Question

What kind of measures were adopted in Sri Lanka after independence to establish Sinhala supremacy (Delhi 2009) in the government?
A) Economic measures
B) Majoritarianism measures
C) Political measures
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Sinhalese people are the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka, accounting for approximately 74 percent of the country's total population. According to mythology, the Sinhalese people are descended from Prince Vijaya's disciples, who came from the North Eastern Indian kingdom of Singhapur and served as exiles in Sri Lanka.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Economic Measures: Economic measures were not adopted in Sri Lanka after independence to establish Sinhala supremacy in the government. Thus, this option is incorrect.
Option B) Majoritarianism measures: Sri Lanka's democratically elected government implemented a series of majoritarian policies after the country became independent in 1948. To establish Sinhala supremacy, it adopted Majoritarianism.
The democratically elected government took a number of majoritarian measures, including:
(I) In 1956, an act was passed declaring Sinhala to be the official language, with Tamil being ignored.
(ii) Preference was given to Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs by the government.
(iii) The state was required by a new Constitution to protect and promote Buddhism.
Option C) Political measures: Political measures were not adopted in Sri Lanka after independence to establish Sinhala supremacy in the government. Thus, this option is incorrect.
Option D) None of the above is an incorrect option.

Thus, the correct answer is option ‘B’

Note: The Sri Lankan government made a concerted effort to eradicate the LTTE and their terrorism using armed forces. Even though they were successful, the Sri Lankan government has been accused of human rights violations. Thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were killed or displaced from their homes, and forced into refugee camps in other parts of the country as a result of the conflict.