| (The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.) In a videoconference with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for better implementation of the 13th amendment of its Constitution, which devolves power to provinces and is linked to the Tamil question in the country. PM Modi also expressed India's concerns about the rights of the Tamil minority to the neighbouring Sinhala-majority nation's newly elected government. The 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution is a result of a 1987 accord with India in an attempt to quell the insurgency in the island nation. The Amendment created provincial councils in the country, chiefly as a platform for self-governance for the Tamils in the north and east. However, the power devolution has remained incomplete with a strong central control still in place. Right from its creation, significant sections of the Sri Lankan polity have seen the Amendment as an Indian imposition. Though President Mahinda Rajapaksa has not spoken against it, there are elements in the current government that have called for it to be scrapped. PM Modi has re-emphasised India's commitment to an issue which is anathema to Sri Lanka's Sinhala-dominated ruling structure. The Tamil-nationalist insurgency led by the LTTE that sustained a civil war in the country for several years, and the Sinhala-Buddhist majoritarian sentiments that have seen an upswing in recent times mean that this issue will remain highly divisive in the near future as it has in the past. While Mr. Rajapaksa has concurred with Mr. Modi on the need for the 13th Amendment, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa -- the PM's brother who is set to enjoy greater powers under an upcoming constitutional amendment -- may not fully agree. Also, in the same videoconference, India was non-committal on some of Sri Lanka's requests regarding its debts. This dynamic between the neighbouring countries, including on a deeply polarising internal issue, is what makes this story important. | 
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