Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka PDF
Preview Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka
Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka This book examines Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka and provides insights on how Tamil nationalism has survived the destruction of the Tamil Tigers after May 2009 and continues to thrive, despite the absence of a charismatic lead- ership to lead it or a centralised organisation to mobilise the Tamils along ethnic nationalistic lines. The ethnic nationalist ideology shaped up by the Tamil Tigers continues to remain the driving force of the Tamil polity in Sri Lanka and the Diaspora. Using a Foucauldian counter-historical theoretical framework, the author analyses and offers answers to these questions: What is keeping Tamil nation- alism alive despite the demise of the Tamil Tigers over a decade ago? Why do many Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad refuse to accept a Sri Lankan political identity? How are Tamils able to continue on a nationalist path despite the absence of a unified political leadership? The book argues that Tamil nation- alism has survived the latter’s destruction because it has become counter-his- torical. It is this that has allowed, despite the internecine rivalries between Tamil political parties and Diaspora groups, the Tamil nationalist spirit to remain alive. The author also suggests that counter-history has, for many Tamil political parties and Diaspora groups, become the means of waging war, other than through an armed struggle, against the Sri Lankan state. Based on field research, interviews and documentary analysis, the book pro- vides empirical and unique insights on Foucault’s thesis that power is multi- faceted and can function in the absence of centralised mechanisms. This book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of Politics and International Relations, in particular those working on ethnic nationalism, post-armed conflict peacebuilding/conflict resolution, the politics in Sri Lanka, diaspora politics and Foucault. A.R. Sriskanda Rajah has a PhD in International Relations and has taught at Brunel and City, University of London, UK. He was also a member of International Panel on Exiting Violence at Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, France, with a special focus on peace-building and independence movements. His previous publications include Government and Politics in Sri Lanka (Routledge 2017). 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Sriskanda Rajah For the full list of titles in the series please visit: https://www.routledge.com/ Routledge-Contemporary-South-Asia-Series/book-series/RCSA Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka Counter-history as War after the Tamil Tigers A.R. Sriskanda Rajah First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 A.R. Sriskanda Rajah The right of A.R. Sriskanda Rajah to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Sriskanda Rajah, A. R., author. Title: Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka : counter-history as war after the Tamil Tigers / A. R. Sriskanda Rajah. Description: London ; New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2022022917 (print) | LCCN 2022022918 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032294568 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032294575 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003301677 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Tamil (Indic people)--Sri Lanka--Ethnic identity. | Nationalism--Sri Lanka. | Sri Lanka--Ethnic relations--Political aspects. Classification: LCC DS489.25.T3 S69 2023 (print) | LCC DS489.25.T3 (ebook) | DDC 305.894/81105493--dc23/eng/20220525 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022022917 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022022918 ISBN: 978-1-032-29456-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-29457-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-30167-7 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003301677 Typeset in Times New Roman by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive) Dedicated to my late father, Thambipillai Sriskanda Rajah Contents Acknowledgments vii Abbreviations ix Introduction 1 1 Foucault and Counter-History 21 2 Consolidating Tamil Nationalism 41 3 Politics of Immortalisation 74 4 Politics of Memorialisation 100 5 (Re)conceptualising Global Politics 121 6 The ‘New’ Diplomatic Struggle 147 Conclusion 170 Index 173 Acknowledgments I am deeply indebted to Dorothea Schaefter, the senior South Asia editor of Routledge, for the interest she has shown in my research. Like my previous book, Government and Politics in Sri Lanka: Biopolitics and Security, this book has been possible because of her. I also thank the two independent reviewers for their invaluable feedback during peer review. A simple thank you would not be sufficient for Dr A. Stanislaus, who ded- icated her time to review the contents of this manuscript and offered a detailed feedback which has helped me bring this book to its final shape; although, I take full responsibility for all of the contents, including any errors. I am very grateful to her. Most importantly, I thank my eldest sister, Mala, for her support and encouragement in the production of this book. I also thank everyone in my family for their love, support and appreciation of my work. Sadly, my late father, Thambipillai Sriskanda Rajah, is not alive to read this book and I dedicate it to him. Abbreviations ACTC All Ceylon Tamil Congress APPGT All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils BTF British Tamils Forum CHOGM Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting EPDP Eelam People Democratic Party GTF Global Tamil Forum ICC International Criminal Court ICET International Council of Eelam Tamils ITAK Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam OHCHR Office of the (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights TCC Tamil Co-ordinating Committee TGTE Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam TNA Tamil National Alliance TNPF Tamil National People’s Front TPNA Tamil People’s National Alliance TULF Tamil United Liberation Front UNHRC United Nations Human Rights Council UNP United National Party UNSC United Nations Security Council
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