Country: Sri Lanka

Group: Paraiyar

Date Finalized: 3/18/2024

Team: Madison Chester (Lead), Evelyn Anello, Nichole Dahlen, David Hammerle, Lacey Hurst

Content Warning: ethnic discrimination, war, internal displacement

Approximate Time Period: 1983 – Present

The Paraiyar, also known as the Paraya, are traditionally known as drummers at weddings and funerals, street sweepers, and garbage collectors (Silva, 2009). They are a part of the lowest level of the Sri Lankan caste system, the Panchamars (Silva, 2009).

The Sri Lankan Civil War took place from 1983 to 2009 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who wanted to create an independent Tamil state (Silva, 2009). As a result of violence, many people became internally displaced. Disproportionately, this included groups that fall under the Panchamar caste. In fact, when examining the distribution of castes in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Sri Lanka in November of 2015, researchers found that 25 out of 32 camps primarily contained members of three oppressed groups: Nalavar, Pallar, and Paraiyar (Karunadasa, 2016).

These groups battled further marginalization during resettlement when higher castes barred them from purchasing land and restricted access to water and employment. Lower-caste groups in the Jaffna peninsula, including the Paraiyar, continue to struggle to secure stable livelihoods due to caste-based discrimination from Sri Lankan military groups and as a result, remain internally displaced (Karunadasa, 2016). This is due to deliberate “lack of alternative housing, deep-rooted poverty, lack of social capital, [and] exclusion from the local land market” (OHCHR, 2008).

Data Quality: The data quality is rated a 2/3. This judgment was made due to the fact that although the sources found were well researched, documented, and of sufficient depth, few sources specifically referenced the Paraiyar, and rather simply referred to the Panchamars as a whole.

Sources

  1. Karunadasa, M. (2016, April 23). Can the caste be a thing of the past? [Review of Can the caste be a thing of the past?]. The Centre for Poverty Analysis.
  2. OHCHR. (2008, May). Caste-based discrimination in Sri Lanka: Patterns of inequality, discrimination and social marginalisation of affected communities in contemporary Sri Lanka [Review of Caste-based discrimination in Sri Lanka: Patterns of inequality, discrimination and social marginalisation of affected communities in contemporary Sri Lanka]. IMADR Asia Committee, Human Development Organisation and the International Dalit Solidarity Network.
  3. Silva, K. T., Sivapragasam, P. P., & Thanges, P. (2009). Caste discrimination and social justice in Sri Lanka: An overview. Indian Institute of Dalit Studies.
  4. Silva, K. T., Sivapragasam, P. P., & Thanges, P. (2009). Casteless or caste-blind?: Dynamics of concealed caste discrimination, social exclusion, and protest in Sri Lanka. International Dalit Solidarity Network.
  5. Silva, K., Sivapragasam, S., & Thanges, P. (2009). Dynamics of Concealed Caste Discrimination, Social Exclusion and Protest in Sri Lanka Casteless or Caste-blind? International Dalit Solidarity Network Indian Institute of Dalit Studies Kumaran Book House.