Sinhalese Vs. Tamils - A Conflict Since Time Immemorial

Various parts of Tamil Nadu has seen many people protesting against neighboring island Country Sri Lanka that is accused of killing millions of Tamil people after defeating the- erstwhile powerful activists- LTTE in the year 2009 after a civil war that lasted for about 26 years. Especially the Tamil Nadu political parties and social organizations are staging huge number of protests day after day. A majority of faction blames Indian union government stating it to have supported the Sri Lankan army with weapons and armed training to defeat militants as a retaliation to the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The politicians in Tamil Nadu have very well reacted for the issue. From boycotting the travel of Sri Lankan citizens to India from restricting the Indian Prime Minister to attend the recent Commonwealth meet in Colombo. Opposition is not a matter of fact as all politicians were seen fighting unanimously for the cause.

The fact is, not only from 1983-2009, since time immemorial the conflict between Tamils and Sinhalaese in the island country persist. So now let us go back to the times of Pallavas and Cholas.

Conquest Of Pallavas, Cholas

The inscriptions and records so far available says that the Pallavas were ruling the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka. During the time of Narasimhavarman I(630 CE– 668 CE), numerous number of rock cut temples in dravidian style were constructed. And coming to the Cholas conquest, Raja Raja Chola captured Anuradhapura in Northern Sri Lanka somewhere between 991 AD and 993 AD and dominated the northern province till 1076 AD-1077 AD. The Cholas made use of a local civil war against the then Sinhalese monarch Mahinda V.

Raja Raja Chola was succeeded by Rajendra Chola and the latter by Kulothunga Chola. Things were successful until 1041 AD when Vikramabahu I rose in a rebellion and drove chola to Pulattinagara. But he mysteriously died. When Rajendra was successfully carrying-out the conquest of his predecessor Kulothunga lost it. But by 1076 AD- 1077 AD Vijayabahu, the Sinhalese king fought back and drove the Tamil rulers out of the island.

During the reign of Cholas it is said that certain Tamil business communities who had trade affairs with Sinhalese entered the island and started trading from there. Nagarattar, Nanadesi, Valanjiyar were some who settled down in Sri Lanka during the conquest of Cholas. It is also mentioned that certain Vanniyar community settled down on the eastern parts of the island. All such communities were apparently dominating the Sinhalese in their home land in the upcoming centuries.

1900s To Post-Independence Era

Eventhough invasions and conquests make a irreversible damage to ethnic settlements, people have accepted each other as happened in the case of other countries at one point of time. But minor issues were revolving around, which blew up and led to acts of discrimination and adding injury to the wound.

But unlikely, the beginning of 19^th century saw dominance of the Tamil community who were appointed in top government posts and designated especially to dominate the ethnics. As per the records, after 1948(Independence) it is said that Tamil communities continued dominating them for which the latter opposed and led the Government pass Sinhala Only Act on the year 1956.

According to this Act, Sinhala became the official language of Sri Lanka as 70 percent of the nations population constituted Sinhala. So this act certainly discriminated the Tamil language. But opposition mounted as majority of civil servants were Tamils, which led the government to revert it as Sinhala Only, Tamil Also in 1958. But by 1970, everything was Sinhalese in civil service departments thereby forcing the Tamils to resign as they were not fluent in the ethnic language.

By 1970 Policy Of Standardization was launched stating disparity in the colonial structure. The policy was claimed to be discriminating the Tamils thereby asking them to score more marks in university entrance exams.

All these issues and even more paved way for Black July in 1983 and all put together served as a reason for the civil war that broke out on the same year taken forward by well known militant group and lasted till 2009. By 2009 militants were defeated by the army.