Abstract:
Amparai district is one of the contested districts in the context of political
geography in Sri Lanka. There were number of geographic and political motivations
behind the creation of Amparai district, dividing the southern parts of the Batticaloa
district in 1961. From the inception, the district has been getting popular for in the
context of the conduct of territorial politics, land issues, ethnic politics and civil war and
displacement. On the history, there were number of examples for consensus on the
socio, economic, political and cultural activities among the different ethnic groups
rather than considering the above mentioned ground or context However, die intense of
ethnic conflict and civil war made different ethnic communities to think and act on
ethnically, politically and territorially. Then elements of political geography, land use,
resources distribution, political representation, socio-cultural and economic
development, borders and local governance, and administration became popular issues
in the district They played vital roles in determining the ethnic relations, development
of the district in the discourse of civil war and peace process. The war against terrorism
and the defeat of the LITE and the regaining of the LITE controlled areas in the
Eastern and the Northern provinces paved the ways for normalcy in the everyday life of
people and promoting development and prosperity of the country in number of ways. At
the same time the war victory, in another way paved the ways for ethno-nationalism and
majority consensus on politics. The parties which are undermined and marginalized are
the minorities. The post-war scenario posed number of geo-political questions over the
minorities where they are living with majority community. Mostly, in the Eastern
province, there are number of changes going in the context of political geography. This
research would like to pay special attention on pre-war and post war contexts of the
political geography of Amparai district and their changing dynamics and impacts in the
discourse of post war development and peace building in Sri Lanka. This research is a
critical study based on comparative analysis. The information and data gathered from
the desk analysis and field survey (interviews, questionnaire survey) have been used for
the arguments for and against.
