A comparative study on prejudices of Sinhalese and Tamils towards each other in the post-war reconciliation process of Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study is based on the emerging challenges and constraints in the reconciliation process between Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka. Many scholarly readings highlight that the post-war reconciliation process is still a happenstance. Therefore, the emphasis of this study was based on the research problem of "What are the pro-factors behind the delay of the post-war reconciliation between Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka"? The objectives of the study were to observe the reasons behind the delay in the process and making viable recommendations to boost it, which is a national need. The study employed a mixed method to enrich the quality of the data. The quantitative data was collected from 200 respondents in six villages of the Trincomalee District using a structured questionnaire and qualitative data was collected by means of 24 interviews of key informants such as G.S officers. The study area was observed several times to collect data. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed together to enrich the reliability of each other. The quantitative primary data was analyzed making use of mean, percentage, and mode. Qualitative data was analyzed over thematic analytical methods based on themes such as "prejudices based on ethnicity". The study found that the reconciliation process is becoming multifarious especially due to the prejudices, based on ethnicity and lack of humanity-based strategies. These findings will be very supportive to enhance the reconciliation process in a new angle. The study concludes that prejudices and intra-dependencies delay the reconciliation basically. Promoting mutual and interpersional inter-dependencies and implementing humanity-based strategies are crucial strategies to develop the reconciliation process. The study recommends applying theories like Human Needs and Inter-dependency to make policies in reconciliation. The study stresses studying political behaviour and its impact on reconciliation as further research.