A Language Betrayed, A Civilization Erased

The Sinhala language, as it exists today, is approximately 1,200 years old. Its early development drew heavily from Tamil—one of the world’s oldest, living classical languages. If Tamil is the mother, Sinhala is the younger child—formed in her embrace, shaped by her rhythm, and once sustained by her richness.

Tragically, on the island of Lanka, it was this very child who turned against the mother.

In the name of nationalism, the voice of the mother was silenced. Her ancient temples were shelled. Her script was marginalized. Her civilization was wounded not by the passage of time, but by deliberate acts of state and silence from those who knew better.

This is not merely a linguistic evolution. It is a historical betrayal.

A mother tongue was metaphorically murdered by the child she once nourished.

When we speak of genocide, we must move beyond statistics and graves.

We must recognize the deliberate destruction of language, faith, memory, and the soul of a people.

The Eelam Tamils, of whom over 95% were historically Saivites devotees of Lord Shiva were not only killed in tens of thousands. Their temples were destroyed. Their holy festivals were banned or restricted. Their spiritual life was systemically disrupted under the weight of militarization and occupation.

The name of the Buddha a symbol of peace was used as a weapon by the Sri Lankan state. Buddhist monuments were erected not to celebrate harmony, but to assert Sinhala-Buddhist supremacy in Tamil sacred and residential spaces.

In this violent transformation, both Tamil language and Tamil Saivite religious heritage were desecrated. Not preserved. Not respected. But purposefully erased by a state that rejected coexistence and pursued control.

It is within this environment of annihilation that the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) emerged. The LTTE was not simply a militant group; it became a symbol of resistance and survival for a people facing extinction politically, culturally, and physically.

Whether some accept this or not is irrelevant to historical truth.

The LTTE arose because the Sri Lankan state and its collaborators whether knowingly or unknowingly chose destruction over justice.

And so, when we speak of genocide, let us speak truthfully:

It was not only lives that were taken.

It was also the language, religion, memory, and spirit of an ancient civilization.

Let us not allow fragile moral comforts to rewrite facts.

The story of Eelam is not one of communal conflict. It is a story of state-sponsored betrayal.

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(Disclaimer: Images are AI generated and are used for representational purposes only)

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