Sri Lanka’s newly released preliminary census figures from 2024 illustrated how the Tamil North-East, particularly the Vanni region, remains the worst-affected part of the island in terms of population loss and stagnation.

Throughout the past few weeks the Sri Lankan military's activities in civilian spheres in the Tamil homeland continued unabated.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko has strongly condemned the recent defence cooperation agreement signed between India and Sri Lanka during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Vaiko criticised the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed between the two countries as part of a broader package of agreements reached during Modi’s official visit to the island.

Tamil politicians from across the North-East said they had discussed the devolution of powers and federalism with Narendra Modi, as the Indian Prime Minister visited Colombo this weekend and said he “reiterated unwavering commitment to a life of equality, dignity and justice for the Tamil community”.

“It is always a pleasure to meet the leaders of the Tamil community of Sri Lanka,” tweeted Modi.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Colombo in April 2025, India and Sri Lanka signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation—an agreement that both governments say is rooted in shared security interests and mutual trust.

What the agreement includes