From one Black July to another !
Human beings are, for better or worse, tribal creatures at their core. Identity serves as the foundation for community, and community, in turn, serves one overriding purpose: survival. This was what the political leader on both sides tap into then, and taps into now. It does help that for both Sinhalese and Tamils this identity runs back thousands of years and is solidified in the genes of those who identify as such. Therefore we are mostly at the mercy of the few who have the ability to mobilize these deep ingrained sentiments — we call them our Leaders. ...