# India urges Sri Lanka on provincial polls and fishermen’s release 2026-08-06T17:45:40+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri urged Sri Lanka on August 5 to hold long-delayed Provincial Council elections at the earliest and fully implement constitutional provisions for Tamil people, The Hindu reports, citing the Ministry of External Affairs. Sri Lanka’s nine councils have been without elections since their terms expired between 2017 and 2019. Misri also sought Sri Lanka’s cooperation for the early release of detained Indian fishermen and their boats, urging a humanitarian approach, Hindustan Times reports. Talks covered recovery assistance after Cyclone Ditwah, energy, trade, digital identity and the proposed Trincomalee energy hub. Sri Lanka’s presidential statement mentioned technology, energy, trade, drug trafficking and climate cooperation, but not the provincial polls. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - hindustantimes.com Tags: foreign policy, India-Sri Lanka ties, Provincial elections, Sri Lanka, Tamil rights Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/misri-urges-sri-lanka-to-hold-delayed-provincial-polls-soon/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/misri-urges-sri-lanka-to-hold-delayed-provincial-polls-soon/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.