S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
Encyclopedia
Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam (also spelt Chelvanayagam, March 31, 1898 - April 26, 1977) was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament. He was the political leader and father figure of the Sri Lankan Tamil community for more than two decades. His son Chandrahasan followed his fathers footstep by becoming a public servant in Tamil Nadu.
, Malaya
. He was the first child of James Visvanathan Velupillai and Harriet Annamma. Chelvanayakam' father was a teacher from Tholpuram, Jaffna who emigrated to Ipoh and became a businessman. The family later moved to Taiping
. Chelvanayakam's younger brothers Ernest Velupillai Ponnuthurai and Edward Rajasundaram were born in 1901 and 1902 respectively. Chelvanayakam also had a younger sister Atputham Isabel who died young. When Chelvanayakam was aged four he, his two brothers and his mother returned to Ceylon
. His father remained in Malaya.
The Chelvanayakam family lived in Tellippalai
, Jaffna District
. Chelvanayakam studied at Union College
, St. John's College
and St. Thomas' College
where he was a contemporary of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, a future Prime Minister of Ceylon. He was an external student of the University of London
and at the age of 19 he received a Bachelor of Science
degree.
After graduation Chelvanayakam took up a teaching career at St. Thomas' College. He resigned from St. Thomas when the principal refused to grant him permission to visit his seriously ill brother. Chelvanayakam then started teaching at Wesley College
. Whilst teaching he studied law at Ceylon Law College and in 1923, aged 25, he was called to the bar. He married Emily Grace Barr Kumuarakulasinghe in 1927. They had a daughter (Susili) and four sons (Chandrahasan, Vaseekaran). Chelvanayakam resigned from Wesley College when the principal complained about Chelvanayakam wearing the Tamil national dress whilst teaching.
during the drive for independence, becoming the party's deputy leader. At the 1947 parliamentary election he was elected to represent Kankesanthurai
in Parliament.
After Ceylon's independence the ACTC was torn between Chelvanayakam and G. G. Ponnambalam
, the party's leader who pushed for greater cooperation with the United National Party
government. In September 1948 Ponnambalam and the ACTC joined the UNP government but Chelvanayakam, C. Vanniasingam and Senator E. M. V. Naganathan
refused. After unsuccessfully trying to take control of the ACTC, the rebels formed a new, more aggressive party, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
(Federal Party), on 18 December 1949.
Chelvanayakam lost his parliamentary seat at the May 1952 parliamentary election but regained it at the April 1956 parliamentary election. He was subsequently re-elected at the March 1960, July 1960, March 1965 and May 1970 parliamentary elections.
After the 1956 election ITAK became the leading party in the Tamil regions, but the new Prime Minister, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, pushed through the Sinhala Only Act
, which met with stiff opposition from the Tamils. Chelvanayakam led a satyagraha
protest against the new law. The campaign succeeded at first in swaying the government, which negotiated the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact which agreed to provide government services in Tamil and devolve powers to a set of provincial councils. Bandaranaike abandoned the pact after stiff opposition from Buddhist monks (Bandaranaike was assassinated by a Buddhist monk in 1959).
After his fruitless experience dealing with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
governments of 1956-65, Chelvanayakam turned to the UNP. After that UNP's victory in the 1965 election, ITAK joined the national government of Dudley Senanayake
. He signed the Senanayake-Chelvanayakam Pact which also provided for Tamil services and district councils. Senanayake's regime failed to implement the Pact and as a result, Chelvanayakam and the ITAK left the government in 1968.
By the 1970s, Chelvanayakam had grown bitter over his failure to win any meaningful concessions from the Sinhalese, and became sympathetic to the cause of Tamil separatism
. ITAK and other Tamil parties formed the Tamil United Front in May 1972, with Chelvanayakam as their leader. Chelvanayakam resigned from Parliament on 2 October 1972 as a protest against the new republican constitution. The government deliberately delayed holding the by-election
in Kankesanthurai until 6 February 1975. Chelvanayakam won the by-election easily.
By 1976 the TUF had restyled itself as the Tamil United Liberation Front
and was openly calling for an "free, sovereign, secular, socialist state of Tamil Eelam
".
and growing deafness since the 1950s. In 1961 he underwent surgery in Edinburgh
to relieve the stress from Parkinson disease at the hands of a neurosurgeon, Francis John Gillingham
and the operation “proved successful.” Despite the success of this operation, he died on 26 April 1977 at his home in Jaffna
.
