8/12/2019 13th Amendment Minus the Answer

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13th Amendment Minus The Answer

| by Rajasingham Jayadevan

( June 2, 2014, London, Sri Lanka Guardian ) any ba!!"es have been #ough! by !he $arring %ar!ies & $on and "os! ' sine !he ado%!ion o# !he 1!h amendmen! in 1*+, and !he $ar !oo

even!ua""y eased in ay 200* $i!h !he over$he"ming %o$er o# !he s!a!e and !he in!erna!iona"

su%%or!- .u! !he im%"emen!a!ion o# !he in#amous 1!h amendmen! !o !he ons!i!u!ion has

 beome a %o"i!ia" #oo!ba"" game even a#!er !he end o# !he $ar-

/he "e!ha" ok!ai" o# !he 3 a""iane and !he un$i""ing residen! $ho "ikes !o !hrive on

hy%es and drama!is, is de"ibera!e"y bea!ing around !he bush !he very issues !ha! are en!ra" !o

!he on#"i!- /his is #ur!her esa"a!ing !he !ensions be!$een !he ommuni!ies- /he governmen!

is on!inuing $i!h i!s his!oria" an!i'/ami" hys!eria #ur!her $i!h i!s bogey %ro% u%s o#

imagina!ive reviva"ism o# !he L//-

/he /ami" and us"im %eo%"e have beome #odders in !he esa"a!ion o# !he an!i!hesis o# !he

an!i'minori!ies governmen! o# ahinda Raja%akse-

/he 1!h 3mendmen! is !he on"y %rovision in !he s!a!u!e !o dea" $i!h b"oodied his!ory o# !he

 %os! inde%enden! Sri Lanka- 5# no! #or !he 5ndian in!erven!ion, !he 1!h amendmen! !oo $ou"d

no! have been ahieved- /he 1!h amendmen! did no! ome as a s!raigh!#or$ard devo"u!ion !o

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!he rovinia" adminis!ra!ion- 5ns!ead, bui"! in is, !he mehanism !ha! undermines !he very basis o# sinere devo"u!ion- /he e6essive %o$ers ves!ed $i!h !he governmen! under !he

7onurren! "is!8 has e##e!ive"y redued !he %rovinia" devo"u!ion !o a harade- /he governmen!

is enjoying i!s ou!righ! %rivi"ege $i!h !he onurren! "is!, is no! ready !o go #ur!her !o s!reng!hen

!he avai"ab"e devo"u!ionary mehanism-

ar"ier, in January 200*, !he -S- mbassy in 9o"ombo re%or!ed in a ab"e (1+*+:

on#iden!ia", January 2*, 200*) on 6!erna" 3##airs inis!er ranab ukherjee8s

visi! !ha! residen! Raja%aksa had s%oken o# a 1!h 3mendmen! "us %"an (;indu'

2<==2011)-

o""o$ing #rom !ha! on 10 Ju"y 201, >a!iona" Seuri!y 3dviser Shivshankar enon

 ? $ho me! !o% Sri Lanka "eaders here in !he "as! !$o days ? em%hasi@ed !he need

#or 9o"ombo !o #u"#i"" i!s ommi!men! !o 5ndia and !he in!erna!iona" ommuni!y

regarding a %o"i!ia" se!!"emen! !ha! $ou"d go beyond !he 1!h 3mendmen! o# !he

oun!ry8s 9ons!i!u!ion- S%eaking !o !he 5ndian media here a#!er a break#as! mee!ing

$i!h residen! ahinda Raja%aksa on /uesday, r- enon said: ABe have made our

vie$s "ear on ho$ $e $ou"d "ike !o see muh more %osi!ive and #or$ard movemen!!o$ards reoni"ia!ion and a %o"i!ia" reso"u!ion o# !he various issues $hih have "ed

!o e!hni %o"i!is being so %o"ari@ed and #ragmen!ed in Sri Lanka in !he %as!-C

(;indu )

5# remier odi did ar!iu"a!e i! during !a"ks $i!h Raja%aksa, !he same vie$s $ere

e6%ressed by his 6!erna" 3##airs inis!er Sushma S$araj, $hen she visi!ed Sri

Lanka as Leader o# !he D%%osi!ion- She headed a %ar"iamen!ary de"ega!ion- She !o"d

a %aked ne$s on#erene on 3%ri" 21, 2012 a! !he ;o!e" /aj Samudra !ha! residen!

