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SRI LANKAN ETHNIC ISSUES.   Term Paper ID:20707 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Political, economic, historical & social problems caused by ethnic, religious and class divisions.... More...

6 Pages / 1350 Words 3 sources, 3 Citations, APA Format $24.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Political, economic, historical & social problems caused by ethnic, religious and class divisions. Paper Introduction: Sri Lanka is in the throes of a struggle to save democracy. Growing warfare between the government and Tamil separatists threatens to engulf the entire nation. This research examines how the ethnic divisions in Sri Lanka have affected Sri Lanka politics and society. Sri Lanka gained its independence in 1948 with hope for a bright future. Its economic and social conditions were quite conducive to the creation of a prosperous nation. Tea, rubber and coconuts-the country's main exports-were valuable commodities on the global market. The international community saw Sri Lanka as a good investment. The new government of Ceylon (as it was called then) was awarded about $350 million in foreign exchange reserves. The quality of life was far better than most other developing nations, with a life expectancy about double that of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Sinhalese and Tamil elites spoke English,attended the same schools, practiced the same occupations, adoptedcosmopolitan values, and had become committed to a united Sri Lanka. Sirimavo's regimefollowed up with a measure to "standardize" educational grades by givingethnic Sinhalese bonus points on their examinations. By 1956, thecosmopolitan elite of both Sinhalese and Tamils started losing theircontrol over government. It did not matter to this elite whether a person wasSinhalese or Tamil. It is a version of history that is clearlyfalse. The quality of life was far better than mostother developing nations, with a life expectancy about double that ofIndia. Gooneratne (1986) even tracks theBandaranaike family heritage to the same Indian origin of many Tamils. New York: St. Savings and investment were inadequate andpopulation growth offset economic growth. Bandaranaike tapped into this popular resentment of thecosmopolitan elite and rode it into power (Tambiah, 1986). Sinhalese would maintain dominance ofthe national government and most regions, but regional autonomy andsignificant political input in the national government could protect therights of Tamils and curtail demands for Tamil independence. Less than 1 years after independence, prospects for a strong andunited Sri Lanka began to fade. Theinternational community saw Sri Lanka as a good investment. When the ruling British rejected Tamildemands for disproportionate representation in parliament, Tamilsnonetheless joined the government. Realizing that state resourceswere being drained away by rice subsidies, government after governmentpledged to restrain market intervention, but none were able to muster thepolitical support necessary to carry through. Most Tamils migrated to Sri Lanka well over a thousand years ago.In fact, Tamils and Sinhalese have a long intermingled past in which theyhave shared languages, deities and genes. Some Tamils had argued for a violent confrontation with the Sinhaleseas early as 197 . Growingwarfare between the government and Tamil separatists threatens to engulfthe entire nation. Sri Lanka's early political structure also appeared quite healthy.Independence came relatively bloodlessly in Sri Lanka, an offshoot of theviolent struggle for independence in the prior year by India. But if the Sri Lankangovernment cannot guarantee the security of Tamils in the south, and themeaningful political participation of Tamils throughout the country, thegeneral Tamil population may quickly lose its desire for a united SriLanka. Tambiah, S. Boulder: WestviewPress, pp. Tambiah(1986) documents the excesses of the Sinhalese army, the politicalinterference with the judiciary, and the harsh provisions of the 1979Prevention of Terrorism Act. These historical myths were transformed into political realities atfirst by S.W.R.D. When the economic situationturned for the worst, the cosmopolitan elite became the target of society'sanger and frustration. S.W.R.D. Soon, Sri Lanka was anotherimpoverished country in the developing world, dependent on cash crops inthe global market, straddled by an expensive social welfare system, andunable to attain self-sufficiency in the nation's most valued commodity,rice. (1986). Sri Lanka's amendedconstitution of 1972 gave Buddhism a foremost place in government andignored the Tamil presence in the country altogether. Nationalism and the state in Sri Lanka. References de Silva, K. Ethnic divisions existed butthey were not particularly volatile. In the populist version of ethnic history, Tamils are figuredas alien invaders of Sri Lanka. Many among this elite had shed their religiousroots of Buddhism or Hinduism and immersed themselves in Christianity andBritish culture. 62-76. By 1986, with a huge cadre of disappointed Tamil youths,a full-fledged separatist movement had mobilized into civil war. As Tambiah points out, there wasonce a common Sri Lanka-South Indian cultural orbit from which both theTamil and Sinhalese cultures emerged. The later regime of Sirimavoproduced widespread discrimination against the Tamils. Although hestudied at Oxford and his father was knighted by the British, Bandaranaikeshed his western upbringing and became fluent in the Sinhalese language.He embraced Buddhism and exchanged his western clothing for Sinhalesedress. Theprimary villain in this populist movement was Bandaranaike's own elitecosmopolitan class. Tambiah (1986) offers conclusive evidence refuting thisracial myth. A state-sanctioned disregard for Tamil concernseventually burst into ethnic riots in 1958. 