Srilanka, Feb. 3 -- In approaching another Independence Day on February 4, we must reflect on the tragic history of our country. The original sin of our independent nation - despite our visionaries who had struggled against colonialism in the name of equality - was the disenfranchisement of the Hill-Country Tamils. How are we as a country and a people addressing the dark history of exploitation and social exclusion of the Hill-Country Tamils who beyond all other communities have been the backbone of Sri Lanka's economy for over two hundred years?

It took the Hill-Country Tamils over five decades to redress the despicable act of revoking their citizenship soon after Independence. Despite many shortcomings of their political parties and t...