Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
Indian Tamils or upcountry Tamils in Sri Lanka are usually the part of the Tamil people who immigrated during the British colonial period in 1840 from Southern India (Tamil Nadu ). They differ in language, culture and the self-understanding of the native Sri Lankan Tamils. According to the 2012 census, living in Sri Lanka about 840,000 Indian Tamils , which corresponds to a share of 4.2 percent of the total population.
History
Colonial history
For the construction of a large plantation economy, the British were from the beginning of the 19th century no longer meet the demand for workers by the local mostly Sinhalese population. Therefore, Indian Tamils from southern India were brought in as guest work on the island. First, the plantation economy of the British in Ceylon was based on the cultivation of coffee, but a leaf disease led to the development of tea plantations. For this purpose, year-round workers were necessary. With the rise of the tea cultivation, the workers gathered pursuant to their families. They settled mainly in the mountains in the southwest of the island near the tea cultivation on.
Not all Indian Tamils came as plantation workers in Sri Lanka. About a quarter of them were traders, moneylenders or practiced other professions. The percentage of Indian Tamils crossed the Sri Lankan Tamils. Your highest level they reached in the 1930s, 15 percent of the total population compared with 11 per cent share of the local Sri Lankan Tamils.
After 1948
After the independence of Ceylon from the British Empire in 1948 changed the situation of the Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka. In the so-called " Ceylon Citizenship Act " of 1948 their citizenship was revoked collectively. 780,000 born mostly already in Sri Lanka Tamils of Indian origin were stateless. Sinhala nationalist declarations were Ostensibly to comment. However, this step was also supported by important representatives of the local Sri Lankan Tamils as Ponnambalam Ramanathan, of the influence and cultural independence of its population group saw threatened by the Indian Tamils.
1964 and 1974 were negotiated between India and Sri Lanka two contracts which provided for the repatriation of 600,000 Tamils of Indian origin to India. 375,000 Indian Tamils were granted Sri Lankan citizenship under the special conditions. In the aftermath, the government sought to the deportation of non- naturalized Indian Tamils. This proved difficult, however, mainly because of poor management and the rejection of the Tamils to migrate to a foreign country they are. Thus, only about half of all Indian Tamils were later deported to India even more than ten years. In the years 1984/1985, the government imposed a general naturalization for all remaining Tamils of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. This was done to prevent further interventions of India in Sri Lanka.
Population growth to 1989
* Estimated figures
Culture
The social structure of the Indian Tamils is the same as in rural Tamil Nadu. The community is determined by the caste system. In the tea plantations the tea factory is the center of all activities. The Tamil workers living on the plantation, which determines their entire lives. To date, the tea pickers in Sri Lanka are all Indian Tamils . The men are responsible for any work in the factory and for cutting the tea bushes.
Contributed to poverty and isolation of the plantation workers have also the decades in which Indian Tamils were not citizens of Sri Lanka. They were not voters and no political group has made strong for their interests. Infant mortality and malnutrition among Indian- Tamil children is far above the national average.
The own position in society is being shaped by caste into which you were born. Here, the caste system of Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka where the indigenous Tamils differs in some points. Be regarded as the higher box Vellalas, Kallar, Agamudaiyar, Maravar, Naidu, Reddiars and Nair; they have better housing opportunities and jobs. The harder physical work is mostly done by the members of the respected as low as Pallars box, Paraiyars, Sakkiliar. The caste system is still currently playing in the Indian Tamils a major role, and it also comes here to modernization.
Religion
About 90 percent of the Indian Tamils are Hindus, about 8 percent are Christians (most of Anglicans and Catholics ) and about 2 percent Muslim.