Modern Phase
The modern phase of literature started in the 1960s with the establishment of modern universities and a free education system in the post-independence Sri Lanka. The 1960s also saw a social revolt against the caste system in Jaffna which had an impact on Tamil literature. Dominic Jeeva was a product of this period. Tamil literature was comparatively ahead of its mainland counterpart in modern Tamil Nadu with respect to Dalit issues. After the commencement of the civil war in 1983, a number of poets and fiction writers became active, focussing on issues such as death, destruction and rape. Such writings have no parallels in any previous Tamil literature. The war produced writers from across the globe who reminisced their longing for their lost homes as well as a need for integration with mainstream communities in Europe and North America. Sri Lankan Tamils have produced a number of plays during the modern period in what may be considered a catalyst towards cinema.
Read more about this topic: Sri Lankan Tamil Literature
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