Mining- Rock Phosphate in Distress

areas. The united left front govern- ment of Sirimavo Bandaranaike turned down these demands but promised that Tamil would continue to be the de facto official language (i e, language of administration and education) in the north and east. The non-Tamil-based parties have always considered the demand for autonomy to be dangerous because they feel that, once conceded, it could lead to the secession of these areas from Sri Lanka. Nor could the Sinmavo Bandaranaike government and especially the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which has continuously played up its chauvinist appeal as the saviour and defender of the Sinhala language and culture, afford to be seen fo be allowing the entrenchment of a clause protecting the Tamil language in the new constitution of Sri Lanka.