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Research Journal of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka- Rohana 11, 2019

the scheme of Standardization, the purpose of which was to draw up admission
quotas to the Science and medical faculties of universities in a manner that would

reflect the racial representation of the total population. The Tamil political leaders

vehemently opposed this scheme as it had the effect of reducing the number Tamil
students while increasing Sinhalese representation in the Universities. However, one

researcher pointed out that,

“The Sri Lankan Tamils, though they constituted just 11.1% of the population,
accounted for about 30% of the Science students because the scheme of

Standardization ensured that this proportion of places in the University accrued to
them” (De Silva, 1978, p. 90).

Nevertheless, Tamils viewed that by means of the 1972 Constitution, language
implementations and university admission procedure of the 1970s, the Sinhalese had

undermined their previous position. They believed the Sinhalese had usurped the

socio-economic welfare benefits they had enjoyed in the past. After a prominent
position was given to Buddhism in the 1972 Constitution, the perception of the

Tamils was that the Sinhalese had shown disrespect to the Tamils’ cultural identity
by placing their own religion and culture in a superior position. As pointed out by

Jaffna parliamentarian Mr. R. Sampanthan in 1977,

“Tamil people in this country have a language of their own, a culture of their own, a
civilization of their own and a heritage of their own; they too have a right to

preserve and protect these…” (HC. Deb, 21.11.1977, p. 832).

As discussed above, throughout the post-independence period the Tamils perceived
that they were being deprived significantly when they compared their current

position with the previous position they had occupied, and by comparing their
current status with that of contemporary Sinhalese society. In this context the

feelings of deprivation of the lower caste Tamil youth were the most prominent.

Even educational opportunities were restricted to the depressed caste people of
Jaffna due to the barriers of the caste system. Some lower caste Tamil youth did

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