UNITED KINGDOM, March 5, 2014 (BBC):People of Indian origin make up of roughly two percent of Myanmar’s 55-million population, but the experiences of Tamil people – who comprise the largest group – have veered from one extreme to the other in the past 200 years. After independence in 1948, the introduction of land reforms, the imposition of the Burmese language and the decision to give preferential treatment to the majority Burmese community pushed Tamils down in the social hierarchy. They are now trying to revive their language and culture by opening new schools.
Tamils from south India began migrating to Myanmar – also now known as Burma – during the early 19th Century. But unlike indentured laborers who went from India to countries such as Sri Lanka and South Africa, Tamils in Burma were not taken on by the colonial administration. Instead they worked as agricultural laborers for members of the traditional merchant caste known as Nagarathars.
But their fortunes took a huge downturn during the World War Two and subsequent political upheavals. After the Japanese invasion of Burma, many thousands of Tamils who worked in urban areas for the British colonial administration returned to India.
The imposition of the Burmese language as the medium of instruction – combined with the forced closure of Tamil schools in the 1960s – triggered another wave of reverse migration. But many Tamils have deep roots in the country. They kept a low profile and slowly improved their fortunes by mending their relationship with the majority community and staying away from politics.
Much more at source.