So should keepers of law and order, ask us a question such as this? Your piece is a vignette of comtemporary Sri Lankan life at a checkpoint. As you and others here have mentioned these questions are asked in other contexts as well. As human beings, our identities are multi-layered – we are men and women, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and Veddhas, Hindus, Christians, Muslims and atheists, mothers, fathers, children, youth, English-speaking, Sinhalese-speaking, Tamil-speaking, etc, etc, Some of us who have lived abroad have taken on South Asian, brown/black and “Third World” identities, as well as the Sri Lankan one. Depending on the context, we assert these identities. Human beings are usually adept at selecting from their multiple identities one which recognizes some sort of commonality or shared experience with others. So we English speakers know for example, that in a government department, we need to shift to a Sinhalese-speaking identity to get things done. On the other hand, an English-speaking Tamil has a better advantage at a private sector interview than a Sinhalese-speaking Sinhalese. Perhaps, an English-speaking Sinhalese will have advatages over an English speaking Tamil in some companies and vice versa in others. That people stereotype other people and have prejudices is a fact – ideally they should not but unless societies work at this over a period of time, things don’t change. However, given the reality, we cannot blame people for negotiating their way through life by affirming some sort of common bond they might have with others.

The problem with Sri Lanka over the last 30 years is that the Sinhala vs. Tamil identity has become the overriding one and I think we need to all work towards dismantling that. We need to regain the space to affirm our multiple identities without being chastised or discriminated for this. Affirming our Sri Lankan identity is a choice we make depending on how we define it (i.e. with a place, ethno-national identity, a nation state, an authoritarian state, etc.) and how comfortable we feel with it.

So my answer to your question, should the question whether you are Tamil or Sinhalese be asked at checkpoints – no of course, not. What is the use of our free education system if police and army officers cannot read identity cards or passports. The fact that the question is asked at all at checkpoints points to the truism that actually nobody can distinguish a Sinhalese or Tamil just by looking at a person (although of course, everyone has their stereotypes and prejudices).

Given that we will be asked the question, whether we like it or not, how do we ideally respond? Mama manushyek. And if we have to fill in forms with that outdated category of “Race” – keep filling in “Human”. That is at least what I teach my children. As the commentator above has suggested, “Formula One” is a good try if you have the time to spare.

“Why did Prabakaran choose the tiger? The tiger was used as a symbol only by the Cholas of S. India. In Jaffna there was the bull (and the lion!), and in Batticaloa the symbol was the singing fish, but no tiger.”

I believe it is a common notion that Sri Lankan Tamils were descended from these Cholas, hence the Tiger flag.

“Inter-ethnic problems come out more on the internet, but in Sri Lanka itself they are not so apparent.”

Not surprising, is it? The anonymous nature of the internet lets out the true-self. I wonder who would have the guts to openly criticize the government there before getting the famous white van ride.

“People of different ethnic groups can get along maybe because they have the sense that they have their own “homeland” in some other part of India.”

The only place where you can see the Indians together is perhaps a cricket match. Otherwise, they are torn apart by all sorts of issues. The north vs. the south; the Kannadigas vs. Tamils; the Hindus vs. Muslims; caste divisions, etc. I suspect that they already have underground networks that aim for separation.

““Reservations” were passed in Tamil Nadu to limit the overrepresented Brahmins and uplift other castes, while in Sri Lanka there was “standardization” to limit the overrepresented Tamils and uplift other communities (crudely speaking). The difference is that young Brahmin students did not take up arms, but young Sri Lankan Tamils did. ”

You left out the part with Banda-Chelva pact and other peaceful demonstrations that yielded no results, hence, fueled Tamil nationalism and the youth to take up arms in Sri Lanka.

“The Tiger flag came about in contrast to the likes of the Singhala-Lankan flag or Sri-Lankan which doesn’t represent any ethnicities”

Why did Prabakaran choose the tiger? The tiger was used as a symbol only by the Cholas of S. India. In Jaffna there was the bull (and the lion!), and in Batticaloa the symbol was the singing fish, but no tiger.

Seems that Thalaivar knew so little about Sri Lankan or Ceylon Tamil culture, that he had to borrow a symbol from India! 😀

“The word Tamil means culture, language and a nation”

I thought Tamil means “sweet.”

“remove the Sri in Sri-Lanka which means Singhala”

Sri means “resplendent.” It is equivalent to the Tamil prefix “Thiru.”

“Sri lankan flag represents Tamils by some color and Muslims by Green, then Burgers,Catholics , etc by 4 leaves. Singhala by what ?? > lion.”

I heard differently. The green and orange colors on the SL flag do not represent Tamils and Muslims per se but were intended to be included together to show solidarity with India (whose green and orange colors represent Hindu and Muslim unity). The four pipal leaves represent Buddhism, not the other minorities.

