The Sri Lankan government celebrated the 74th anniversary of the country’s independence from the British empire on 4 February. But for Tamil speaking people on the island, 4 February 1948 marks the day one oppressor handed power to another. It is Tamil Oppression Day.
 
From that day onward, local politicians promoting Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism co-opted the ruthlessness of colonial rule, leading to many pogroms and other heinous acts to be committed against Tamil and other minority communities. The violence has never ceased.