Tamil caste violence increase in Jaffna

Tamil politicians have been condemning the recent increase of brutal caste-based violence that took place among Tamils in across Jaffna.

Recently, a gang of dominant- wellala caste youth and men reportedly waylaid a pair of boys belonging to an oppressed so-called low cast community last month and assaulted them indiscriminately. The incident took place in Arasady, a village in Vaddukoddai in Jaffna.

Many moderate Sinhala and Tamil groups have denounced the attempt by mainstream media to portray the incident as a form of gang violence between two groups without considering the element of real Tamil caste. The incident that happened in Arasady cannot be viewed merely as an incidental use of physical force by one group on another or a conflict between two groups, as sections of the media try to portray it; it is a violent manifestation of deep-seated Tamil caste prejudices existing within caste-based hierarchies and socio-economic dimensions of caste oppression that characterize Jaffna society.

Caste-based conflict has seen resurgence since the end of the Tamil terrorism in 2009.

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