Indian Foreign Secretary seeks to understand Sri Lankan Government’s position
07-Aug-2026.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed representatives of Tamil national political parties that India had no delay on its part in implementing the economic development projects planned in Sri Lanka and that India was keen to expedite them.
He also indicated that the Sri Lankan Government had been avoiding progress on these projects by suggesting that delays were occurring from the Indian side.
The meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who arrived in Sri Lanka on an official visit on August 5, and representatives of Tamil national political parties was held in Colombo.
The approximately 45-minute discussion was attended by M.A. Sumanthiran, M.A. Chanakyan, P. Sathiyalingam and K. Kodeeswaran representing the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi; Selvam Adaikalanathan and Dharmalingam Siddharthan representing the Democratic Tamil National Alliance; and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam representing the Tamil National People’s Front.
During the meeting, representatives pointed out to Mr. Misri that although the present Government had pledged to conduct Provincial Council elections within one year of assuming office, the promise had not yet been fulfilled. They urged that concrete measures should be taken to conduct the elections without further delay.
Commenting on the Provincial Council system, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam stated that the system had several shortcomings and that since financial authority over Provincial Councils remained with the Central Government, difficulties had arisen in meeting basic requirements such as healthcare and education in the provinces.
He said Provincial Councils would serve little purpose if they remained merely symbolic structures and warned that the consequences of unresolved issues relating to their powers and responsibilities would be serious.
Meanwhile, Dharmalingam Siddharthan stated that the failure of Tamil political parties to work together had contributed to the perception that the National People’s Power had gained a foothold in the North. He said such a situation could have been avoided if all parties had moved forward together.
Selvam Adaikalanathan agreed, stating that Tamil political parties would face a similar situation as in the past if they failed to unite during the forthcoming Provincial Council elections.
The Tamil representatives also briefed the Indian Foreign Secretary on the current status of discussions regarding the drafting of a new Constitution.
Responding to the views expressed, Mr. Misri said India could not act in favour of any particular ethnic group regarding constitutional matters, but stressed that equality for all citizens of Sri Lanka must be ensured.
The Tamil representatives agreed with the principle of equality for all citizens but pointed out that such equality had not been adequately ensured in practice.
The Indian Foreign Secretary also questioned whether lands occupied by security forces in the Northern and Eastern Provinces were lands abandoned by the people.
In response, the Tamil representatives explained that many people had been forced to leave their lands and migrate due to the civil war and related oppression, and clarified that these were privately owned lands and not abandoned properties.
They also highlighted recent Government actions involving the acquisition of private lands through various means and the construction of Buddhist temples on such lands.
Discussions also covered delays in implementing economic projects expected to be undertaken by India in Sri Lanka. Seeking to understand the Sri Lankan Government’s position on the matter, Mr. Misri stated that India wished to accelerate the implementation of these projects and that there had been no delay from the Indian side.
He further expressed concern that when questions were raised in Parliament and outside regarding the issue, the Sri Lankan Government appeared to be avoiding implementation by citing reasons such as the need to appoint a coordinating officer for communication purposes.
