In 1958 Hon Velupillai Chelvanayakam, the Opposition Leader of the parliament of Sri Lanka, commenced the “tar-brush” campaign against the state and against the Sinhalas. This was a copy from the Dravidistan & anti-Hindi agitators of Tamil Nadu who tar-brushed Hindi letters.
After brushing tar over Sinhala letters on a number plate of a bus in Jaffna, he traveled all the way to Batticaloa to repeat his actions. His willing followers also indulged in this act. It started the 1958 riots killing hundreds of Tamil people. Though the riots ended within days, the message was loud and clear – in Sri Lanka other than North and the East has no place for tamils.
Sinhala population percentage of Batticaloa district was 5% in 1971 but by 2007 it has fallen to zero percent!
Sinhala and Tamil people disliked this form of politics but had no political choice as communal politics ensured that no collective multi-ethnic politics take root in the North by eliminating everything non-Tamil. ITAK’s escalation of aggression saw it graduate into the TULF (Tamil United Liberation Front) by merging with its arch rival the ACTC.
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