Given Sri Lanka’s majoritarian turn, appeals to address Tamil aspirations may be ineffectual
India’s appeal to Sri Lanka to address the aspirations of its Tamil minority will certainly find resonance among the Tamil-speaking populace on both sides of the Palk Strait, but it is doubtful if it will have any effect. A joint statement by both countries after a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on September 26, not only reiterated India’s stated policy of seeking to ensure “equality, justice, peace and respect within a united Sri Lanka” for Tamils, but explicitly mentioned the need to carry forward the reconciliation process through the implementation of the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution. It said Mr. Rajapaksa expressed confidence that Sri Lanka would work towards “realising the expectations” of all…