Sri Lanka has retained democracy since its independence in 1948. But it faced a serious challenge, not from the military or monarchy, but rather from ethnic conflict leading to the demand for secession by one of the regions.
After its independence, politics in Sri Lanka (it was then known as Ceylon) was dominated by forces that represented the interests of the majority Sinhala community. They were hostile to a large number of Tamils who had migrated from India to Sri Lanka and settled there. This migration continued even after independence. The Sinhala nationalists thought that Sri Lanka should not give 'concessions' to the Tamils because Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhala people only. The neglect of Tamil concerns led to militant Tamil nationalism. From 1983 onward, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was fighting an armed struggle with the army of Sri Lanka in pursuit of their demand for a "Tamil Elam" or separate country for the Tamilians of Sri Lanka. At one point in time, the northeastern part of Sri Lanka was controlled by the LTTE.
The government of India has from time to time tried to negotiate with the Sri Lankan government on the Tamil question. But in 1987, the government of India for the first time got directly involved in the Sri Lankan Tamil question. India signed an accord with Sri Lanka and sent troops to stabilize relations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamils. Eventually, the Indian Army got into a fight with the LTTE. The presence of Indian troops was also not liked much by the Sri Lankans. They saw this as an attempt by India to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. In 1989, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) pulled out of Sri Lanka without attaining its objective.
Identifying Sri Lanka's Minority Community
The provided text describes the historical political situation in Sri Lanka after its independence in 1948. It highlights the dynamics between different communities, particularly focusing on the Sinhala and Tamil populations.
Understanding the Majority and Minority Dynamics
The text explicitly states that the politics in Sri Lanka was dominated by forces representing the interests of the **majority Sinhala community**. This indicates that the Sinhala people formed the larger population group and held significant political power.
In contrast, the text mentions the presence of a "large number of Tamils who had migrated from India to Sri Lanka and settled there." It further explains that these Tamils faced hostility from Sinhala nationalists and that their concerns were often neglected, leading to militant Tamil nationalism and a demand for a separate state.
Analysis of Community Status
- Sinhala Community: Identified as the majority community, dominating Sri Lankan politics.
- Tamils: Described as a significant group facing discrimination and hostility from the majority. Their struggle for recognition and rights implies they were the minority community in terms of political power and national identity as defined by the dominant group.
- Indigenous: The term "Indigenous" is not mentioned in the provided text in relation to Sri Lanka's population demographics or political conflicts.
- Rohingyas: The Rohingyas are a distinct ethnic group primarily associated with Myanmar and are not mentioned in the context of Sri Lanka's ethnic conflicts within this text.
Therefore, based on the information given, the Tamils were the minority community facing challenges from the majority Sinhala population.
Important Questions from South Asia and the Contemporary World
SAFTA stands for:
Match List I with List II.
List-I List-II A. India-Pakistan I. LTTE B. India-Bangladesh II. Brahmaputra River C. India-Sri Lanka III. ASEAN D. Act East Policy IV. Tashkent Agreement Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Which one of the following was the first country to liberalize its economy in the South Asian region?
In 1972, Shimla Agreement was signed by:
Rajiv Gandhi-Longowal Accord was signed in:
