Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.6/5)
Genre: History, Political Science, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, Sri Lankan Studies

Book Review:
Michael Roberts's ''Confrontations in Sri Lanka'' brings together the work of one of the island's most distinguished scholars in a volume that spans decades of research and analysis. As a Rhodes Scholar and historian who taught at both Peradeniya and Adelaide universities, Roberts brings unique qualifications to the study of Sri Lanka's ethnic conflicts and nationalist ideologies.

The collection's temporal sweep is impressive, covering the last two centuries while occasionally reaching further back. Roberts examines Sinhala consciousness in its modern nationalist form, tracing its development from the British period through independence and into the contemporary era. His analysis is critical rather than celebratory, identifying the ''extreme form'' of Sinhala communalism or chauvinism and its violent tendencies—including the 1915 pogrom against Muslim Moors, which he scrutinizes in revealing detail.

The book's treatment of Anagarika Dharmapala is particularly valuable. Roberts explores Dharmapala's ''multi-faceted political and evangelical projects'' and, in a revelatory chapter, examines his struggle for self-mastery and his relationship with his English-language diaries. This personal dimension humanizes a figure often treated as merely ideological.

The collection balances its attention to Sinhala nationalism with serious engagement with Tamil nationalism. Roberts notes that the first sustained exposition of Sri Lanka Tamils as a ''nation'' came from the Ceylon Communist Party in 1944—a fact that complicates simplistic narratives. His exploration of the cultural roots of LTTE ideology, drawing on Cankam poetry and bhakti traditions, demonstrates the deep historical currents that shaped the insurgency.

The 35 photographs with mini-essays add another dimension, capturing ''aspects of meaningful practice'' that text alone cannot convey. These images remind readers that the conflicts Roberts analyzes were lived experiences, not abstract phenomena.

For anyone seeking to understand Sri Lanka's ethnic conflicts—their origins, development, and enduring legacies—this collection is essential. Roberts brings the tools of a trained historian and the insights of decades of engagement to questions that continue to shape the nation. The result is scholarship of the highest order, made accessible through Vijitha Yapa's publication.