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

of inequalities that prevented them from accessing political power and economic
resources. Another perspective in this regard was that elite politicians were the chief

group who created communal problems in this country (Kerney, 1985; Wilson,

1982; Tambiah, 1986; De Silva, 1981). According to this observation, the majority
Sinhalese or minority Tamils were not behind this problem. Another popular

argument is that the colonial rulers were responsible for creating this situation
(Gunasingham, 1999; De Silva, 1972; Bandarage, 2009). Some researchers have

pointed out that the Tamil youth came forward to engage in a double revolution

(Balasuriya, 2012; Mahindapala, 2016; Silva & Tanges, 2009 (b); Hoole, 2003;
Shammugathasan, 2008; Rasanen, 2015; Plaffenberger, 1982). First, they wanted to

enjoy the same opportunities as those available to the majority Sinhala community
and secondly, they wanted to change the regressive Tamil society by eliminating its

pernicious caste system. According to some of the commentators, the most
significant factors in the Sri Lankan conflict seemed to be myths and history

(Gunasingham, 1999; Dharmadasa, 1988; Kemper, 1988; Rajanayakam, 1990;

Spencer, 1990).

Reasons for the emergence of the uprising by Tamil youth in the 1970s cannot be
attributed to any single cause. It emerged due to multiple factors that were mostly

interlinked. Many of the recent studies have examined these issues from different

perspectives. However, it is difficult to find any recent analysis regarding the
background conditions of the Sri Lankan Tamil militant movement that has been

carried out from the perspective of “Relative deprivation and the resulting
frustration.” In respect of that, this research expects to determine whether there was

any relative deprivation and resulting frustration among the Tamil youth of Jaffna
peninsula in the early 1970s and how they influenced the Tamil youth uprising of

the time.

Theoretical and Methodological Application

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