Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
izenship and repatriate them to India was indicative of a rising tide of Sinhalese national-
ism.
In 1956 this divide increased when the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) came to
power with an agenda based on socialism, Sinhalese nationalism and government support
for Buddhism. One of the first tasks of SLFP leader SWRD Bandaranaike was to fulfil a
campaign promise to make Sinhala the country's sole official language. Under the British,
Tamils became capable English speakers and were overrepresented in universities and
public-service jobs, which created Sinhalese resentment, especially during the slow eco-
nomy 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 ser-
vices. Although tensions had been simmering 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 favouring 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 Liber-
ation Front (Janatha 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.
