COLOMBO — Douglas Devananda, a former minister and leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, has sharply criticized fellow Tamil leaders for what he described as a missed opportunity during a recent meeting with C. P. Radhakrishnan, saying they failed to effectively press the needs of the Tamil people.
Mr. Douglas Devananda said the discussions appeared to focus more on internal disagreements among Tamil politicians than on substantive demands affecting their constituents.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said the meeting — held during the Indian Vice President’s recent visit to Sri Lanka — had left both him and the public “disappointed,” arguing that Tamil representatives had not used the opportunity to advance key political and economic concerns.
“Instead of raising the needs and aspirations of the Tamil people, it appears they took their internal disputes to him and sought solutions,” he said.
Mr. Douglas Devananda acknowledged that the visit itself was “welcome,” but said the failure to articulate clear demands reflected a broader pattern of fragmentation within Tamil politics.
He contrasted the episode with his own past engagements with Indian leaders. Recalling a 2010 visit to India as part of a delegation led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he said he had helped secure development initiatives, including a 50,000-house program, agricultural assistance, and the Jaffna Cultural Centre.
He also reiterated his longstanding position that Sri Lanka’s 13th Amendment — which provides for limited devolution of power to provinces — should be viewed as a starting point for resolving the ethnic question, though not a final solution.
Mr. Douglas Devananda further accused some Tamil politicians of prioritizing “self-serving political interests,” a charge likely to deepen divisions within an already fragmented political landscape.
There was no immediate response from the Tamil parties involved in the meeting.
Mr. Douglas Devananda, a party general secretary, an early figure in Tamil militancy, and a long-serving Tamil minister, was not invited to the meeting with Mr. Radhakrishnan.
Political observers say he has not been included in Indian diplomatic engagements in recent months following his loss of both his parliamentary seat and ministerial portfolio in the last election.
Some analysts note that such exclusions risk reinforcing perceptions of selective outreach by Indian officials, potentially narrowing the range of Tamil political voices engaged at a time when broader representation may be critical.
