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Revision as of 05:59, 11 May 2003 by 129.94.6.30 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Tamil Eelam is an area consisting of the northern and eastern part of Sri Lanka in which Tamil extreamists want to form an independent state. During the rule of the British empire, minority Tamils held more privileges than the majority. After the independence in 1948, equal opportunities were given to the majority which saw numerous oppositions from Tamil politicians, which ultimately resulted the claim for seperation.
The concept of Eelam or homeland was proposed by the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in 1976. TULF was a coalition of Tamil parties who campaigned in the 1977 elections for an independent state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. In the 1977 elections the TULF was elected to parliment from the northern and eastern provinces. The government of Sri Lanka banned the TULF from parliment for advocating an independent state for Tamils. A number of militant groups then emerged fighting for an independent state. Ironically, the present leader of the LTTE, a terrorist group which is also advocating Tamil Eelam assassinated almost all top ranking TULF politicians.
From 1948 to 2002 there have been a approximately of 38 militant groups who have at one time or another fought for Tamil Eelam's independence. This number includes the better known groups such as the LTTE - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as the Tamil Tigers,'TELO - Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization, EPRLF - Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front, PLOTE - People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam, EROS - Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students, and it also includes lesser know groups such as TEA - Tamil Eelam Army, FTA - Ilankai Freedom Tamil Army, SRSL - Socialist Revolutionary Social Liberation.