Indian Tamils
Also called: Plantation Tamils, Hill Country Tamils · Topic: Power-sharing: Majoritarianism versus Accommodation · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "Power-sharing"
Meaning
Indian Tamils are Tamil speakers in Sri Lanka whose forefathers were brought from India as plantation workers during colonial rule. They are different from the Sri Lankan Tamils, who are native to the island. NCERT separates the two groups when it describes Sri Lanka's 18% Tamil-speaking population. Beyond NCERT, the Ceylon Citizenship Act 1948 left most Indian Tamils stateless, meaning they were citizens of no country.
Example
Of Sri Lanka's 18% Tamil speakers, 13% are Sri Lankan Tamils. The rest are mostly Indian Tamils. Soon after independence in 1948, the citizenship law left most of them stateless. This was one of the earliest steps in Sri Lanka's majoritarian state-building.
Don't confuse with
- Sri Lankan Tamils: these are native Tamils who live mainly in the north and east. They led the demands for autonomy and, later, for Tamil Eelam.