Gal Oya riots
Encyclopedia
The Gal Oya riots or Gal Oya massacre were the first ethnic riots that targeted the minority Sri Lankan Tamils in post independent Sri Lanka
, an island nation in South Asia
. The riots took place from June 11, 1956 and occurred over the next five days. Local majority Sinhalese colonists and employees of the Gal Oya Development Board commandeered government vehicles, dynamite and weapons and massacred minority Tamils. It is estimated that over 150 people lost their lives due in the violence. Although initially inactive, the Police and the Army were eventually able to re-take control of the situation and brought the riots under control.
, when Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, most civil service jobs were (roughly 60%) held by minority Sri Lankan Tamils who comprised approximately 15% of the population. This was enabled due to the availability of western style education provided by American missionaries
and others in the Tamil dominant Jaffna peninsula
. The preponderance of Tamils over their natural share of the population was used by populist Sinhalese politicians to come to political power by promising to elevate the Sinhalese people
. The pro-Sinhalese nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party
came to power in 1956 promising to make Sinhala, the language of the majority Sinhalese people the sole official language. The so called Sinhala only policy was opposed by the Sri Lankan Tamil, Federal party which conducted a non-violent sit in protest on June 5, 1956 in front of the parliament in Colombo
, the capital city. About 200 Tamil leaders and politicians took part in this protest. But the protestors were attacked by a Sinhalese mob that was led a junior government minister. The same mob after listening to a speech by populist Sinhalese politicians urging them to boycott Tamil business went on a looting spree in the city. Over 150 Tamil owned shops were looted and many people were hospitalized for their injuries. But these disturbances were quickly brought under control by the police.
was dammed and a tank was created with 40000000 acres (161,874.4 km²) of irrigated land. In 1956 the settlement had over 50 new villages where over 5,000 ethnic Sri Lankan Tamil, Muslim
, Indigenous
Veddha and Sinhalese were settled. The Sinhalese were approximately 50% of the settlers. Sinhalese and others were spatially separated from each other as Sinhalese were settled at the more productive headwaters of the Gal Oya tank and the Tamils and Muslims at the down rivers closer to their former native villages. Settlement of large number of Sinhalese peasants in what Tamil nationalists
considered their traditional Tamil homeland
, was a source of tension within the settlement area.
were looted and burned down. In the following days number of rumors began to spread. The chief amongst them was that a Sinhalese girl was raped and made to walk naked in the street in nearby Tamil dominated Batticalao town by a Tamil mob. Although this proved to be false later, the rumor inflamed the passions of the mob and led to further massacres and property destruction.
There were further rumors that an army of 6,000 Tamils armed with guns were in the process of approaching the Sinhalese settlements in the Gal Oya valley. This led to local groups of Sinhalese men to commandeer government vehicles to travel to outlying Tamil villages. According journalist W. Howard Higgins and Manor well over hundred Tamils were massacred by the mob. At first the local police did not make any attempt at controlling the mob as they said that they were outnumbered by the rioters. It is only the arrival of the Army
reinforcements and stern action by them to contriol the riots, that the killings and destruction was brought under control.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, an island nation in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. The riots took place from June 11, 1956 and occurred over the next five days. Local majority Sinhalese colonists and employees of the Gal Oya Development Board commandeered government vehicles, dynamite and weapons and massacred minority Tamils. It is estimated that over 150 people lost their lives due in the violence. Although initially inactive, the Police and the Army were eventually able to re-take control of the situation and brought the riots under control.
Background information
During the British colonial periodBritish Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
, when Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, most civil service jobs were (roughly 60%) held by minority Sri Lankan Tamils who comprised approximately 15% of the population. This was enabled due to the availability of western style education provided by American missionaries
American Ceylon Mission
The American Ceylon Mission to Jaffna, Sri Lanka started with the arrival in 1813 of missionaries sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions . The British colonial office in India and Ceylon restricted the Americans to the relatively small Jaffna Peninsula for...
and others in the Tamil dominant Jaffna peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
. The preponderance of Tamils over their natural share of the population was used by populist Sinhalese politicians to come to political power by promising to elevate the Sinhalese people
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
. The pro-Sinhalese nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
came to power in 1956 promising to make Sinhala, the language of the majority Sinhalese people the sole official language. The so called Sinhala only policy was opposed by the Sri Lankan Tamil, Federal party which conducted a non-violent sit in protest on June 5, 1956 in front of the parliament in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, the capital city. About 200 Tamil leaders and politicians took part in this protest. But the protestors were attacked by a Sinhalese mob that was led a junior government minister. The same mob after listening to a speech by populist Sinhalese politicians urging them to boycott Tamil business went on a looting spree in the city. Over 150 Tamil owned shops were looted and many people were hospitalized for their injuries. But these disturbances were quickly brought under control by the police.
Gal Oya settlement scheme
Gal Oya settlement scheme was begun in 1949 to settle landless peasants in formerly jungle land. Gal Oya river in the Eastern provinceEastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
was dammed and a tank was created with 40000000 acres (161,874.4 km²) of irrigated land. In 1956 the settlement had over 50 new villages where over 5,000 ethnic Sri Lankan Tamil, Muslim
Sri Lankan Moors
The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries...
, Indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Veddha and Sinhalese were settled. The Sinhalese were approximately 50% of the settlers. Sinhalese and others were spatially separated from each other as Sinhalese were settled at the more productive headwaters of the Gal Oya tank and the Tamils and Muslims at the down rivers closer to their former native villages. Settlement of large number of Sinhalese peasants in what Tamil nationalists
Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism is the conviction of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, a minority ethnic group in the South Asian island country of Sri Lanka , that they have the right to constitute an independent or autonomous political community. This idea has not always existed...
considered their traditional Tamil homeland
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
, was a source of tension within the settlement area.
The massacres
As information about disturbances in the capital Colombo reached the outlying area, the riots began on the evening of June 11, 1956 when agitated mobs began roaming the streets of Gal Oya valley looking for Tamils. Property owned by Tamils including that of Indian TamilsIndian Tamils
Indian Tamils may refer to:* Tamil people from or living in India* Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka...
were looted and burned down. In the following days number of rumors began to spread. The chief amongst them was that a Sinhalese girl was raped and made to walk naked in the street in nearby Tamil dominated Batticalao town by a Tamil mob. Although this proved to be false later, the rumor inflamed the passions of the mob and led to further massacres and property destruction.
There were further rumors that an army of 6,000 Tamils armed with guns were in the process of approaching the Sinhalese settlements in the Gal Oya valley. This led to local groups of Sinhalese men to commandeer government vehicles to travel to outlying Tamil villages. According journalist W. Howard Higgins and Manor well over hundred Tamils were massacred by the mob. At first the local police did not make any attempt at controlling the mob as they said that they were outnumbered by the rioters. It is only the arrival of the Army
Sri Lankan Army
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...
reinforcements and stern action by them to contriol the riots, that the killings and destruction was brought under control.
See also
- List of anti-minority pogroms in Sri Lanka
- Black JulyBlack JulyBlack July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
- Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka