Tamils and LTTE in Sri Lanka : Perspective and Prospects

Contents: Preface. 1. Beginning of Tamils in Sri Lanka. 2. Migration of Tamils in pre-Independence era. 3. Problem of citizenship and India’s role. 4. Tamil organisations-moderate and extremists. 5. Complexities of Tamil problem in Sri Lanka. 6. Extremism and LTTE. 7. Prospects of Tamils in Sri Lanka after LTTE. 8. Conclusion. A select bibliography. Index.

The presented book is an endeavour to discuss and analyse systematically the multi-dimensional facts of the history of Tamil in Sri Lanka. In recent past in Sri Lanka, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural county of this subcontinent faced historic conflict between ethnic Sinhalese and ethnic Tamils which ultimately led to the formation of a violent/extremist organisation, liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in early 1970s. At the time of Independence several factors were added and around the independence it became a burning citizenship issue between India and Sri Lanka. Often with the tacit consent of authorities public humiliation of Tamil community increased due to vote bank politics that took a violent shape in all walks of life. From early 1980s till May 2009, Sri Lanka witnessed an unparallel ethnic declared war led by LTTE. (jacket)