In an exclusive interview with Altaf Ahmad of Khabar South Asia India' External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid describing the relations with Sri Lanka has said that India was assured that the 13th Amendment would provide a solution applicable to all communities.
"We were assured that the 13th amendment would give Sri Lankans, Tamils and other ethnicities the right to live with dignity and honor," Khurshid said.
When asked whether the Indian government is ready to assist Sri Lanka to calm Sinhalese concerns about a northern Tamil political power base, the Indian Minister has noted that Sri Lanka as a sovereign state has to made the decision on a suitable solution.
"Sri Lanka is a sovereign state. It is for them to decide about their country," Khurshid said.
"Our concern is that the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi should be respected," he noted.
"The Sri Lankan government sought our help, and, in response to that, we were promised that there would be devolution of power from the center to states -- like it is in India," he added.
Sri Lankan President has assured India that a solution which goes beyond the 13th Amendment would be considered as the political solution to the ethnic problem.
The Sri Lankan government has appointed a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for all political parties in parliament to arrive at a consensus on a political solution.
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