New Delhi, 31 October, (Asiantribune.com): The Delhi Declaration proclaimed a solution to the current problem of linguistic divide in Sri Lanka should not be so structured as to reward terrorism or permit any terrorist outfit on either side of the divide to gain in legitimacy or in access to authority of the state.
The conference on ‘India’s Sri Lanka’s policy objectives, priorities and strategy was held on Saturday, in New Delhi presided over by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a former Law and Commerce Minister of India.
More than 40 academics, political leaders, and speakers participated in the one-day conference. The conference got underway with a call by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, that the conference should focus, among other things, on a possible option for India to intervene at the invitation of the Sri Lankan government.
The conference adopted the ‘Delhi Declaration’ and accordingly, part of it urged that, whatever solution is found, India should ensure that the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is not forgotten, but that those accused in the proceedings before the court conducting the trial, and declared to be proclaimed offenders are brought to book under the law.
India should not endorse any solution unless this minimum condition is met.
The full text of the unanimously adopted Delhi Declarations are as follows:
1. This Conference declares that a solution to the current problem of linguistic divide in Sri Lanka should not be so structured as to reward terrorism or permit any terrorist outfit on either side of the divide to gain in legitimacy or in access to authority of the state.
Hence, this Conference rejects the concept that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) can be sole spokesperson agency of the minority Tamils of the island nation. To that extent, this Conference calls upon the concerned international community to ensure that any peace talks in the Sri Lanka is broad based and inclusive, and that in finding a solution take all interests and parties in the divide into account.
Furthermore, whatever solution is found, India should ensure that the assassination of former Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi is not forgotten, but that those accused in the proceedings before the court conducting the trial, and declared to be proclaimed offenders are brought to book under the law. India should not endorse any solution unless this minimum condition is met.
2. This Conference declares that the clear and appropriate solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka arising out of a linguistic divide is a properly safeguarded federal constitution. The safeguards are to ensure that basic federal structure of the said constitution cannot be amended in the future by a parliamentary majority vote and that the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is sanctified beyond challenge.
Since such a solution has universal appeal as also acceptance of the peace loving and democratic people on both sides of the linguistic divide, and wide international applicability, hence the Sri Lanka government should obtain the necessary parliamentary approval and declare its intention to replace the present unitary constitution with such a federal constitution when peace in the country prevails.
This Conference declares that the international community and India in particular, should assist the Sri Lanka government to ensure that the essential peaceful environment prevails to implement such a federal constitution. Hence, any outfit or organization that seeks to block the implementation of such a constitution or disrupt the peaceful environment should be treated as a terrorist organization and dealt as such by the international community within the framework of the UN Resolution on Terrorism.
