The Sri Lankan genocidal state made no efforts to redress any of the Eelam Tamil grievances. It continued to introduce additional legislation and regulations in the early 1970`s to ensure that the Sinhala Only legislation was strictly enforced, that Sinhalese students were given preference over Eelam Tamil students for admission to universities, that Sinhalese applicants be given special preferences for appointments to public and private service jobs, and that promotions of public servants were to be denied to those who fail to become proficient in the Sinhala language.

In addition, educational institutions, hospitals and roads in occupied Tamileelam were allowed to deteriorate and the economic development of these areas were wilfully neglected. The Government’s aggressive policy on peasant colonisation also threatening the integrity of the Eelam Tamils’ traditional and historical homeland.

Government policies and regulations, dealing with colonisation, university education, and employment, affected the Eelam Tamil nation adversely. Eelam Tamil youth, in particular, became infuriated with the inability of the ageing Tamil leaders to resolve the problem, calling upon them to form a single party to contest the general elections of 1977. Tamil leaders formed the Tamil United Liberation Front and at a convention convened under the chairmanship of S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, passed the Vattukottai resolution on May 14, 1976.

This manifesto gave notice to Sinhalese politicians that Tamils would adopt  strategies  to get back the independent, sovereign, secular, socialistic state of Tamileelam which they had before the British colonisation  that includes all geographically contiguous areas that have been the traditional and historical homelands of the Eelam Tamil nation in this country (Tamil United Front, 1977). Eelam Tamil youth were called upon by Eelam Tamil politicians to join the struggle against the Sinhalese. 

The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), which contested the general elections of 1977 on a mandate to liberate Tamileelam , won all the 14 seats in the Northern province, as well as 4 seats where the Tamils were in the majority in the Eastern Province. The remaining 8 seats were won the United National Party: six seats were won by Eelam Tamils following Islam as faith, while the remaining two seats were won by Sinhalese candidates from the recently established Seruvila and Amparai electorates.

The Anti-Tamil genocidal pogrom 1977 flared up when the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), formed by the amalgamation of Eelam Tamil parties, won the overwhelming support of the Eelam Tamil Nation of the Northeast at the General Elections of 1977, on a mandate to liberate Tamileelam. The concept of Tamileelam state clashed with the concept of Sinhalese ethno genocidal nationalism, which stipulates that only Sinhalese-Buddhists could claim membership in the political space in the island. In that view, Eelam Tamil nation was denied their right to self determination in that island.

Sinhalese extremists and the Theravada Buddhist clergy, infuriated by the strong demand of the Eelam Tamil electorate for creation of a Tamileelam state, waited for an opportunity to retaliate violently against Eelam tamils. It was not surprising, therefore, that a false rumour concerning the killing of a Sinhalese policeman by Tamil militants fuelled the anti-Tamil genocidal pogrom of 1977.

Unruly mobs repeated the carnage of 1958, but with a greater vengeance. More than 300 Tamils were killed and 35,000 Tamils had to seek refuge in refugee camps. Up country Tamils also became the target of Sinhalese mobs. More than 200, 000 fled for safety to India and to the areas of Northeast. Over 40,000 Tamils from the up country became refugees and destitute; some of them were subsequently settled along the southern border of the Northern Tamileelam.

The Sri lankan President’s Commission of Inquiry into the incidents concluded that the TULF’s  propaganda advocating for get back the Historical and traditional land was one of the main causes for the anti-Tamil genocidal pogrom. The government refused to accept any responsibility for contributing to or prolonging the genocidal pogrom. Tamils were infuriated with the government’s findings. They were also incensed at Sinhalese politicians for not taking swift action to contain the pogrom, and for making public statements that placed the blame solely on Tamil politicians.

The significance of this anti-Tamil genocidal pogrom rejected the peaceful methods to secure Eelam Tamil rights. LTT conducted the armed resistance against the genocidal machines of Sri Lankan state.

There is a great deal of speculation as to WHO HAS DONE IT? This will be recurring theme in these notes for many months to come. To set the ball rolling we cite a statement made by the Finance Minister, Mr. Ronnie de Mel (Daily News, 27/8/77), to provoke comment from our readers and to initiate a discussion on this very important matter, second only to the need to find an interim solution to defuse the tension and promote communal amity – a prerequisite to bring a lasting solution:

Some sections of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party were responsible for the present crisis facing the country, said the Finance Minister Mr. Ronnie de Mel yesterday at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the headquarters of the Government Officers Benefit Association at Sir Chittampalam Gardiner Mawata, Colombo.

Mr. de Mel said: (I am making this charge directly at the SLFP as there is enough matter to believe that they are responsible for turning the Jaffna incident which was purely non-communal into a communal clash. They may have intended by that to creep into power over dead bodies of people, but I would warn them that they are playing with the wrong Government.’

The Minister appealed to all sections of public servants not to believe rumours spread by defeated political elements, but to help the government in all possible ways to restore normalcy as soon as possible…’

The Sansoni Commission investigated the 1977 communal violence and submitted its report in 1980. The Sansoni commission reported that the police acted irresponsibly during the genocidal pogrom. Sansoni report said that more than 300 Eelamtamils were killed during this pogrom. However, statistics collected by other non-governmental organizations put the number killed at more than 1500. These reports also said that many were injured with knife, iron bars, and logs.