Various groups in Sri Lanka, including political parties, have been holding events to commemorate the 200-year journey of Malaiyaha (Hill Country) Tamils, or Indian-origin Tamils in the country.
- 200 years ago, thousands of indentured Tamil labourers landed on the shores of Sri Lanka, and made the long, arduous journey to its central and southern hills to work in tea, coffee, and rubber plantations.
- Brought by the British from India, the Malaiyaha (Hill Country) Tamils, or Indian-origin Tamils, have borne the brunt of several injustices.
- From being deprived of their citizenship in 1948 — the struggle for citizenship continued until 2003 — to being subjected to discrimination and exploitation, Sri Lanka’s Malaiyaha Tamil community has been enduring incessant injustices.
- The Malaiyaha Tamils are separate from the Tamil communities in the north and east, who have a much longer history in Sri Lanka.
Naam 200
- India has decided to provide another 10,000 houses to Sri Lanka’s estate community, announced Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 2nd November 2023.
- She was speaking at the event to mark ‘Naam 200’ (We are 200), an event held under the theme, ‘In the tapestry of Sri Lanka’s cultural diversity, the Indian Tamil community has woven a unique thread over two centuries.
