Inginiyagala Genocide – 05.06.1956
In the 1940s, during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture, D. S. Senanayake established several Sinhala colonization schemes in the Ampara District with government financial assistance. Later, additional colonization schemes such as the Gal Oya Development Scheme in Ampara, the Kantale Colonization Scheme in Trincomalee, and the Allai Colonization Scheme were implemented with state support. Sinhalese people from outside districts were brought in and settled in these areas. They were provided with all necessary facilities, including police and military protection. Buddhist temples (viharas) were also built for them. Large bells were installed in these viharas, and the distance at which the bell sound could be heard was unofficially designated as Sinhala-Buddhist territory. Through this approach, lands traditionally owned by Tamil people were seized.
In the general election held in 1956, the late S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike became the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. One of his key election promises, the “Sinhala Only Act,” was submitted to Parliament in June 1956. In response, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) decided to engage in direct action to express their opposition. As a result, on June 5, 1956, the ACTC organized a Satyagraha protest in front of the old Parliament building at Galle Face Green in Colombo. Tamil leaders from various political backgrounds participated in the protest. Among them was the renowned Tamil scholar and religious leader, Thaninayagam Adigal, who also took part.
On that day, the Satyagrahis were attacked by Sinhalese mobs, and Sinhalese groups instigated acts of violence and murder against Tamils. Tamils were brutally attacked; many were killed in horrific ways. Tamil-owned shops in Colombo were looted and set ablaze. Anti-Tamil sentiments intensified across the entire island of Sri Lanka.
In the Ampara District, Sinhalese settlers in the colonized areas engaged in violent acts against Tamils. At a place called Inginiyagala, Tamil workers employed at the sugar factory belonging to the Gal Oya Valley Development Board were attacked by their Sinhalese co-workers. Many were hacked to death with sharp weapons. Even those who were gravely injured or already dead were thrown into burning fires. This mass killing is referred to as the Inginiyagala Genocide. It is regarded as the first major massacre of Tamils in Sri Lankan history.
According to the book Emergency 58, approximately 150 Tamil individuals were killed in this massacre.