Three months after Chelvanayakam's death the TULF contested the 1977 parliamentary election
with its main manifesto pledge being "to establish an independent sovereign, secular, socialist State of Tamil Eelam...". The TULF won all 14 seats in the Northern Province
after receiving more than 278,000 votes (68%). In the Eastern Province
the TULF won 4 of 10 seats after receiving nearly 140,000 votes (32%). Sri Lankan Tamils constituted 92% and 43% of the population in each of the provinces respectively.
due to his reliance on nonviolence and, even at the end of his life, his commitment to use only peaceful means to achieve his political ends.
Chelvanayakam's political biography was published in 1994 by his son-in-law and political science professor A. Jeyaratnam Wilson.
Early life
Chelvanayakam was born on 31 March 1898 in IpohIpoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. He was the first child of James Visvanathan Velupillai and Harriet Annamma. Chelvanayakam' father was a teacher from Tholpuram, Jaffna who emigrated to Ipoh and became a businessman. The family later moved to Taiping
Taiping, Perak
Taiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 191,104 , it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh...
. Chelvanayakam's younger brothers Ernest Velupillai Ponnuthurai and Edward Rajasundaram were born in 1901 and 1902 respectively. Chelvanayakam also had a younger sister Atputham Isabel who died young. When Chelvanayakam was aged four he, his two brothers and his mother returned to Ceylon
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
. His father remained in Malaya.
The Chelvanayakam family lived in Tellippalai
Tellippalai
Tellippalai or Thellippalai is a small town in the northern Jaffna District of Sri Lanka.It was a mission location when the American Ceylon Mission came to Sri Lanka in the 19th century. It was known as Tillipally in ACM documents...
, Jaffna District
Jaffna District
Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to...
. Chelvanayakam studied at Union College
Union College, Tellippalai, Jaffna
Union College is a mixed public provincial school in Tellippalai, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1816 by American missionaries, it is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools.-History:Rev...
, St. John's College
St. John's College, Jaffna
St. John's College is a boys private school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries.-History:...
and St. Thomas' College
S. Thomas' College
The College of St Thomas the Apostle, popularly known as "S. Thomas' College", is a private Anglican school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
where he was a contemporary of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, a future Prime Minister of Ceylon. He was an external student of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and at the age of 19 he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree.
After graduation Chelvanayakam took up a teaching career at St. Thomas' College. He resigned from St. Thomas when the principal refused to grant him permission to visit his seriously ill brother. Chelvanayakam then started teaching at Wesley College
Wesley College, Colombo
Wesley College, Colombo is a Methodist educational institution in Sri Lanka.In 1858 Rev. Joseph Rippon wanted to establish a superior educational institution for the Wesleyan Methodist Mission in South Ceylon. On March 2 1874 Wesley College, Colombo is a Methodist educational institution in Sri...
. Whilst teaching he studied law at Ceylon Law College and in 1923, aged 25, he was called to the bar. He married Emily Grace Barr Kumuarakulasinghe in 1927. They had a daughter (Susili) and four sons (Chandrahasan, Vaseekaran). Chelvanayakam resigned from Wesley College when the principal complained about Chelvanayakam wearing the Tamil national dress whilst teaching.
Political career
Chelvanayakam entered politics in 1944 when became active in the All Ceylon Tamil CongressAll Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress , is the oldest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka.-History:The ACTC was founded in 1944 by G.G. Ponnambalam. Ponnambalam asked for a 50-50 representation in parliament...
during the drive for independence, becoming the party's deputy leader. At the 1947 parliamentary election he was elected to represent Kankesanthurai
Kankesanthurai Electoral District
Kankesanthurai Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Kankesanthurai in Jaffna District, Northern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral...
in Parliament.
After Ceylon's independence the ACTC was torn between Chelvanayakam and G. G. Ponnambalam
G. G. Ponnambalam
Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam , known as G.G. Ponnambalam, was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician in British Ceylon, and then after independence, in Ceylon. He founded the first Sri Lankan Tamil political party, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ponnambalam stood for the principle of minority...
