Draft 1 Narrative

When Kumar was young, the country was peaceful with no conflicts. There was almost no violence and the people usually got along well. Kumar was part of a family of English-educated Tamils who were very talented in their field of work. They were merchants who owned a shop at Colombo. However, it was not to last.

After the British left, the new government, made up of mostly Sinhalese, enacted a policy which stated that whoever was born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers were born in Sri Lanka could apply for citizenship. The act did not after Kumar’s family, who were descended from Sri Lankan Tamils, but it affected some of his friends’ parents, who emigrated from India. Kumar heard complaints from some of the Tamils when he was walking to school.

“The act is just an excuse for the Sinhalese to chase away some of us!” One Tamil shouted, angry with the government.

Most of the others agreed. However, there was still no violence. Kumar did notice something in his race. That feeling would cause violence between his race and the Sinhalese. That feeling was resentment.

In 1950, the government decided to resettle the Sinhalese peasants. They were transferred from the south-western and central areas to the northern and eastern areas, where Kumar and his family were living. Kumar, then 28, was unhappy with the decision. Many Tamils complained about the policy, saying that they had been forced out of their homes by the Sri Lankan Army, which was made up of mostly Sinhalese. Kumar also complained about it, although he was still living in Colombo.

In 1956, the government declared that henceforth, Sinhala would be the only official language of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils complained about the policy and wanted Tamil to also be an official language. Kumar and his family had to resign from their jobs since they had to either learn Sinhala in three years or be forced to resign. Kumar decided to join the protest against the act. Unfortunately, when the police forces broke up the demonstration, the peaceful protest turned into a riot. Kumar had to flee for his life, or else the police would beat him to death. Eventually, Tamil was declared an official language. Kumar, however, was still worried that his country would fall due to racial riots.

“I’m scared,” Kumar’s son, Muthu , said to him that night. “What happens if they kill us?”

“Don’t worry,” Kumar comforted his son, despite his worry. “They would never be able to kill us.”

In 1972, the university admission criteria were changed to benefit the Sinhalese at the cost of less Tamils being admitted into university. Many of the Tamils complained about the government, saying that they were discriminating against them. Kumar was worried about the country, fearing that one day, it would descend into chaos.

In 1976, the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed, contesting for an independent Tamil state. Kumar did not join the party, still believing in a united Sri Lanka. At the same time, an organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed. The organisation used violence to try to convince the government to give them a separate state. Kumar was horrified, shocked that his race would even think about using violence.

In July 1983, Kumar and his family were going to their relatives’ house, when chaos erupted. Sinhalese and Tamil were fighting against each other. Kumar and his family had to cut short their trip in order to help the injured. Unfortunately, before that could happen, some Sinhalese start to attack them. The family ran away, looking for a place to hide. Luckily, a Sinhalese friend took pity on them and hid them inside his house. After the riot, the family decided to run away to India, where they had friends to help them.