Sociological Study of Marginalized Tamil Youth in Tea Estates

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume II, Issue X, October 2018 | ISSN 2454–6186

Sociological Study of Marginalized Tamil Youth in Tea Estates

Samarakoon MT

Professor in Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Abstract: – This study intends to look at life style of Indian Tamil youth in Hatton. Hatton is a town in Nuwara-Eliya and it is a main center of the Sri Lankan tea trade. According to the department of census & statistics in Sri Lanka the population of Indian Tamils was 33.06% in Hatton district. Their contribution in the estate sector to the economy of Sri Lanka is remarkable. But many studies and data showed that since the number of many years socio-economically their average of living is lower and they are a marginalized group in Sri Lanka. The question is asked to need how it exist their issues still and predominantly, the pertinent question g is why this Indian Tamils who from up country facing the most extreme poverty and how they are marginalizing from society. This study examined three key factors: 1) the way of marginalized hill country Indian Tamils; 2) The pattern of the lifestyle and its shape in the hill country Tamil youth; 3) changing lifestyle and future of the young generation of the up country Tamils. The methodology employed in the study was date from questionnaire and from the observations/experience of the authors. Overall, the study found that the life style has been slightly changing in the up country communities especially young people of those communities try to find new way for their life.

Key Words: Marginalized, Lifestyle Tamil. Tea estate, Youth

I. INTRODUCTION

Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka are Tamil people of Indian source in Sri Lanka. They are also recognized as Hill Country Tamils, Up-Country Tamils or merely Indian Tamils. They are partially inclined from workforces referred from South India to Sri Lanka in the 19th and 20th periods from a British colonial era plan to work in coffee, tea and rubber estates. Rendering to Professor Bertram Bastianpillai, workers nearby the Tamil Nadu capitals of Thirunelveli, Tiruchi, Madurai and Tanjore were recruited in 1827 (Kingsbury, D). Some also migrated on their own as traders and as other provision workers. These Tamil-speakers frequently live in the central uplands, also known as the Malayakam or Hill Country yet others are also found in main metropolitan parts and in the Northern Province. Though they are all called as Tamils now, some have Telugu and Malayalee roots as well as varied South Indian caste origins

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