The Supreme Court declares unlawful the 1987 merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces to form a single Tamil dominated North Eastern Province under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
Timeline of events under "India" issue
Anton Balasingham, chief negotiator of the LTTE, apologises to India for the LTTE's assassination of former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, in 1991.
The government passes the Grant of Citizenship to Persons of Indian Origin Act (Act No.35 of 2003). The Act grants citizenship to persons of Indian origin residing in Sri Lanka since October 1964 and their descendants.
Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated in a suicide bombing in India; the LTTE is implicated.
Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) withdrawal is completed.
The LTTE takes over areas vacated by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in the North and East. Violence between the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE escalates.
International Committee Red Cross (ICRC) arrives in Sri Lanka. IPKF begins its withdrawal. The Tamil National Army and the Sri Lankan Army move into the areas vacated by the IPKF.
President Premadasa and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sign an agreement providing for the withdrawal of the IPKF from the North and East by 31 December and the suspension of offensive military operations against the LTTE from the 29 September onwards.
President Jayewardene authorises the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces within a single North Eastern Province, through Section 37(1) of the Provincial Councils Act No. 42 of 1987.
Sri Lanka passes the Grant of Citizenship to Stateless Persons Act. All stateless persons of Indian origin lawfully resident in Sri Lanka (who were not amongst the 506,000 who had applied for Indian citizenship under the earlier pacts) were entitled to Sri Lankan citizenship under this Act.
The agreement is signed between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayewardene, on the deployment of Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka.
India sends 'humanitarian aid' to Jaffna, following the Vadamarachchi offensive. When these fishing boats were turned back by the Sri Lankan navy, the Indian Air Force dropped food and medical supplies in Jaffna the next day violating the Sri Lankan air space.
The Thimpu peace talks fail over allegations of ceasefire violations and counter allegations.
The first attempt at peace talks between the government of Sri Lanka and various Tamil groups: the 'Thimpu talks' are initiated by the Indian government. The government lifts the eight month long night curfew in the Northern Province.
