39 years ago, an Anti-Tamil Pogrom descended across Sri Lanka eventually escalating into mass violence killing thousands. This week, we'll be hearing the stories of the victims, trying to stop it from happening again.
“While travelling on a bus when a mob laid siege to it, passengers watched as a small boy was hacked ‘to limb-less death.’ The bus driver was ordered to give up a Tamil. He pointed out a woman who was desperately trying to erase the mark on her forehead..."
-William McGowan (1/2)
"The woman’s belly was ripped open with a broken bottle and she was immolated as people clapped and danced. In another incident, two sisters, one eighteen and one eleven, were decapitated and raped, the latter ‘until there was nothing left to violate..'
-William McGowan (2/2)
“…Army personnel actively encouraged arson and the looting of Tamil business establishments and homes in Colombo” and how “absolutely no action was taken to apprehend or prevent the criminal elements involved in these activities."
- London Times
"A Sinhala mob looting a Tamil shop, with uniformed policemen looking on"
Source: sangam.org
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#OnThisDay (3 Aug 1990), 147 worshippers were massacred by the LTTE at two different mosques in Kattankandy, Batticoloa. Disguised as Muslim worshippers themselves, 30 perpetrators attacked the over 300 people, spraying gunfire.
"I was kneeling down and praying when the rebels started shooting. The firing went on for 15 minutes. I escaped without being hit and found myself among bodies all over the place."
- Mohammed Ibrahim, a 40-year-old businessman
"Before I escaped from a side door and scaled a wall, I saw a Tiger rebel put a gun into the mouth of a small Muslim boy and pull the trigger."
- Mohammed Arif, a 17-year-old student who also survived the massacre
#OnThisDay (2-3 Aug 1989), the Valvettiturai massacre occurred where 64 Tamil civilians were killed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force. The massacre was in retaliation of an LTTE attack on the IPKF that killed 6 soldiers.
"At the junction there were hundreds of IPKF soldiers. I saw there many cars smashed up. Most of the shops at the junction had been burnt down. I saw many dead bodies in front of the shops."
- Nadarajah Anantharaj
The IPKF did not accept responsibility for the massacre, rather blaming the deaths as results from the "crossfire" and not direct involvement from the IPKF.
Interesting...from what I'm seeing, after the Kandyan Convention in 1815, the Sinhala numeral system fell out of fashion and where replaced with the Arabic numerals we know today. #history#srilanka#lka
Looking at some of Sri Lanka's oldest civil registration records done under British rule, it looks like only Arabic numerals are used (1822 Colombo Marriage Records).
Additionally, there was also a Tamil Numeral System (shown below) that was also used many centuries ago. It probably originated from India and you can probably find some modern examples of it being used.
"Mobs of Sinhala youth rampaged through the streets, ransacking homes, shops and offices, looting them and setting them ablaze, as they sought out members of the Tamil ethnic minority." - London Daily Telegraph
"In Pettah, the old commercial heart of the city, row after row of sari boutiques, electronic dealers, rice sellers, car parts stores, lie shattered and scarred..." - London Guardian
When we look at the history behind Black July, its not only Sri Lankan Tamils that were affected. Indian Tamils also suffered during this tragic time. Here are some of the stories from then...
There's been discussion over the symbolism in the Sri Lankan flag, so today, we're going to take some time discussing where it comes from and how this design came to be...
According to the Mahavamsa, the Sinhalese people descend from present-day Bengal. At this time, a supposed "lion-man" named Sinha had two children with a princess from Vanga, named Suppadevi. Their son, Sinhabahu would go on to found the city of Sinhapura and became king.
After Sinhabahu died, his son, Prince Vijaya came to the throne but was seen as an unfit ruler. He was expelled from the Island with his 700 followers. He is said to have carried a flag with a lion depicted on it, referencing the "lion city", Sinhapura, where he came from.