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Economic push needed
News:
1.Political analysts feel that India must help in the development of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Majority North and Eastern Provinces.
Important Facts:
- Political settlement is seen as the key to the problem faced by Sri Lanka’s North and Easter provinces.It includes
Greater devolution of powers to provinces and Merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces - Devolution of powers and merger of the provinces was featured in the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord.
- Some provisions of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord have been incorporated into the 13th Amendment of Sri Lanka’s Constitution. Tamil politicians of Sri Lanka are of the view that India is duty-bound to ensure full and proper implementation these provisions.
5. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s Annual Report for 2017 highlighted the poor contribution of the civil-war-hit Northern and Eastern provinces to the GDP of the country (4.2% and 5.7%, respectively). - Views of people:
(i)Leaders should highlight the need for economic development of the region.
(ii)Only when the economic contribution of the region increases, the leaders would realise that they have the necessary capacity and competence to handle greater powers that could be devolved through any political settlement. - These days India has not been stating its position publicly on the political settlement, except for calling for the strengthening of the 13th Amendment.
- No big initiative has been taken for economic engagement with India despite a Tamil Chief Minister heading the Northern Province.
- Indian projects in Sri Lanka:
(i)The Northern Railway reconstruction project, leading to the revival of train services between Talaimannar and Colombo
(ii)Construction of 46,000 houses in the North and East.
(iii)A bilateral pact was signed between India and Sri Lanka to rehabilitate the Kankesanthurai Harbour.
(iv)Proposal to modernise Palaly airport, near Jaffna(not taken off as yet)
10)Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed an economic union of 5 southern States and Sri Lanka which would have a combined GDP of over $500 billion.
