In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.
Assertion: There was an ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Reasoning: Sinhalas were dominating the political scene of Sri Lanka after its independence.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
After its independence, politics in Sri Lanka (it was then known as Ceylon) was dominated by forces that represented the interest of the majority Sinhala community. They were hostile to a large number of Tamils who had migrated from India to Sri Lanka and settled there. This migration continued even after independence. The Sinhala nationalists thought that Sri Lanka should not give ‘concessions’ to the Tamils because Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhala people only. The neglect of Tamil concerns led to militant Tamil nationalism.