The ‘district quota’ system is introduced for university entrance, improving the prospects for rural and provincial populations. The system is perceived to be at the expense of Tamil students from urban areas, mainly from Colombo and Jaffna.
Timeline of events under "Conflict roots" issue
The Privy Council rules in favour of Kodeeswaran in the case of Kodeeswaran vs Attorney General. The Privy Council directs the Supreme Court to address the constitutional question of whether the Official Language Act of 1956 which made Sinhala the official language was in violation of Section 29 of the constitution, which prohibits discrimination.
Official Language Act No. 33 of 1956, popularly known as the "Sinhala Only Act", is passed in parliament by 66 votes to 29.
First resettlement of Sinhalese settlers in the North East, under the Gal-Oya Scheme, commences.
PACT's overall purpose is to examine the root causes and contributory factors of conflict in Sri Lanka and to promote discussion on these themes. Many commentators are calling for the root causes of conflict to be addressed in a meaningful way. They argue that even if the LTTE is defeated militarily, the underlying conflict will continue until the addressal of these critical issues. Indeed, these issues existed long before the LTTE emerged as an armed militant group. What are these root causes, are they still relevant and what should be done about them? PACT's current feature seeks to unpack some of these issues
