by Suppiramaniam Makenthiran
Tamils in Independent Ceylon
A history of the Tamil struggle for survival
Copyright: Author
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form without the written permission of the author.
Acknowledgment: Some of the pictures in this book are from the internet
First published 2003
Second edition 2004
ISBN: 0-9733539-0-2
Author: S.Makenthiran
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Dedicated to my grandchildren
Saskia Nishkala and Raja Shravan
A Traditional Tamil Bharatha Natyam Dance
At an Arangetram in Australia
Arangetram is an ancient custom of the Tamils, meaning ‘ascending the stage to establish a dancer’s credentials’. Bharatha natyam is said to be the oldest form of dance existing in modern age, originating over 4,000 years ago. After the genocide of 1983, the Sri Lankan Tamils dispersed all over the world, carrying with them their rich culture, heritage, and customs.
S. Makenthiran is a graduate of the University of Ceylon, Colombo and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants of UK. He served in Ceylon and Africa, and retired as a World Bank Project Finance Officer.
In this book he has traced the struggle of the Tamils from the time Ceylon became independent to the present time. The struggle starts with the non-violent satyagraha led by the Upcountry Tamil leader Thondaman and then by the NorthEast Tamil leader Chelvanayagam. After thirty years of futile non-violent agitation, it culminates in the armed resistance by Tamil militants.