69-71). Many of the ties between the Sinhaleseand Tamils came from the similar formal training of their leadership.Under the British occupation, the elite from both ethnic groups had beennurtured in a western culture. But their disagreements were notunsolvable (de Silva, 1988, p. Ethnic fratricide and the dismantling ofdemocracy. The populist revolt led by Bandaranaike rallied Sri Lanka's majorityBuddhist population behind a platform calling for a national culturalrevival and a repudiation of everything not within the Sinhalese Buddhisttradition (de Silva, 1988, pp. Production of foodcrops had grown during World War II and continued to grow afterward. Pluralistic democracy in Sri Lanka could yet be preserved through a"devolution plan" that would grant the Tamils a substantial measure ofcontrol over regional government in the northern and eastern provinces,while at the same time providing opportunities for meaningful participationin the national government. This research examines how the ethnic divisions in SriLanka have affected Sri Lanka politics and society. The Buddhist clergy had long been snubbedby western culture and harbored a great deal of disdain for Sri Lanka'scosmopolitan elite. At the same time, the Buddhist clergy were among themost organized social groups in the country. Even beforeindependence, in fact since 1931, the nation had a democratic system ofinternal self-government with universal suffrage for all citizens. Tea, rubber and coconuts-the country'smain exports-were valuable commodities on the global market. Theeconomic and political elites came under increasing criticisms by thepopulace for poorly managing the country's affairs. This "standardizationof marks" was premised on a belief that the higher Tamil academic successwas due to easier grades issued by Tamil instructors. And the terroristshave killed Sinhalese civilians not just for revenge but also to frightenthem out of the ethnically heterogeneous Eastern Province, which Tamilseparatists claim as a homeland. (1986). In order to bolster ethnic divisions, it is sometimes necessary tomythologize ethnic history. But this elite had grown distant from the general SriLanka population. Hand-in-hand with a federalist system ofdemocracy must be assurances against ethnic discrimination in all social,educational and economic activities. The army has bombed and shelled Tamilcivilian areas in retaliation for Tamil terrorist acts. Education, including higher education,was for the most part free. The newgovernment of Ceylon (as it was called then) was awarded about $35 millionin foreign exchange reserves. (1988). Its economic and social conditions were quite conducive to thecreation of a prosperous nation. Kidnappings, first of Tamil youth and nowof Sinhalese, have become common throughout Sri Lanka. Bandaranaike preached a new populism, appealing directly to ruralinterests and the concerns of the increasingly-disgruntled peasantry. Relative merits: A personal view of theBandaranaike family of Sri Lanka. However, Bandaranaike's populism was grounded just as firmly onethnic and religious divisions. Sri Lanka gained its independence in 1948 with hope for a brightfuture. There had been disagreement betweenthe Sinhalese, who comprised about 7 % of the population, and the Tamilsover the best form of governance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.----------------------- 6 Economic instability fueled social divisions in Sri Lanka. 66). Itpracticed a tolerant parliamentary democracy. Sinhalesepopulists wanted a 'pure' Sri Lanka untainted by contact with the Tamils. Gooneratne, Y. The opportunities afforded by favorableforeign exchange reserves were squandered on costly imports, includingstate-subsidized imported rice. Such is the case in Sri Lanka. Bandaranaike and, later, by his widow and successor,Sirimavo Bandaranaike. One of the first measures pushed through parliamentin 1956 by the former was a declaration that Sinhala was the officiallanguage of Sri Lanka. The economy started to suffer under adeteriorating balance of trade. They had institutionalizedSinhalese Buddhism in a fashion not unlike Christian missionary schools.Thus, Buddhism in Sri Lanka acquired an aura of a well-organizeddenomination. In K.de Silva (Ed.), Ethnic conflict in Buddhist societies. This meant the repudiation ofHinduism and Tamils as well as Christianity and Anglo-Saxons. Most Tamils, however, remain reluctant to establish a separatehomeland. Without substantial regional autonomy and the protection of civilliberties for Tamils, Sinhalese fears of secession may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Martin's Press. Sri Lanka is in the throes of a struggle to save democracy. Their religion was different, their culture wasdifferent, even their language was different. The results wereimmediately reflected in the dramatic decline in university enrollment byTamil students. The nation enjoyed one of the highest literacyrates in the region (6 % and rising) and Sri Lankans were generally wellfed. Along with a reasonably healthy economy, Sri Lanka's social systemalso stood above average in Asia. That reluctance is indicated by the fact that the main Tamilpolitical organization, the Tamil United Liberation Front, is willing tosettle for something short of independence. Income per capita was double that of India's as well, and thatincome was fairly well distributed among the populace. Unlike the"Dravidian" Tamils, the Sinhalese are said to be "Aryan" who came fromNorth India. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.