Back S. J. V. Chelvanayakam German S. J. V. Chelvanayakam French S. J. V. Chelvanayakam SIMPLE சா. ஜே. வே. செல்வநாயகம் Tamil
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam | |
|---|---|
சா. ஜே. வே. செல்வநாயகம் | |
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| Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Kankesanthurai | |
| In office 1947–1952 | |
| Succeeded by | S. Natesan |
| In office 1956–1977 | |
| Preceded by | S. Natesan |
| Succeeded by | A. Amirthalingam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 March 1898 Ipoh, Malaya |
| Died | 26 April 1977 (aged 79) |
| Political party | Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi |
| Other political affiliations | Tamil United Liberation Front |
| Spouse | Emily Grace Barr-Kumarakulasinghe |
| Alma mater | Ceylon Law College |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam MP (Tamil: சாமுவேல் ஜேம்ஸ் வேலுப்பிள்ளை செல்வநாயகம், romanized: Cāmuvēl Jēms Vēluppiḷḷai Celvanāyakam; 31 March 1898 – 26 April 1977) was a Ceylonese lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament. He was the founder and leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and a political leader of the Ceylon Tamil community for more than two decades. Chelvanayakam has been described as a father figure to Ceylon's Tamils, to whom he was known as "Thanthai Chelva" (father Chelva).
Born into an expatriate Ceylon Tamil family in Malaya, Chelvanayakam moved to Ceylon while still young. He worked as a teacher before studying law at Ceylon Law College and qualifying as lawyer. A successful career in civil law saw him becoming a King's Counsel and being offered a position on the Supreme Court, which he rejected. As a young lawyer Chelvanayakam was not involved in politics but when the British established the Soulbury Commission to look into constitutional reform in Ceylon he and other Tamil people formed the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) to represent Tamil interests. He was elected to Parliament in 1947 to represent Kankesanthurai, a constituency he would represent until his death, except for a period between 1952 and 1956. Chelvanayakam left the ACTC over the party's decision to join the government and in 1949 founded his own party, ITAK, also known as the Federal Party.
Chelvanayakam and ITAK advocated federalism as a means of sharing power between Ceylon's majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils. Chelvanayakam signed two pacts with Ceylonese prime ministers—Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact (1957) and Dudley-Chelvanayakam Pact (1965)—on devolving powers to Tamils and resolving linguistic rights and other ethnic issues but both were abrogated by the prime ministers due to pressure from Sinhalese nationalists. This, together with government policies which were regarded by Ceylon's minorities as discriminatory, resulted in Chelvanayakam and the Tamil political movement shifting away from federalism and towards separatism. ITAK and other Tamil political groups formed the Tamil United Front (TUF) in 1972 with Chelvanayakam as its leader. TUF was renamed TULF and in 1976, at a convention presided over by Chelvanayakam, passed the Vaddukoddai Resolution calling for the "restoration and reconstitution of the free, sovereign, secular, socialist state of Tamil Eelam".
Chelvanayakam suffered from Parkinson's disease and failing hearing. He died in 1977 aged 79 after a fall at his home. Noted for his integrity, Chelvanayakam was committed to using non-violent methods to achieve his political goals, and led several satyagraha campaigns to realise the Tamils' political demands. His methods, however, failed to secure Tamils' rights in the face of opposition from Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists. His belief that the Tamils' political aspirations could be achieved through Parliamentary institutions has been criticised as naive. With his death the era of non-violent protest was replaced by violent militancy.