PM Modi urges Sri Lankan Prez to address Tamil community's aspirations

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake New Delhi's expectation from Colombo to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation and conduct provincial council elections.

The issue figured in the wide-ranging talks between Modi and Dissanayake here.

Separately, the prime minister met a group of Tamil leaders from Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and reaffirmed India's continuous commitment to work for the well-being of the community. 

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been demanding the implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution that provides for devolution of power to it.

The 13th Amendment was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987.

In his media statement following the talks with Dissanayake, Modi hoped that Colombo will fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of the country.

We also talked about reconstruction and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. President Dissanayake appraised me of his inclusive approach, the prime minister said.

We hope that the Sri Lankan government will meet the aspirations of the Tamil people and fulfil its commitment towards fully implementing the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and conducting provincial council elections, he said.

On Modi's meeting with the Tamil leaders, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post that the prime minister reaffirmed India's continuous commitment to work for the well-being of the Sri Lankan Tamil community.

Modi arrived in the Sri Lankan capital on Friday evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).