Meaning of Majoritarianism: A belief that only the majority community should rule a country, make laws for everyone and with total disregard to the wishes and needs of the minority.
Important points:
- Sri Lanka emerged in 1948. It immediately adopted measures to impose Sinhala supremacy.
- It made Sinhalese the official language of the country (by an Act in 1956), and ignored Tamil completely.
- Made a preferential policy to favour Sinhala-speaking people in all government jobs and educational institutions.
- A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
- All these coming measures, coming one after the other, gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
- As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
- The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
- But their demand for more autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied.
- The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into CIVIL WAR.
- The civil war caused killing of thousands of people of both the communities, it has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life of the country.
