S J V Chelvanayakam: The Father Of The Tamil Nation

By Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah -April 27, 2014

Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

In his light we shall travel…

Remembering some eventful moments in the life of Thanthai Chelva, of historical significance to Eelam Tamils, looking through both A J Wilson’s book: S J V Chelvanayakam and the Crisis of Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism and the late Nadesan Satyendra’s Tamil Nation web portal and from tributes at his death. 

“Throughout the ages the Sinhalese and Tamils in the country lived as distinct sovereign people till they were brought under foreign domination. It should be remembered that the Tamils were in the vanguard of the struggle for independence in the full confidence that they also will regain their freedom. We have for the last 25 years made every effort to secure our political rights on the basis of equality with the Sinhalese in a united Ceylon…It is a regrettable fact that successive Sinhalese governments have used the power that flows from independence to deny us our fundamental rights and reduce us to the position of a subject people. These governments have been able to do so only by using against the Tamils the sovereignty common to the Sinhalese and the Tamils…I wish to announce to my people and to the country that I consider the verdict at this election as a mandate that the Tamil Eelam Nation should exercise the sovereignty already vested in the Tamil people and become free.”

Such were the evocative words spoken by S J V Chelvanayakam QC MP (quote taken from Tamil Nation website) after he won the Kankesanturai seat convincingly with a sweeping majority, having resigned his seat in October, 1972 to re-contest his parliamentary seat in September 1975  (in a by-election that the Sirimavo government wilfully delayed) to seek the peoples’ mandate for Tamil Eelam.

S J V Chelvanayakam: 31 March 1898 – 26 April 1977

Earlier, challenging the Sirimavo government’s decision to establish a constituent assembly and formulate a new constitution, Chelvanayakam took the “momentous decision” to submit himself to the people’s will, “on the issue that the Tamil people had rejected the 1972 constitution.”

A J Wilson writes in his book: S J V Chelvanayakam and the Crisis of Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism that, “for Chelvanayakam and the Federal Party the most disturbing aspects of this constitution-making process was the decision to enshrine the Sinhala language as the one official language, to reduce the status of Tamil to a language requiring translation, to provide special provision to Buddhism and to do away with section 29 of the Soulbury Constitution which had hitherto been a covenant for the protection of minority rights.”

“The decision will be that of the Tamil people. My policy will be that in view of the events that have taken place , the Tamil people of Ceylon should have the right to determine their future, whether they are to be subject race in Ceylon or they are to be free people.  Let the government contest me on that position. If I lose I give up my policy. The government loses, let it not say the Tamil people supports its policy and its constitution.” so saying Chelvanayakam resigned his seat risking his political future on the critical issue of rejecting the 1972 republican constitution for Tamil self-determination.

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