ANTI-TAMIL Program Srilanka
The Sinhala Language was made the only official language by the legislation under the Sinhala Only Act of 1956. This disadvantaged Tamil-speaking people in dealing with the state administration and denying them equal access to education and employment.
Early history records that before European rule, the Tamils and the Sinhalese, both indigenous people, co-existed on the island for more than 2500 years. The Tamil Federal Party Leadership, who staged a peaceful protest at Galle Face (Gandhian-style satyagraha) in front of the Parliament, were assaulted by the Sinhalese mob. About 200 party leaders and politicians took part in the protest.
Mob violence against large numbers of Tamils has been a regular occurrence in Sri Lanka since the Gal Oya massacre of 150, including children, on June 5, 1956.
1958 – ANTI–TAMIL POGROM ( ALSO KNOWN AS 58 RIOTS)
On July 26, 1957, the Sinhalese prime minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( SLFP)and the Tamil leader S.J.V. Chelvanayakam QC of Federal Party (FP) signed a Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact to address the grievances of the Tamil people.
Bandaranaike unilaterally abrogated the Pact in April 1958 to appease the extreme elements of the Sinhalese community, particularly the United National Party (UNP), which organized a ‘March on Kandy’, led by J.R. Jayewardene. Bandaranaike was assassinated by a Buddhist monk for his Pact with the Tamils on September 26, 1959.
The Tamil massacre lasted from 22 May until May 29, 1958. The estimated murders vary, based on the recovered body count, from 159 to 1,500.
