Tamil leaders urge Jaishankar to press for early Provincial Council elections
24-Dec-2025.
Tamil political leaders jointly urged Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to exert pressure to hold Provincial Council elections without delay, warning against postponements under the pretext of the recent disaster.
They conveyed their concerns that Tamil representatives were not included in post-disaster relief efforts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, and noted that had Provincial Councils been functioning, relief operations could have been coordinated through them. The leaders made these representations during a meeting with Dr. Jaishankar.
They further pointed out that the National People’s Power (NPP) government has sidelined elected Members of Parliament and local authorities under Tamil administration, and is instead implementing an initiative called “Praja Shakthi,” about which no clear information has been shared.
The meeting between Dr. Jaishankar, who arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday for a two-day official visit, and representatives of Tamil national political parties was held on Dec 23 at India House in Colombo.
Representing the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) were Acting Leader C.V.K. Sivagnanam, Parliamentary Group Leader C. Sritharan, General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran, and MP R. Shanakiyan. MPs Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Dharmalingam Sithadthan, and Suresh Premachandran represented the Democratic Tamil National Alliance, while Tamil National People’s Front Leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam also participated. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha was present as well.
At the outset, Dr. Jaishankar inquired about the impact of Cyclone “Thithva” and ongoing relief operations in the North and East. Tamil representatives stated that over 3,000 livestock had perished in Mannar District alone, with similar losses reported in Trincomalee.
They reiterated that due to the absence of functioning Provincial Councils, they had been excluded from relief coordination. They also informed Dr. Jaishankar that although the government had promised to hold Provincial Council elections within a year of assuming office, no steps had yet been taken. Reference was made to a Private Member’s Motion submitted to Parliament by MP R. Shanakiyan to conduct the elections under the previous system.
The leaders also expressed concern that the government is exploring alternatives to abolish the Provincial Council system and introduce other mechanisms, including a governor-centric executive structure.
Stressing that Provincial Councils were “India’s creation,” the Tamil leaders stated that while Tamils are custodians of the system, India bears responsibility for its protection. They called on India to pressure the Sri Lankan government to hold elections promptly.
They further requested India to ensure that any new constitution includes a meaningful federal solution with maximum devolution of power for Tamils, regardless of the terminology used.
The meeting also included extended discussions on the development of Palaly Airport. Dr. Jaishankar stated that merely upgrading the runway would not be sufficient to make it commercially viable, and that broader development measures were required. He also noted that necessary pressure had been applied regarding the development of Kankesanthurai Port, expressing confidence that work would begin soon.
At the conclusion of the meeting, ITAK and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance jointly handed over a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing the urgency of holding Provincial Council elections, to Dr. Jaishankar.
