Cyril Mathew, a former Sri Lankan Industries Minister and an ardent crusader for Sinhalese nationalism, died of a heart attack on Monday.

The population was increasingly tired of war and repression, worn out with jingoistic Sinhalese nationalism, and wanted a return to freedom, peace, and democracy.

The prospect of Tamil autonomy in the north together with the presence of Indian troops stirred up a wave of Sinhalese nationalism and a sudden growth of anti-government violence.

The party has renounced violence, but not Sinhalese nationalism.

Now, as Tamil separatists persist in their guerrilla war for an independent country, rumors of a revival of Sinhalese nationalism are once again reverberating.

Mrs. Kumaratunga firmly repudiated her mother's brand of Sinhalese nationalism, which had inflamed ethnic tensions between the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the predominantly Hindu Tamil minority.

That year, Chandrika Kumaratunga, daughter of the powerful political family most associated with the rise of Sinhalese nationalism, had won a landslide victory on an unprecedented peace platform.

Thus he is popular as a representator of Sinhalese nationalism.

Bitter campaign Like President Rajapaksa, the former general has made no secret of his ardent Sinhalese nationalism and has always displayed a willingness to speak his mind.

Increasing Sinhalese nationalism led to disenfranchisement of the Tamil minority.