• The 200-year legacy of the Malaiyaga Thamilar community 

The Institute of Social Development (ISD) is an advocacy organisation that has been lobbying and advocating for the equitable rights of and justice for the plantation community since its inception in 1991. 

ISD has identified that the plantation population is subjected to institutional and historical prejudice and there is little to no room for them to assert their rights. Hence, ISD has carried out a wide range of awareness programmes focusing on fundamental rights, governance, justice, gender, and inclusion with the involvement of policymakers, the corporate sector, and the general public to empower the Hill Country Tamil (HCT) community throughout the years. These initiatives aimed to address the issues, inequalities, and discrimination faced by the community.

Over 200 years ago, the majority of HTCs in Sri Lanka migrated from South India. The estate workers were brought by the colonial rulers from South India to work as daily wage labourers and were later permanently settled with their families in the estates. 

The community, which was restricted to the estate plantations, fully relied on plantation management for amenities such as basic housing, healthcare, and education. During the last two centuries, they have been isolated from the mainstream and marginalised from the development aspects of the country. This structural exclusion continued even after independence in 1948 until recent years.

In 1948, the Citizenship Act deprived the citizenship rights of the community, making the entire Indian Tamil community stateless in Sri Lanka. Following this, a deal was signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Sri Lanka to grant citizenship to certain groups of the community in response to the community’s persistent demands. 

A second amendment to grant citizenship was introduced in 1988 and a third amendment to address the issue of statelessness was introduced in 2003.

Since 1977, HTCs who live in the plantations have been able to elect their representatives to Parliament, Provincial Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas. In 1991, a Pradeshiya Sabha Election was held and the community elected their candidates. 

The Pradeshiya Sabhas Act Clause 33 prevents the elected members from implementing development activities within the plantation using Pradeshiya Sabha funds. Estate settlement impediments are consistently removed from the structure of Local Government authorities. 

Since 1994, ISD has been advocating with community members, trade unions, political leaders, and intellectuals about the impediment caused by Clause 33 and the need to amend the clause. At the end of 2018, the Government introduced an amendment to the Pradeshiya Sabha Act (Pradeshiya Sabha (Amended) Act No.30 of 2018). This historic achievement was made possible by persistent lobbying and advocacy of ISD. 

Despite the passage of 200 years since their migration to Sri Lanka, the community continues to be denied their basic rights. They live in harsh living conditions in the plantation line rooms (10ft x 12ft) built by the British 150 years ago. The historical exclusion from national development programmes has led to low attainment in education, health, and economic opportunities among the plantation residents. 

Although some Government services such as education were extended to the plantation community following the nationalisation of plantations in 1972, major development services such as Local Government services were not extended to this community.

Thus, ISD believes that in 2023, when the Malaiyaga Thamilar Community (MTC) marks 200 years since its arrival in Sri Lanka, it is critical to raise the MTC’s voice to assert their rights as equal citizens.

Through the ‘Malaiyagam 200’ event, ISD aims to enlighten the national and international communities about the plight of the MTC in order to foster solidarity in their struggle for justice. Therefore, to achieve this objective, ISD has coordinated a series of national-level advocacy and lobbying initiatives in order to bring together the political sphere and the MTC in one place. 

To honour the 200-year history of the MTC, ISD has planned the ‘Malaiyagam 200’ event with a multifaceted approach and a diverse audience in mind. A three-day event will be held at the Cinesita Auditorium and Race Course Grounds in Nuwara Eliya from 19-21 May.

The event will feature an array of activities, including the launch of the ‘Legacy of Malaiyaga Thamilar’ pictorial book, a children’s art competition, a three-day symposium, and an exhibition along with traditional cultural performances related to the community. 

A people’s tribune on workers’ issues and trade union challenges as well as a mobile museum covering the 25 districts to foster discourse with the population of various cities will take place simultaneously. 

The ‘Malaiyagam 200’ innovation hub aims to link youth from the community and beyond in order to foster new ideas and engagement in the development of the MTC. Hence, the ‘Malaiyagam 200’ event promises to be an enlightening and exciting experience, featuring political and historical documents, art, culture, and social fabric of the MTC. 

The community’s contribution to the social, economic, and political fabric of Sri Lanka will be highlighted during this event.

(The writer is from the Institute of Social Development)