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Language policy was a **major catalyst** for Tamil political mobilisation in Sri Lanka. The 1956 **Sinhala Only Act**, which made Sinhala the sole official language, was widely seen by Tamils as institutional discrimination. It affected access to:

– **government employment**, where Sinhala proficiency became increasingly important;

– **education and examinations**, including university admission and public-sector opportunities;

– **government services and administration**, making communication with the state more difficult;

– **political representation**, by signalling that Tamil language rights had lesser status.

In response, Tamil parties and civil-society groups organised protests, advocated for parity between Sinhala and Tamil, and later demanded regional autonomy and federal arrangements. Failed compromises, discriminatory implementation, and state violence deepened distrust, helping transform language grievances into broader Tamil nationalism and contributing to the escalation of ethnic conflict.