This book traces the historical development of ethnic and national consciousness in Sri Lanka, the development of the contradictions and their transformation into national conflict, oppression and war. It identifies the respective roles played by ethnicity as well as class interests and ideology. It also deals with the different class and ideology-based approaches to the solution of the national question and touches briefly on the role of forces of foreign domination in aggravating the problem and prescribing solutions that serve their interests.

S Sivasegaram is a well – known Tamil poet and political analyst. He was Senior Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Peradeniya (earlier known as the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka). From 1984 to 1997, he served at Imperial College London, which he left as Principal Research Fellow in Mechanical Engineering. He has contributed to literary criticism, translation and applied linguistics. He has also written extensively on politics. Since 1965, he has been involved with various Marxist groups and movements.