Gopalaswamy Parthasarathy, the special emissary of the Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, arrives in Colombo to negotiate a settlement between the Government and the Tamil representatives on the ethnic issue. The negotiations culminate in the ‘Parthasarathy Proposals’.
Source
An Analysis of Thimpu Talks (1985) and the PA-LTTE Talks (1994-95) – Some Lessons on Processes of Negotiations in Armed Conflict, Kethesh Loganathan (2001); Sri Lanka: Ethnic Conflict and the Search for a Durable Peace 1978-1999, K.M. de Silva (1999).
Quotations
“I expressed my view that these proposals may not meet the aspirations of the Tamil minority. Mr Jayawardene told me that the Sri Lankan government is willing to consider any other proposals which would give the Tamil minority their due share in the affairs of their country within the framework of a united Sri Lanka…I gave my view that discussion between the Government and the Tamil community on this broader basis would be useful and that a solution has to be sought at the conference table. I offered our good offices in whatever manner that may be needed.” Indira Gandhi, before the Indian Parliament, cited in Daily News, 13 August 1983.
Extract from ‘An Analysis of Thimpu Talks (1985) and the PA-LTTE Talks (1994-95)’
“It was an offer that J.R.Jayawardene could not refuse! And, so began the process of a two-pronged strategy by India. The first was the strengthening of the resistance capacity of the Tamil militants to demonstrate to Colombo the non-viability of a military solution. The other was a diplomatic initiative aimed at getting the two parties to the conflict to agree on a negotiated political solution. Thus began a flurry of initiatives culminating in the ‘Parthasarathy Proposals’ and the All Party Conference (APC) of 1984 in which the TULF grudgingly agreed to participate at the prodding from New Delhi.”
Extract from ‘Sri Lanka: Ethnic Conflict and the Search for a Durable Peace 1978-99′
“The concept of a north-eastern province had figured in the diplomatic negotiations between India and Sri Lanka for the first time in 1983; it was embodied in the controversial Annexure “C” associated with the diplomatic forays of G Parathasarathy, Indira Gandhi’s special envoy to Sri Lanka, in the wake of the riots of July 1983. When this document was placed before the All Party Conference of 1984 for discussion it failed to win any support there.”
Related events
8 July 1985
17 August 1985
