Political analysts back Stalin for writing to Modi over Lankan constitutional reforms

After Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to protect the interests of Sri Lankan Tamils amid ongoing constitutional reforms in the island nation, political analysts supported the move but differed on whether the display of support across maritime borders would perhaps serve the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam well with regard to the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

“In Tamil Nadu, there is a historical and emotional sense of closeness to Lankan Tamils, so supporting their cause will be in good stead for the elections,” said Bernard D’Sami, Senior Fellow at LISSTAR (Loyola Institute of Social Science Training and Research) in Chennai.

“But Stalin’s insistence on federalism, on unitary constitutions having limitations and warnings of central domination over provinces and ethnic minorities was a miss. Instead, if the chief minister took up Article 13— the devolution of powers, based on which you have provincial councils, he could have focused on the specific power distributions, especially that concerning financial powers. That’s a major gap and miss in the letter. Under (President) Anura, Lanka is drafting a new Constitution where they may try to have new constitutional powers.”

“Every new government in Sri Lanka drafts a new Constitution which does not address the grievances, demands and aspirations of the Tamil population so there is merit in Stalin drawing the attention of the Indian government,” says political analyst Ramu Manivannan. “But he is speaking to the Tamil population in Lanka as the head of the government of Tamil Nadu and not from the DMK’s position. The DMK has no draw on the Tamil question in Sri Lanka so it will not impact the upcoming elections. But, because historically the constitution in Sri Lanka has not favoured Tamils, it is only appropriate for him to speak up. He is throwing the right ball.”

Setting the context that Tamil Nadu has been in the forefront of upholding the rights and aspirations of the Tamils in Sri Lanka due to deep historical, cultural, and emotional ties, Stalin on January 11 in his letter to Modi said that he was duty bound to raise the issue.

Recently, Stalin said he had received detailed representations from Tamil leaders in India and Sri Lanka highlighting the grave risks posed to the Sri Lankan Tamil community by the proposed new constitution of Lanka. “The Sri Lankan Tamils have endured for over 77 years systematic discrimination, violence, and attempts to curb their genuine rights culminating in what many describe as a genocide against their community,” Stalin said.

“The post- independence Constitutions of Sri Lanka—those of 1947, 1972, and 1978—have all been rooted in a unitary state structure, which has enabled planned ethnic violence, structural oppression, and denial of basic rights to the Tamil people,” Stalin said. “This unitary framework has continued to enable demographic changes, land grabs, and erosion of Tamil identity in their traditional homelands.” Stalin added that under current Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake who holds an absolute majority in Parliament, efforts to introduce a new constitution “under the guise of resolving ethnic issues” is accelerated and it “threatens to further marginalize the Tamils by ignoring their legitimate aspirations for political autonomy.”

Stalin said the leaders who approached him on the issue emphasized the Thimpu Principles, articulated by Tamil representatives during the 1985 peace talks facilitated by the Government of India in Bhutan. It calls for recognition of the Tamils of Sri Lanka as a distinct nation; Acknowledgment of the Northern and Eastern Provinces as the traditional homeland of the Tamil people; Affirmation of the right to self-determination for the Tamil nation; and Establishment of a federal system of governance that ensures equality and non-discrimination for all citizens, including full citizenship rights for hill- country Tamils.

“Without incorporating these elements, any new constitution risks perpetuating the cycle of injustice and instability, potentially leading to renewed conflict and humanitarian crises,” Stalin said. “India, as a regional power with a longstanding commitment to peace and justice in Sri Lanka—evidenced by our historical involvement, including the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987—has a moral and strategic imperative to act. The plight of Sri Lankan Tamils resonates deeply in Tamil Nadu, where millions view them as kin, and any deterioration in their situation could have broader implications for bilateral relations and regional stability.”

This also comes amid several letters that Stalin has written to Modi to diplomatically engage with Lanka to find a lasting solution to its Navy’s alleged attacks on Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who are languishing in their jails with their boats apprehended. “Specifically, India should press for the inclusion of federal arrangements that devolve power to the provinces, protect ethnic minority rights, and uphold the principles of pluralism and equality,” Stalin said. “Such an approach would not only honor India’s role as a guarantor of regional peace but also align with our constitutional values of federalism and protection of linguistic and ethnic minorities.”