Migration out of Ceylon & Sri Lanka – by Michael Roberts in ADELAIDE
To those CEYLONESE – term used advisedly to mark time-emphasis – who migrated from the island in the period 1948 to 1970 ….and even in the next two decades … do take the trouble to respond to these questions at whatever length you consider suitable.
DEAR
I am now 85 years old. I left Sri Lanka with my family in 1977 and was therefore aware of the socio-political currents that prevailed from the 1950s onwards. Some of these developments and currents motivated several Western-educated personnel of middle-class status to migrate. Some of my relatives were among those who moved out to UK, Canada and Australia.
That was THEN. But these personnel are presently in the Now …unless they have departed from life on earth. All the survivors will have grey hair …. or none at all. These features mark the wisdom of age and reflection.
THAT is what I request you to do now. Look backwards analytically and
A: indicate WHEN you (and your family?) …. or your parents decided to depart from Ceylon and WHY you/they reached this decision.
B: indicating which nation state you headed for and WHY that specific choice was made.
C: specifying which big city you chose for your destination within that nation state….. and the reasons for this choice.
I am proceeding to collect a significant number of responses to these questions with the intention of marshalling a pot pourri of data.
Michael Roberts in ADELAIDE
Please reply to: Michael Roberts [mailto:mrober137@gmail.com]
