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Concept
Tamil nationalism
Summary
Tamil nationalism is an ideology that emphasizes the recognition of the Tamil people as a distinct nation and seeks to foster cultural unity among them, transcending religious differences. This form of nationalism is primarily characterized by its secular nature, centering on the preservation of language and homeland. Unlike certain other nationalist ideologies, Tamil nationalism stands apart by not harboring xenophobic tendencies or discriminatory practices. It is fundamentally an ideology aimed at safeguarding the rights and sovereignty of the Tamil community, without fostering prejudice or division. It expresses itself in the form of linguistic purism ("Pure Tamil"), nationalism and irredentism ("Tamil Eelam"), Social equality ("Self-Respect Movement") and Tamil Renaissance.
Originally, Tamil people ruled in Tamilakam and parts of Sri Lanka. During the colonial period, the Tamil areas came under the rule of British India and Ceylon. This saw the end of the sovereignty of Tamils and reduced them to minority status under a political model implemented during the British Raj. Since the independence of India and Sri Lanka, Tamil separatist movements have been actively suppressed in both countries.
Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
Since the adoption of the Vaddukoddai Resolution in 1976 under the leadership of S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, Tamil nationalists in Sri Lanka have repeatedly attempted to create an independent state (Tamil Eelam) amid the increasing political and physical violence against ordinary Tamils by the Sri Lankan government which was dominated by Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism.
Shortly after the island's independence from Britain, the Sri Lankan government passed the Citizenship Act of 1948, which made more than a million Tamils of Indian origin stateless. The government also passed a Sinhala Only Act, which severely threatened the status of Tamil as a minority language, as well as hindering the social mobility of Tamil speakers..
Official source
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