- Ranjan Arunprasad
- For BBC Tamil
Thousands of Tamils were killed in attacks by Sinhalese nationalist groups
It has been 39 years since the Black July violence unleashed against the Tamils.
The first riots in Black July started on the 23rd of July, and the Sri Lankan army attacked the people yesterday (22) around the same date, the protestors say.
Even when this incident took place in Sri Lanka in 1983, the United National Party was in power. In 2022, UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe is still holding office as the president.
In 1983, Sri Lanka’s first executive president, JR Jayawardena, ruled. Today, his son-in-law, Ranil Wickramasinghe, is ruling, protestors say.
Black July – What is history??
For a few weeks from 23 July 1983, violence against the Tamil people was unleashed in many parts of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankans still remember this riot as Black July Riot or 83 Riot.
The Black July violence is seen as the beginning of a systematic attempt to destroy the Tamil race.
The incident of violence was reported as the act of destroying all the commercial establishments, houses and properties belonging to the Tamil people who lived in Colombo and the southern areas.
Not only did they go to every area and attack Tamils, but Tamils were also killed in this violence.
Although the Tamil people were attacked many times after the independence of Sri Lanka, the attack in 1983 had massive consequences for the Tamils.
What causes Black July?
Chattura Jayavikrama Bandara.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacked a vehicle carrying soldiers in the Tirunelveli area of Jaffna on July 23 around 11.30 pm.
13 army soldiers were said to have died in the attack.
This attack shocked the Sinhalese people in the south at the time when the civil war started.
It is reported that after the ambush attack, the siege attack was also carried out.
The death toll rose to 15 after 13 soldiers were initially killed in the attack, followed by the death of two injured soldiers.
When the information about this attack was released the next day, the Sinhalese started attacking the Tamil people living in the southern region.
As the government decided to bury the dead bodies of army soldiers who died in Jaffna at the Colombo-Poralla shrine, the relatives of the deceased visited the Boralla area.
In this situation, a hoax spread that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had come to attack Colombo, and the small-scale violence was carried out nationwide.
image source, Getty Images
Moderate leaders started demanding a separate nation for the Tamils
Violence was unleashed not only in Colombo but also on the Tamil people living in the hills.
It was said that many Tamils were hacked to death and many burnt to death due to this violent incident.
Reports indicate that thousands of Tamils died in this violent incident.
Colombo – 53 Tamils including Thangathurai and Guttimani, who were imprisoned in the Welikada prison, were murdered.
In 1983, when Tamils became unlivable in Sri Lanka, most of the Tamils left the country.
Many people who lost their properties and belongings in Sri Lanka are still living abroad.
Even today, Tamils claim that this violence was the first cause of Tamil ethnic annihilation.
What is happening today?
Anti-government protests are currently taking place in Sri Lanka.
The protest which started by blaming Gotabaya Rajapakse for the economic crisis has now moved towards Ranil Wickramasinghe.
The protestors are accusing Ranil Wickremesinghe of assuming the presidency to protect the Rajapaksa family.
Ranil Wickramasinghe, who was sworn in as the President on the 21st, had sent the army to Galle Mukhatital in the early hours of the 22nd to disperse the protesters.
The army was sent to capture the presidential secretariat which was held by the protesters.
Thus, the army entered the empty Mukathidal and attacked the protestors and removed the tents erected there.
Many people are protesting against this incident.
In this situation, Chattura Jayawickrama Bandara, a youth in the empty face protest, commented to BBC Tamil about the attack on the protestors.
On July 23rd, if we look back at these memories, the father-in-law of Ranil Wickramasinghe, who took office as the 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka on July 23rd, 1983, that is, who was elected against the will of the people, started the repression around July 22nd.
It seems that what the father-in-law did, if the son-in-law did not do it, it would not have worked. Today we have seen the use of militarization to subjugate only the Tamil people who can live in our country, which I have not seen, which happened 39 years ago. Today we could observe what happened 39 years ago through Ranil Wickramasinghe. What the father-in-law did, the son-in-law is also trying to create another Black July in Sri Lanka. “We want to ask Ranil Wickramasinghe whether he is trying to kill the lives of young people in Sri Lanka again or to destroy the dreams of young men and women. He is trying to make the Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim people clash with each other by calling it a 30-year war,” said Satura Jayawickrama Bandara.
This sentiment resonates with many Sinhalese youth.
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