A Book Review on ‘Legacy of Palmyra’: “The Unnerving Yet Caste-Veiled Dual-Horizontal Inequalities in Northern Sri Lanka”

The Sri Lankan civil conflict has majorly been framed as an ethnic struggle, with the LTTE, representing the Tamil minority, leading a separatist war against the Sinhala-majority state to secure their rights. However, in Legacy of Palmyra (2023), Balasooriya offers a fresh perspective that goes beyond the ethnic dimensions of the conflict, emphasising the critical role of intra-ethnic factors, particularly the caste system in Northern Jaffna. He argues that lower-caste Tamils faced two layers of discrimination: first, as an ethnic minority oppressed by the Sinhala-majority state, and second, as marginalised lower castes excluded from elite Tamil political power. Through empirical research, Balasooriya shows that many lower-caste Tamils joined the LTTE not only to escape socio-economic deprivations linked to their caste status but also because the LTTE’s ideology transcended caste barriers, providing opportunities previously denied to them. Extending Stewart’s (2011, 2010, 2002, 2001, 2000) theory of horizontal inequalities, Balasooriya introduces the concept of dual horizontal inequalities, positioning lower-caste Tamils as victims of these intersecting forms of discrimination in Northern Sri Lanka. This work has significant implications for post-war peacebuilding and reconstruction in Sri Lanka, where caste, often overlooked, remains a pivotal factor. Balasooriya’s findings underscore the need for tailored and sensitive approaches in post-war peacebuilding to address these nuanced dimensions of inequality.