Abstract
This article focuses on the experiences, aspirations and challenges of Sri Lankan Muslim returnees to northern part of Sri Lanka in Jaffna and analyses their strategies to cope with the ambivalent situation thereafter. The empirical point of departure is drawn from the stories of three Muslim returnees in Jaffna who returned from different parts of Sri Lanka. The article finds that the Muslim returnees conceptualise home as a place where they can have a “better future” than the displaced location where they stayed for so long. The authors argue that this unveils the different kinds of attachment they have to their homes through memories, emotions and material and immaterial properties. There exists feelings of alienation and detachment from their homes among some. Furthermore, their aspirations of a good life seem to be decaying in their homes after their return.
Highlights
Sri Lanka experienced 26 years of vicious fighting between the national government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which ended in May 2009 with the military defeat of the LTTE
With the claim to fight for the self-determination of Sri Lankan Tamils, LTTE fought an ever-intensifying battle with the military forces in the north and east of the country, considered by the LTTE as the Tamil Eelam (Chattoraj & Gerharz, 2019)
The LTTE claimed to represent all Tamil-speaking people which included the Muslim population in the Tamil Eelam, serious differences were observed in the form of increasing political opposition
Summary
Sri Lanka experienced 26 years of vicious fighting between the national government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which ended in May 2009 with the military defeat of the LTTE. The third dimension is the one the authors would like to emphasise in the subsequent sections of this article; attachment The authors take it to mean a deep and enduring emotional bond connecting individuals across time and space (Ainsworth, 1979; Bowlby, 1998), which links people to material and immaterial worlds In the Sri Lankan context, returning home means a fresh start, especially for those who have not been able to acquire a better social status while being displaced To explain this in the context of Muslim returnees to Jaffna, a deeper look into the history of the war and associated displacements is required, as well as an analysis of recent developments that will help in locating the cases of Muslim returnees
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
