Colombo: India-Sri Lanka ties in 2013 were affected by differences over alleged rights abuses in the war against the LTTE and giving political rights to Tamils, even as Colombo held provincial polls after 25 years in the Tamil-dominated north as part of reconciliation.
Hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November brought Sri Lanka back in international spotlight with some leaders boycotting the summit over the country's human rights record.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh skipped the summit due to stiff opposition from political parties in Tamil Nadu, demanding a “total boycott” over the Tamil issue and their political rights, four years after the Sri Lankan troops crushed Tamil rebels fighting for a separate homeland.
However, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid attended the summit and said India was committed to the welfare of Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamils and would remain engaged with the country in the “enlightened national interest”.
