The above illustrates what for many was, in effect, the end result of repatriation, namely, total and utter disillusionment.

Introduction

This chapter deals with the period 1970–77, which was when the United Front (UF) government was in power. The UF was essentially a coalition made up of the SLFP and the traditional left-wing parties. It is thus a reflection upon a significant period in the progress of repatriation, when under the UF government there was a definite impetus toward accelerating the process of implementation, unlike in the previous five years under the predominantly UNP government. The compulsions that hastened the process also created economic hardship as well as political pressures, which gave rise to this period being popularly described as being the “Sirima Times,” which explains part of the title above.