CBSE Class 10 Answered

The following instances gave rise to civil war in Sri Lanka:

• After Sri Lanka gaining independence in 1948, the Sinhala community leaders, on the basis of majority, sought to secure dominance over the government.
• This resulted in establishment of Sinhala supremacy by adopting a series of majoritarian measures.
• In 1956, an Act passed Sinhala as the only recognised official language of the country.
• The government favoured the Sinhala applicants in education, jobs and in many fields.
• Also, the government stipulated that people should foster and protect Buddhism.
• The Tamils were denied equal political rights and their interests were ignored.
• As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and the Tamils communities got strained over time.