As for the lion, I am not convinced that it is an exclusively Sinhala symbol, at least historically. The name of the medieval Jaffna kingdom dynasty was Arya singai (or “Arya Chakravarti” as mentioned in Mahavamsa), and Nallur the capital in those days was called “Singha Nagar.” The Jaffna historical chronicle claims that Jaffna kingdom was founded by “Ukkirasingan” who was a distant relative of Vijaya the first Sinhala king from Mahavamsa. Jaffna had plenty of lions!

“I suggest a good stategy is to change the name of Sri Lanka to Tamil Eelam, Tamil Lanka or atleast to CEYLON (my preference).”

How about “Ilankai?” I like that name.

Did you know that “CEYLON” was derived from “SINHALE?” (Sihale -> Portuguese Ceilao -> Dutch Ceylan -> British Ceylon)

Welcome to GV. I lived for some time in Tamil Nadu and I think I can answer some of your questions. Inter-ethnic problems come out more on the internet, but in Sri Lanka itself they are not so apparent. I have traveled throughout the Sri Lankan north and east, and I have never been treated shabbily by any Tamil whatsoever (except for the LTTE). Given my experiences, I tend to see Sri Lankan Tamils as a harmless, inoffensive people (we say “Tamils,” you say “Tamilians”- another difference between SL and India).

Probably the biggest difference between India and Sri Lanka is their size. The average state in India is twice the size of Sri Lanka; they can almost serve as separate countries in their own right. People of different ethnic groups can get along maybe because they have the sense that they have their own “homeland” in some other part of India.

In some respects the history of Sri Lanka parallels Tamil Nadu although there are important differences. After Kamaraj, Tamil Nadu politics became dominated by Dravidianism, while in Sri Lanka the Sinhalese adopted a somewhat similar concept of Sinhala nationalism.

“Reservations” were passed in Tamil Nadu to limit the overrepresented Brahmins and uplift other castes, while in Sri Lanka there was “standardization” to limit the overrepresented Tamils and uplift other communities (crudely speaking). The difference is that young Brahmin students did not take up arms, but young Sri Lankan Tamils did.

The Sri Lankan war started in 1983 with an LTTE attack against an army patrol that killed 13 soldiers. In response, there were anti-Tamil riots that killed about 3000 people. Not very different from the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi the following year that boosted the Punjab insurgency. However, India already had a large army to fight in Punjab, while Sri Lanka had to build its army from near-scratch. This army was poorly-trained and had little discipline, leading to many massacres and other misdeeds against the Tamils. This helped prolong the war until recently, when the army became more disciplined and more proficient at fighting.

It is of no concern to us if you do not consider yourself Sri Lankan. There’s a vast swath of Tamil land called Tamil Nadu you might like if you’re feeling really nationalistic.

You cite a CNN video which features people recruited by the LTTE as child soldiers and a community pushed into a war of nothing but destruction. Shame on Thamiz race?

The French video picks and chooses who it wants to interview — thus it’s nothing but propaganda.

Australian refugees risk their life after spending years in Indonesia. Shame on Indonesian race?

As for me, I am a Tamilian from India (or Tamil simply), who is currently residing in the US. I am obviously someone who speaks Tamil as first language. But, coming from a multi-lingual country like India, I find it hard to understand why this problem in Srilanka. In US, every other day, I get to meet folks from India, who speak different languages (Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Bengali, Marathi, Konkani, Bihari, Bhojpuri, Maithli etc etc). Despite the linguistic differences (and even racial at times), there isn’t any sort of enmity among groups. Ofcourse, every place in India has casteistic problems or political problems or mafias too. But, at people-to-people level across states people get along well. I understand that Srilanka is one of the highly educated countries (after Japan and probably China) in Asia. And now that the war is over, isn’t it the best time for everyone to come to an understanding? One complaint when LTTE was there was it suppressed any alternate voice (particularly differing with them). Now that is not the case. Even among the posters here, the Sinhala and Tamil folks differ a lot in their perspectives. I still don’t understand why!

No we cannot pull the army camps from the North yet, no we cannot rid the checkpoints yet, we cannot remove VIP security yet, basically no way we can let our guard down yet. We lived with terror for 30+ years. We breath easy now but we’re still exhausted and we’re not ready to relax. Yes we (Sri Lankans) won the war against the terrorists. But we’re also wise enough not let our guard down. Yes you can make sarcastic comments like, oh yeah you won but you don’t have peace yet that’s why you still need the army on the streets, blah blah.. I suggest to you go and read some books on past wars. How long it took for things to return to normality after bitter conflicts. Little less ideology and more practicality would serve you better Marissa.

Oya Sinhalada, Demalada? Mama Sri Lankikayek, namuth mage bhashava Sinhala.