Tamils and the Nation: India and Sri Lanka Compared

by Madurika Rasaratnam

Why are relations between politically mobilised ethnic identities and the nation-state sometimes peaceful and at other times fraught and violent? Madurika Rasaratnam's book sets out a novel answer to this key puzzle in world politics through a detailed comparative study of the starkly divergent trajectories of the 'Tamil question' in India and Sri Lanka from the colonial era to the present day. Whilst Tamil and national identities have peaceably harmonised in India, in Sri Lanka these have come into escalating and violent contradiction, leading to three decades of armed conflict and simmering antagonism since the war's brutal end in 2009. Tracing these differing outcomes to distinct and contingent patterns of political contestation and mobilisation in the two states, Rasaratnam shows how, whilst emerging from comparable conditions and similar historical experiences, these have produced very different interactions between evolving Tamil and national identities, constituting in
India a nation-state inclusive of the Tamils, and in Sri Lanka a hierarchical Sinhala-Buddhist national and state order hostile to Tamils' political claims. Locating these dynamics within changing international contexts, she also shows how these once largely separate patterns of national-Tamil politics, and Tamil diaspora mobilisation, are increasingly interwoven in the post-war internationalisation of Sri Lanka's ethnic crisis.

Genres: Nonfiction, India, History

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2016

Reviews

[Masta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Central to Rasaratnam’s argument is that in India, Tamil identity has been incorporated within an inclusive conception of national identity, largely shaped by the ethos of "unity in diversity." This allowed Tamil Nadu to experience ethnic accommodation, political inclusion, and relative socio-economic stability. In contrast, Sri Lanka's dominant national identity is defined by a Sinhala Buddhist nationalism that explicitly excludes Tamils from full membership and political equality. This exclusionary nationalism marginalized Tamils, both politically and economically, fueling ethnic polarization and a violent civil conflict.

Rasaratnam situates this divergence in the formation of national identities in the late colonial period, emphasizing how political mobilization shaped perceptions of who belonged to the nation and who was excluded. The book traces how Sri Lanka’s ethno-nationalism emerged as a hierarchical and exclusive construct, while Indian nationalism, for all its complexities, accommodated ethnic pluralism more successfully. This comparative lens reveals the contingency of ethnic and national identities—they are not inevitable, but outcomes of specific historical and political choices and processes.

The work also highlights the ongoing implications, including the transnational dimensions of Tamil politics post-conflict, with Tamil Nadu maintaining a stable political accommodation within India, contrasting with Sri Lanka's continuing ethnic tensions on national and international levels.

Rasaratnam’s book provides a nuanced framework for understanding the ethnic conflicts and accommodations in Tamil India and Sri Lanka through the prism of national identity formation, the politics of inclusion/exclusion, and historical contingency. This analysis contributes significantly to scholarship on ethnic politics, nationalism, and South Asian studies by showing that the fates of ethnic minorities depend crucially on the dominant national narratives and political mobilizations within their respective states.

[PeaceAll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a book that I was able to read, digest and understand the big picture.
I found out that auhor Madurika, is a Lecturer in Comparative Politics in the Department of International Politics at City, University of London.

Here's an independent review that gives context:
"This historical-comparative analysis of Tamil ethnonationalist identity in India and Sri Lanka helps us understand how political institutions shape behavior and the complex relationships among political mobilization, political institutions, and political accommodation and violence." -- CHOICE

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