National

MPs for Bill to re-merge provinces

CHENNAI: Three members of Sri Lanka Parliament, owing allegiance to the Tamil National Alliance, have sought the help of Indian political parties in the re-merger of the northern and eastern provinces through a Bill.

The MPs, N. Srikantha, Selvam Adaikalanathan and M.K. Sivajilingam, told reporters here on Sunday that Sri Lankan Government’s move to conduct polls in the eastern province amounted to a ‘blatant’ violation of the Indo-Sri Lankan accord.

The move was aimed at defeating and destroying the basic political aspirations of the Tamils to live with liberty and dignity in their homeland, Mr. Srikantha said. “The Indian Government should exert pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to honour the aspirations of Tamils on the basis of historical reality, and to abide by the accord.”

Mr. Srikantha said Sri Lanka was obliged to effect the re-merger of provinces by bringing in a Bill, which the TNA and the United National Party would support. In the past few days,

Mr. Srikantha, along with the two other MPs, called on the office-bearers of the Communist Party of India, the CPI (M), the Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Dravida Kazhagam and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, besides Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P. Nedumaran.

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