Raja%aksa had given an assurane he $ou"d im%"emen! !he 1!h 3mendmen! and

Ago beyond-C (Sunday /imes 1=<=14)

/he %resen! oreign Sere!ary Suja!ha Singh !o"d re%or!ers #o""o$ing !he mee!ing be!$een !he !$o "eaders !ha! rime inis!er odi had a""ed #or A#u""

im%"emen!a!ion o# !he 1!h 3mendmen! and beyondC & !he in#amous 71 "us8

man!ra !ha! !he 5ndian Governmen! has been insis!en! abou! sine !he end o# !he $ar-

Singh said !he 1!h 3mendmen! had been Adisussed a! some "eng!hC be!$een rime

inis!er odi and residen! Raja%aksa- Bhen a journa"is! %oin!ed ou! !ha!

governmen! minis!ers had denied re%or!ed assuranes given by !he residen! !o

5ndian 6!erna" 3##airs inis!er (S--) Erishna in January, !he 5ndian D%%osi!ion

Leader re%"ied, !here is no Fues!ion o# minis!ers saying and denying any!hing- /he

residen! himse"# said he $ou"d onede bo!h !he 1!h 3mendmen! and !he %"us-C

(.S)

o""o$ing !he e"e!ion o# !he >or!hern rovinia" governmen! in 2012, #ai"ures o# !he 1!hamendmen! has beome a in!erna!iona" issue- /he sha""o$ness o# !he 1!h amendmen! due !o

!he over'%o$ering onurren! "is!, is s!am%eding !he very %o"i!ia" manda!e yearned by !he

/ami" %eo%"e in !he nor!h and eas!-

5! is none o!her !han !he !he judiious #ormer Su%reme 9our! Judge 9 H Bignes$aran, !he

9hie# inis!er o# >or!hern rovinia" 9ouni" $ho is no$ e6%eriening !he b"a!an! #ai"ures o#

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!he 1!h amendmen!- D# !he nine %rovines, eigh! %rovines are under !he on!ro" o# !hegovernmen! and are jus! "ame duk managemen!s !ha! $i"" on"y e6!end !he en!ra"i@ed agenda

o# !he governmen!- >one o# !he o!her eigh! %rovines, e6e%! #or !he as!ern rovinia" 9ouni"

no$ and !hen, are making any noises abou! !he de#iienies in !he 1!h amendmen!- 3s #or

!hem, devo"u!ion o# %o$er and un$an!ed in!er#erene o# !he governmen! are no! im%or!an!, so

"ong as !heir %ay %ake!s and !he kik baks are no! hindered-

.e#ore going #ur!her !o %"us !he 1!h amendmen! or go #ur!her !han !he 1!h amendmen! !here

mus! be a dressing do$n e6erise !o s!reng!hen !he e6is!ing %rovision- /he onurren! "is! mus!

ome under serious revie$ and mus! be heavi"y sa"ed do$n- 5! mus! be brough! do$n !o !he

"eve" o# Iueens %o$er in !he .ri!ish ons!i!u!ion or more #air"y !he %o$ers o# !he residen! o#

5ndia-

/he %resen! 1!h amendmen! in !he %o"i!ia" sense is !he bigges! #raud in !he ons!i!u!ion o# Sri

Lanka and !he anoma"ies !ha! are o6ygena!ing !he #ai"ures mus! be dea"! by reduing !he %o$ers

ves!ed in !he onurren! "is!- /his is $ha! !he 9hie# inis!er o# >or!hern rovine is asking #or

and governmen! is no! res%onding-

n"ess 5ndian in!erven!ion !ha! brough! abou! !his a%%a""ing ons!i!u!iona" arrangemen! dea"

$i!h !he very %rob"em $i!h due au!hori!y and in!eres!, !he very unom%romising governmen! o#

Sri Lanka $i"" be a""o$ed !o #"ir! #ur!her in an unreasonab"e manner-

5# !here is no governmen! is no! $i""ing sa"e do$n !he onurren! "is! , 1 mus! be !he on"y

ne6! s!age- Bi!hou! %ermi!!ing !he governmen! !o drag on !his %roess, /ami" %eo%"e mus! be

#ai"i!a!ed a #ree and #air re#erendum $i!h !he 5ndian invo"vemen! !o demora!ia""y deide on a

#edera" arrangemen!- /his re#erendum mus! give !$o s!ark hoies, one !o be #or !he !radi!iona"

and his!oria" /ami" areas !o be $i!hin Sri Lanka under a de#ined #edera" arrangemen! or !o join5ndia as i!s 2*!h #edera" s!a!e-

/here mus! be an end !o !he heavy'handedness o# !he un'mi!iga!ing on!ro" #reak governmen!s

o# Sri Lanka !ha! have !hrived on !he .uddhis!'Sinha"a hegemony #or #ar !oo "ong-