of the government.

The north east provinces were merged following the Indo –Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 as a basis for solving the problem but even that merger of north east in the traditional homeland of Tamils has been de-merged, although the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave an assurance to the TNA Parliamentarians, when they met him last that the north east will not be de-merged.

But in Sri Lanka the political thinking is opposed to India’s proposals. Extreme parties such as JVP and Hela Urumaya oppose devolution even at a district level. Meanwhile, President Rajaoakse has stated that powers should be devolved only within the unitary state. In such a context, will India’s proposal see the light of day?.

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