Calling LTTE 'terrorist', Modi urges Colombo to embrace Tamils

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gently nudged Sri Lanka to reach out to its Tamil minority, and called the vanquished Tamil Tigers as terrorists.

In a carefully worded speech delivered in the Sri Lankan parliament, Modi sought to emphasize that the island nation needed to respect all diversities.

Sri Lanka, he said to loud thumping of desks by the MPs, had successfully defeated terrorism and brought a long-running conflict to an end.

His reference was to the crushing defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suffered at the hands of the Sri Lankan military in May 2009, ending a bloody quarter century of separatist conflict.

"You now stand at a moment of historic opportunity to win the hearts and heal the wounds across all sections of society," he said, speaking in English to an audience of mostly Sinhalese politicians.

Modi referred to the presidential election of January this year which caused the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had governed Sri Lanka since 2005, and catapulted Maithripala Sirisena to power.

The election was a reflection of the "collective voice of the nation - the hope for change, reconciliation and unity", he said.

"I am confident of a future of Sri Lanka, defined by unity and integrity; peace and harmony; and opportunity and dignity for everyone.

"I believe in Sri Lanka's ability to achieve it. It is rooted in our common civilizational heritage. The path ahead is a choice that Sri Lanka has to make.

"It is a collective responsibility of all sections of the society; and, of all political streams in the country.

"But I can assure you this: For India, the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka are paramount," Modi said, underlining a point that large numbers of Sri Lankans were eager to listen.

At the same time, the Indian prime minister suggested that the Sri Lankan government should grant autonomy to provinces, including the Tamil majority Northern Province which he visits Saturday.

Modi said all countries in South Asia have to deal with the "issues of identities and inclusion, of rights and claims, of dignity and opportunity for different sections of our societies".

He said such issues have sometimes had tragic consequences -- brutal terrorism and violence. But there have also been successful examples of peaceful settlements.

"Each of us has sought to address these complex issues in our own ways. However, we choose to reconcile them.

"To me something is obvious: Diversity can be a source of strength for nations," he said.

The dragging conflict in Sri Lanka has badly hurt ethnic harmony in the country. Recent moves by some Tamil politicians to rake up the language of separatism has hardened feelings in Sinhalese areas.

The Indian leader said a country became stronger when the aspirations of all its sections were accommodated.

"And when we empower states, districts and villages, we make our country stronger. You can call this my bias," he said, and added that he was a firm believer in cooperative federalism.