Dilrook Kannangara

From 1969 to 2016 Tamil Nadu was mainly ruled by firebrand politicians including Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalitha. They had a tremendous impact not only on Tamil Nadu politics but by extension Tamil politics in Sri Lanka. Over 90% of Tamils in the world live in India; mostly in Tamil Nadu. Only 5% of world Tamils live in Sri Lanka and every aspect of their life is influenced by Tamil Nadu from cultural activities to politics, job preference to even their attire.

It is no accident that Tamil racism and terrorism reached unprecedented highs from 1969 to 2016 in Sri Lanka influenced by extremist politics of Tamil Nadu. According to the report produced by the Commission headed by Justice Sansoni, violence by Tamil groups started in 1972. Sri Lanka won the war in 2009 ending their reign of terror. It was a 37-year-old war that ended in 2009. However, despite losing the war, Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka continued aggressively until 2016 when the last of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister trios lost power. The trio is now dead. Tamil Nadu is since ruled by moderates. However, it is uncertain how long moderates will remain in power and for how long sanity will prevail. Both can end at any time either due to Tamil Nadu politics or Indian central government reigniting extremism in Tamil Nadu to destabilize Sri Lanka.

Since 2017 there is a marked reduction of Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka as their ideological sponsors across the Palk Strait have changed their approach.

Attributing weak Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka lately to local Tamil politicians is foolhardy. They are not in control and all of them were once not so docile, to say the very least. These actors are the same from war time. TNA has involuntarily toned down its extremist Tamil views (as they don’t get ideological support from firebrand Tamil politicians from Tamil Nadu). ACTC and Wigneswaran have tried to fill the vacuum without much success.

Attributing weak Tamil racist politics in Sri Lanka lately to peace, reconciliation or harmony is even more foolish and displays the ‘frog in the well’ mentality. On the contrary, peace and harmony in Sri Lanka and Tamils were given some breathing space due to the end of firebrand politics in Tamil Nadu, for now.

Both these wrong attributes are dangerous as real levers are elsewhere and they can change at any time.

However, this lull in tribal politics is misleading. It will again ignite the moment Tamil Nadu loses its sense and plunges back into tribal extremes which it will. It has happened throughout history. Lankan rulers since 2017 to 2023 failed to capitalize on this very rare opportunity. That may be due to internal bickering. This opportunity came about after almost 50 years’ of firebrand extremist politics in Tamil Nadu. It is time for Sri Lanka to reverse undesirables it agreed to since 1969 and re-consolidate national sovereignty, unitary status and national security. Extremist politics is sweeping other parts of India, mostly North India, and it is a matter of time this new wave of extremism reached Tamil Nadu. It will plunge Sri Lanka into chaos once again, unless handled well and in advance.