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Tamils became capable English speakers and were overrepresented in

universities and public-service jobs, which created Sinhalese resentment,

especially during the slow economy of the 1950s. The main political

parties played on Sinhalese fear that their religion, language and

culture could be swamped by Indians, perceived to be natural allies of

Sri Lankan Tamils. The Tamils, whose Hindu identity had become more

pronounced in the lead-up to independence, began to find themselves in

the position of threatened minority.

The Sinhala-only bill disenfranchised Sri Lanka’s Hindu and Muslim

Tamil-speaking population: almost 30% of the country suddenly lost

access to government jobs and services. Although tensions had been sim-

mering since the end of colonial rule, this decision marked the beginning

of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict.

A similar scenario played out in 1970, when a law was passed favour-

ing Sinhalese for admission to universities, reducing numbers of Tamil

students. Then, following an armed insurrection against the government

by the hardline anti-Tamil, student-led People’s Liberation Front (Jana-

tha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP), a new constitution (which changed

Ceylon’s name to Sri Lanka) gave Buddhism ‘foremost place’ in Sri Lanka

and made it the state’s duty to ‘protect and foster’ Buddhism.

Unrest grew among northern Tamils, and a state of emergency was

imposed on their home regions for several years from 1971. The police

and army that enforced the state of emergency included few Tamils

(partly because of the ‘Sinhala only’ law), creating further division and,

for Tamils, an acute sense of oppression.

Birth of the Tigers

In the mid-1970s several groups of young Tamils, some of them militant,

began advocating for an independent Tamil state called Eelam (Precious

Enemy Lines:

Warfare, Child-

hood, and Play

in Batticaloa, by

Margaret Trawick,

is a poignant

memoir of living

and working in

eastern Sri Lanka

and witnessing

the recruitment

of teenagers to

the LTTE cause.

MEMOIRS

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Changing the country’s name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka in 1972 caused considerable

confusion for foreigners. However, for the Sinhalese it has always been known as Lanka

and for the Tamils as Ilankai; the Ramayana, too, describes the abduction of Sita by the

king of Lanka. The Romans knew the island as Taprobane and Muslim traders talked of

Serendib, meaning ‘Island of Jewels’ in Arabic. The word Serendib became the root of

the word ‘serendipity’ – the art of making happy and unexpected discoveries. The Portu-

guese somehow twisted Sinhala-dvipa (Island of the Sinhalese) into Ceilão. In turn, the

Dutch altered this to Ceylan and the British to Ceylon. In 1972 ‘Lanka’ was restored, with

the addition of ‘Sri’, a title of respect.

1919

Following the British

arrest in 1915 of Sinha-

lese leaders for minor

offences, the Ceylon

National Congress

unifies Sinhalese and

Tamil groups to further

nationalist and pro-

independence goals.

1931

A new constitution in-

troduces power sharing

with a Sinhalese-run

government. universal

suffrage is introduced

as the country is the

first Asian colony to

give women the right

to vote.

1948

Ceylon becomes an in-

dependent member of

the Commonwealth six

months after India. The

united National party

( uNp) consolidates

power by depriving

p antation Tamils of l

citizenship.

1956

The Sri Lankan

Freedom party (SLFp)

defeats the uNp on a

socialist and nationalist

platform. protests,

ethnic riots and conflict

break out after a

‘Sinhala only’ language

law is passed.

History

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