Cheran - Pathways of Dissent: Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka

PATHWAYS OF DISSENT

PATHWAYS OF DISSENT

Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka

Edited by

R. CHERAN

C opyright International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo, 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First published in 2009 by

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Pathways of dissent: Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka/edited by R. Cheran.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Tamil (Indic people)Sri LankaEthnic identity. 2. NationalismSri Lanka. 3. Ethnic conflictSri Lanka. I. Cheran, R.

DS489.25.T3P374320.540899 481105493dc2220092009029791

ISBN: 978-93-5280-187-9 (ePub)

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Contents

W hile sociological and political studies dealing with Sinhalese nationalism are remarkable in quality and quantity, Tamil nationalism remained an under-researched area for some time. Important studies on Tamil nationalism were available only in the Tamil language. There was a critical need to address the complexities and contours of Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka. This volume is an important attempt in that direction.

Prominent Sinhala nationalist ideologue and popular writer Gunadasa Amerasekera often used the phrase the post-1956 generation to describe the generation of Tamils and Sinhalese who were born and grew up after the introduction of the Official Languages Act, commonly known as the Sinhala Only Act. The segregation of that generation and the generations that followed along linguistic and ethnic lines was perhaps the most important factor in accelerating the nascent Sinhala and Tamil nationalisms. The history of Sri Lankan ethnic conflict tells a painful story.

The essays assembled in this volume address diverse issues pertaining to Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka. This is the first time Tamil nationalism has been studied and documented from various disciplinary perspectives such as Anthropology, Sociology, History, Historiography, Political Science, Economics, Literature and Cultural Studies.