Reflections on state formation by Sunil Bastian This short article explains a framework for analysing Sri Lankan state formation and understanding the current challenges that the country is facing. My interest in state formation began when trying to make sense of the data on political violence and state repression that I had collected from 1977. I realised that I could easily expand this data base to cover the entire post-colonial period. It was also clear that this violence was not an abberation or exception, but a systemic characteristic of Sri Lankan society. The data collected largely consisted of numbers and reports of individual events. It just touched the surface of the problem. To understand the impact of political violence and state repression in Sri Lankan society you need to go deeper, preferably using a case study method. This is a task for future researchers. The dominant essentialist categorisation of the ...
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The Colombo Chetties of Sri Lanka : Three Essays – By Michael Roberts Source : thuppahis I. The Colombo Chetties of Sri Lanka by Shirley Pulle Tissera The Colombo Chetties form an integral part of Sri Lankan society. They are a separate ethnic group different from the Tamils, Moors, Malays, Burghers, and the majority Sinhalese community. In the census of 1946 (Vol I Para I) the Superintendent of Census, Mr. A.G. Ranasinghe, states that the Colombo Chetties must receive mention in a racial distinction of Ceylon. The term does not include the Nattukottu Chetties who have formed themselves into a guild for carrying on business in Ceylon and are only temporary residents of the Island. Colombo Chetty –a representation painted by Hippolyte Silvaf in the 1840s or so ** Origin: The Colombo Chetties belong to the Tana Vaisya Caste. The Vaisyas compose nobility of the land, and according to the classification made by Rev. Fr. ...
Dec 20, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Colombo Chetties, Nattukottu Chetties, Sri Lankan society
SRI LANKA CAN QUICKLY BOUNCE BACK IF SRI LANKANS WANT IT – by N.S.Venkataraman Sri Lanka has a population of slightly more than 22 million. Sri Lanka’s population is reported to have an adult literacy rate of more than 92 percent , which is above average by world and regional standards. Computer literacy is more than 30 percent and website users are reported to be more than 32 percent of the population. Certainly, Sri Lankan society can be considered as .well informed one , as education plays a major part in the life and culture of Sri Lanka. In such circumstances, people around the world , who have knowledge about Sri Lanka’s history, culture and tradition , are taken aback to see the type of violence that is now sweeping the country , which have made many people wonder as to how Sri Lanka would come out of the present crisis. In ...
May 12, 2022
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Articles
Tagged culture of Sri Lanka, economic crisis, IMF, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's population, Sri Lankan government, Sri Lankan society, Sri Lanka’s history
