In addition, he reminded the people of Jaffna of the deal he had made with India on his visit to Delhi the previous year to improve connectivity between the two nations by building a land bridge that would connect Tamilnadu Rameswaram and northwest Sri Lanka’s Talaimannar.
Wickremesinghe obviously wants the support of the minority Tamil population as the nation prepares for this year’s twin election—the legislative and presidential—while reeling from an economic crisis and requirements imposed by the International Monetary Fund. He was probably also sending a message to Delhi, whose assistance the Tamil community has been requesting for issues related to post-war accountability and reconciliation, as well as constitutional reform.
Source: Construction World
His main proposal for deeper “economic integration” with India has been the land bridge. He has also advocated for the creation of special economic zones with the more advanced southern Indian states since taking over last year. The Tamil community in Sri Lanka has been waiting for a solution to the major national issue for almost forty years, but in vain. The north and east have been gradually becoming more Sinhalized since the end of the conflict, with a deliberate Buddhist incursion into areas of religious territory.
Many economic and interpersonal benefits may result from a land bridge connecting India and the Tamil north, not only for the minority population in Sri Lanka but also, as Wickremesinghe has stated, for the entire nation.However, since Wickremesinghe’s visit six months ago, there has been no update on this project from India. Although Delhi seems to be taking a while to accept his invitation to take part in a strategic infrastructure project, it’s also possible—in fact, highly likely—that Delhi is holding out to see if Colombo follows through on its promise to fully implement the 13th Amendment.
Source: WION
This is especially relevant given that the project is anticipated to connect India and Sri Lanka via the Tamil north, where there hasn’t been a provincial government with the authority to decide how to use land resources. Despite being spelled out in the 13th Amendment, a northern provincial administration that was elected following the war lacked land authority. As a result of the amendment’s introduction as a constitutional provision in 1987, most Sinhala nationalists are against its full execution.
The proposal of a land bridge has originated from a Sinhalese leader with a wider understanding of Sri Lanka-India relations than most. What will make or break it, though, is how the majority Sinhalese view this link and how it might affect the Tamil question.
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