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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"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...
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As we reflect on #COVID19 and realize how difficult the pandemic has been, let's take a look back at a past #pandemic in 1918 and learn about the parallels between them and how both affected our island nation...
As many of you may know, Spanish flu is not actually from Spain. There are many theories on where it actually began but many claim the source was Camp Funston in Kansas, USA. There it spread via WW1 troops to Spain were the uncensored press reported on it for the first time.
From there it spread across Europe into Russia and then into Asia. By June 1918, it was in India where it became know as 'Bombay Fever', killing 20 million people. By July, it had reached Colombo, coming from India by boat. Dock workers started showing signs of the disease.