The birth of Tamil militancy

The National Reconciliation Policy looks back on the roots of the ethnic conflict

The root causes of the three-decade conflict in Sri Lanka can be traced back to unequal treatment of the Tamil population and real and perceived discrimination by the State. Many Tamils believed the State and its structures favoured the interests of the majority community, and several changes in State practices were seen as discriminatory and unjust. The Tamil community’s campaign was against State structures and policies considered discriminatory of the Tamils rather than against the Sinhalese. The failure of the dominant section, of the Sinhala polity to address these grievances, the failure to rigorously examine changes in policy and practice by successive governments, so as to take into account possible adverse impacts on minorities and avoid such impacts, the subsequent creation of a Tamil political leadership which permitted the growth of unrealistic expectations amongst the Tamil youth, all contributed to the birth of Tamil militancy. Finally, the democratic Tamil political leadership lost control and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) monopolised the Tamil struggle, with disastrous consequences for Tamils as well as the country as a whole.

In its assessment of relations between the different ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, the Soulbury Commission referred to a permanent Sinhalese majority of more than two-thirds of the total population, with the next largest segment (Tamils exclusive of up-country Tamils) being around ten percent. The Commission argued that the character of majority-minority relations was shaped by these demographic realities and governed by deep-seated predispositions entrenched in the con-

With the emergence of armed groups in support of Tamil demands, the conflict took a different complexion with attacks and counterattacks resulting in the deaths of large numbers of civilians

sciousness of both majority and minority which led to apprehension and distrust.

Though some Tamil grievances were expressed early on, it was only after 1956, following the Official Languages Act, that the political agenda of the Tamil parties underwent a fundamental change. For the first time after independence, the statement of Tamil grievances is clearly presented in the Bandaranaike—Chelvanayakam Pact and explicitly linked to the need for political power at the regional level.

The Bandaranaike— Chelvanayakam Pact was unilaterally abrogated by Prime Minister Bandaranaike. Thereafter, broken pledges on the part of successive governments became a recurrent feature of the Sinhala—Tamil relationship and an overriding Tamil grievance. But the decisive rift in the inter-ethnic relationship came with the antiTamil riots of 1977 and 1981, the latter accompanied by a government motion of no-confidence in the leader of the democratic Tamil opposition. When this was followed by the Black July attacks of 1983, and the failure of the then Government to provide adequate protection to Tamil citizens, while effectively driving the main Tamil political party out of parliament, militancy took over as the preferred option for many Tamil youngsters.

With the emergence of armed groups in support of Tamil demands, the conflict took a different complexion with attacks and counterattacks resulting in the deaths of large numbers of civilians. This allowed the Government to refer only to a terrorist problem and ignore root causes, thus contributing to the continuing political problem receiving less attention. Attitudes began to harden amongst many on both sides of the communal divide, making it difficult for moderates to push for a just solution through negotiations.

Successive gover nments attempted negotiations with representatives of the Tamil people, but these broke down for multiple reasons. The LTTE took advantage of such negotiations at times in its campaign to establish dominance and decimate all other Tamil groups and persons advancing a Tamil voice in national politics. These developments led to what is inevitable in armed conflict, the loss of civilian life on both sides.

With the defeat of the LTTE In May 2009, the armed conflict came to an end. However root causes of the conflict remain and have to be addressed in order to prevent the recurrence of the past in whatever form. Further, the war caused additional negative fallouts such as physical destruction of infrastructure, an amplification of socio-economic deprivation in the war-torn areas of the country, and loss of life of Tamil civilians caught up in the final phase of the war. It also led to increased suspicion and resentment amongst the three main ethnic communities in the country and widened the gap in trust and understanding.

(The above is the first part of a series on: the draft “National Reconciliation Policy)