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| The idea of a separate Tamil nation was proposed in 1976 and soon became popular [GALLO/GETTY] |
In the 1960s, the Sri Lankan government nationalised the missionary schools and changed the language of instruction from English to Sinhala and Tamil.
This ensured that the Sinahalese and Tamil children, who once studied together in the English medium schools, were unable to do that after this new legislation.
Without knowledge about each other, the youth were easy prey for any indoctrinating propaganda.
And without the advantage of English education, it became increasingly difficult for Tamil youth to gain access to jobs, and unemployment rose which in turn gave rise to increased disaffection. The concept of a separate Tamil nation, Eelam, became popular when proposed in 1976.
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