1983 Genocide – Black July

On the 18th of May 1983, the election for the local councils in the Northern Province was held. Elections were held for four local councils namely Jaffna Municipal Council, Valvettithurai Municipal Council, Parutthurai Municipal Council and Savagacheri Municipal Council. The Tamil Liberation Alliance also contested in this election. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) asked to boycott the local council elections. Their neglect was very severe. On the other hand, the then leaders of the Tamil Liberation Alliance were actively engaged in election campaigning. Selective exclusion is 98% successful. Due to this, the then government of JR Jayawardena was shocked by the change of leadership in Tamil Pradesh. It was a shock to the Sinhalese rulers that the Tamil-speaking people rejected the moderate parliamentary leadership and got to know a leadership that fully embraced Tamil nationalism. Thus JR Jayavardhana was frightened like cowherds at the sight of black umbrellas.

To unleash their forces, they burnt houses in Gandharmadam areas. Civilians were attacked. Their properties were looted. A tense situation developed in Jaffna. These incidents escalated and spread to Vavuniya. Shops were also burnt there. It later spread to Trincomalee. In the whole month of June 1983, every day in a Tamil village somewhere in Tirumala, a Tamil son was being cut to death by a Sinhalese. In this case, on July 1, 1983, against the Trincomalee massacre, six organizations, including the Tamil Eelam Liberation Team and the Jaffna University Students’ Union, conducted a full-scale shop shutdown. On the day of this shop closure, at around two o’clock in the evening, the Yadhevi convoy which came from Colombo to Jaffna was kept in Gondavil and set on fire by some radical youths. Following this, Dr. S. A. Dharmalingam, who organized the lockout, and Kowai Mahesan, the editor of Swatanthanan Naled, were arrested by the Jaffna police and taken to Colombo. Both of them were imprisoned in Velikadai Jail. This caused tension in Jaffna. Following this, the Sri Lankan government banned the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Swatantan and the English daily Saturday Review. The presses were sealed and locked. Following this, Dr. S. A. Dharmalingam, who organized the lockout, and Kowai Mahesan, the editor of Swatanthanan Naled, were arrested by the Jaffna police and taken to Colombo. Both of them were imprisoned in Velikadai Jail. This caused tension in Jaffna. Following this, the Sri Lankan government banned the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Swatantan and the English daily Saturday Review. The presses were sealed and locked. Following this, Dr. S. A. Dharmalingam, who organized the lockout, and Kowai Mahesan, the editor of Swatanthanan Naled, were arrested by the Jaffna police and taken to Colombo. Both of them were imprisoned in Velikadai Jail. This caused tension in Jaffna. Following this, the Sri Lankan government banned the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Swatantan and the English daily Saturday Review. The presses were sealed and locked. Following this, the Sri Lankan government banned the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Swatantan and the English daily Saturday Review. The presses were sealed and locked. Following this, the Sri Lankan government banned the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Swatantan and the English daily Saturday Review. The presses were sealed and locked.