The Dravidian parties and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa has cautioned Dr Singh not to attend the CHOGM summit as the island country had violated human rights by eliminating large section of its Tamil population in 2009 and has not yet devolved political powers to Tamil-dominated northern province according to the 13th Amendment to its Constitution as per the assurances given to India. The pace of rehabilitation and resettlement of the people after 2009 massacre has been at a slow pace.

The former Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to UN, Dayan Jayatilleka alleged “India is moving from a federal state to asymmetric confederation or de facto confederation” This, according him, is posing problems for the Indian government to decide on issues relating to Sri Lanka and the important CHOGM Summit being hosted by it in November 15-17.

He cautioned that if the Indian Prime Minister decides not to attend the Colombo CHOGM, “it would send wrong signals as Sri Lanka has recently conducted elections to the northern provincial council” with a view to give political rights to the people.

Jayatilleka alleged that the Tamil Nadu Government and the people of Tamil Nadu were exerting “unwarranted pressure” on the Indian Government to change its policies on issues of global importance.

Jayatilleka, who was speaking at the 7th South Asia Conference hosted by the Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, here on Wednesday compared the current situation of Tamil Nadu pressurizing the India government to the “US policy towards Cuba being shaped by Florida.”

He took a dig at the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) filing a suit against Indian External Affairs Ministry over the proposed participation of Dr Singh at 23rd CHOGM in Colombo.

Jayatilleka said that in 2000s, the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga was planning to devolve political powers as per the 13th Amendment to the northern province, but India did not reciprocate favorably by creating conducive environment in its bilateral relationship.

He criticized the Tamil Nadu government for banning screening of the Hindi movie, Madras Café, whereas the film which relates to the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was shown in picture halls in Sri Lanka.

He cautioned the Indian government to weigh the benefits of trade, economic, political and diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka before deciding to embitter its ties with the island country by boycotting the CHOGM Summit as it may lead to different consequences.