Abstract:
Ethnic crisis is a very significant issue to be discussed regarding
the theme of the conference. It is a well-known fact that 30 year prolonged
war in Sri Lanka was entirely based on the ethnic issue, which resulted in
great calamity accompanied by huge bloodshed. Shyam Selvadurai’s novel,
‘Funny Boy’ comprehensively highlights this social problem. He has
indirectly emphasized some important facts for emerging such a tragic and
violent situation in the country. The present study makes both Sinhala and
Tamil communities aware of the possibility of implementing the author’s
observations. The research problem in the study is to find out whether
Selvadurai has observed the reasons for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka in a
realistic way and can his observations be implemented to avoid such issues.
The objective of the study is to ascertain whether Selvadurai is correct in his
observations. Methodology applied in the study was entirely based on the
primary data. Interviews, discussions and observations were the specific
tools used for the present study. Both selected Sinhala and Tamil people
were interviewed regarding the issue. Unbiased people were selected for this
purpose so as to obtain authentic data. According to the analysis of the novel,
it was found that Selvadurai has indirectly suggested that intermarriage
system is an appropriate solution for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It was
also found that communal minded Sinhala people were violent and
aggressive in mobs. Through interviews and observations, it was revealed
that they were so violent and harassed the innocent Tamil people. Ex LTTE
activists, who later leave their movement and come to the southern part of
Sri Lanka in order to become good citizens also are not accepted by some
Sinhala people. It is now obvious that Selvadurai has made genuine efforts to
bring peace to Sri Lanka through his novel. Unfortunately, his efforts seem to
be a failure and ultimately, it was found through the present study that if the
people of Sri Lanka are prepared to implement the attitudes of the author,
grudges between Sinhala and Tamil communities will automatically vanish.