, the party's leader who pushed for greater cooperation with the United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
government. In September 1948 Ponnambalam and the ACTC joined the UNP government but Chelvanayakam, C. Vanniasingam and Senator E. M. V. Naganathan
E. M. V. Naganathan
Dr. E. M. V. Naganathan was a Sri Lankan physician and politician, representing Nallur, Jaffna in the Parliament of Sri Lanka.-Early life and education:...
refused. After unsuccessfully trying to take control of the ACTC, the rebels formed a new, more aggressive party, the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi is a Sri Lankan political party which represents the Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic minority in the country. It was originally formed in 1949 as breakaway faction of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress...
(Federal Party), on 18 December 1949.
Chelvanayakam lost his parliamentary seat at the May 1952 parliamentary election but regained it at the April 1956 parliamentary election. He was subsequently re-elected at the March 1960, July 1960, March 1965 and May 1970 parliamentary elections.
After the 1956 election ITAK became the leading party in the Tamil regions, but the new Prime Minister, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, pushed through the Sinhala Only Act
Sinhala Only Act
The Sinhala Only Act was a law passed in the Ceylonese parliament in 1956...
, which met with stiff opposition from the Tamils. Chelvanayakam led a satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
protest against the new law. The campaign succeeded at first in swaying the government, which negotiated the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact which agreed to provide government services in Tamil and devolve powers to a set of provincial councils. Bandaranaike abandoned the pact after stiff opposition from Buddhist monks (Bandaranaike was assassinated by a Buddhist monk in 1959).
After his fruitless experience dealing with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in...
governments of 1956-65, Chelvanayakam turned to the UNP. After that UNP's victory in the 1965 election, ITAK joined the national government of Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Senanayake
Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who...
. He signed the Senanayake-Chelvanayakam Pact which also provided for Tamil services and district councils. Senanayake's regime failed to implement the Pact and as a result, Chelvanayakam and the ITAK left the government in 1968.
By the 1970s, Chelvanayakam had grown bitter over his failure to win any meaningful concessions from the Sinhalese, and became sympathetic to the cause of Tamil separatism
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
. ITAK and other Tamil parties formed the Tamil United Front in May 1972, with Chelvanayakam as their leader. Chelvanayakam resigned from Parliament on 2 October 1972 as a protest against the new republican constitution. The government deliberately delayed holding the by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Kankesanthurai until 6 February 1975. Chelvanayakam won the by-election easily.
By 1976 the TUF had restyled itself as the Tamil United Liberation Front
Tamil United Liberation Front
The Tamil United Liberation Front is a political party in Sri Lanka which seeks independence for the Tamil-populated areas of Sri Lanka.-Formation:...
and was openly calling for an "free, sovereign, secular, socialist state of Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
".
Death
Chelvanayakam health was increasingly poor; he had suffered from Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and growing deafness since the 1950s. In 1961 he underwent surgery in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to relieve the stress from Parkinson disease at the hands of a neurosurgeon, Francis John Gillingham
Francis John Gillingham
Prof. Francis 'John' Gillingham CBE was a British neurosurgeon.- Early life :Gillingham was born in Dorchester, Dorset, England on March 15, 1916, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Gillingham. He was educated at Hardye’s School, Dorset, and then studied medicine at St...
and the operation “proved successful.” Despite the success of this operation, he died on 26 April 1977 at his home in Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
.
Three months after Chelvanayakam's death the TULF contested the 1977 parliamentary election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1977
The 1977 Sri Lankan election heralded the beginning of a new period of Sri Lanka's history - a period of unprecedented violence.-Background:Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike had become extraordinarily unpopular. Her economic policies had led to industrial growth and self-reliance, but was...
with its main manifesto pledge being "to establish an independent sovereign, secular, socialist State of Tamil Eelam...". The TULF won all 14 seats in the Northern Province
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
after receiving more than 278,000 votes (68%). In the Eastern Province
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
the TULF won 4 of 10 seats after receiving nearly 140,000 votes (32%). Sri Lankan Tamils constituted 92% and 43% of the population in each of the provinces respectively.
Legacy
Chelvanayakam was a beloved figure to Sri Lanka's Tamils, to whom he was known as "Thanthai Chelva" or "Father Chelva". He was called as Eezha Thahthai Selva in Tamil Nadu. He was sometimes compared to Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
due to his reliance on nonviolence and, even at the end of his life, his commitment to use only peaceful means to achieve his political ends.
Chelvanayakam's political biography was published in 1994 by his son-in-law and political science professor A. Jeyaratnam Wilson.