"Thanthai" Chelva death anniversary observed in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 April 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Twenty eighth-death anniversary of late Mr.S.J.V. Chelvanayakam (1898-1977), prominent leader of the Tamil people for more than three decades of his life and fondly called as "Thanthai (Father)" was observed in Trincomalee, Jaffna and several parts of the northeast province Tuesday, sources said.





In Jaffna, parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and several leading citizens including religious dignitaries paid their homage to the leader by offering flowers and garlanding the statue of the leader in Chelva mausoleum.

The event was presided by Dr.S.Jebanesan, Emeritus Bishop of the South Indian Diocese and attended by parliamentarians Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam, Mr.S.Kanagaretnam, Ms Padmini Sithamparanathan, Mr.K.Sivanesan Mr.G.Gajendrakumar and Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan.

Later Thirugnanasambantha Paramasyra Swamigal of Nallur Atheenam, Head of Madurai Saiva Theologian College and Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, who currently holds the post of President of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi founded by the late leader in 1949, spoke, sources said.

In Trincomalee, Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, TNA parliamentarian garlanded the statue of late leader Chelva located in Sivankoviladi in the heart of east port town followed by several leading Tamil citizens including Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan, and Mr.A.H.Sahul Hameed. Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader offered flowers at the Chelva mausoleum.

Later a meeting followed presided by a leading Tamil writer Mr.Thirumalai Suntha, sources said.

Mr.Thurairatnasingham said Sri Lanka could have prospered if the Sinhalese dominated governments in power had accepted the federal constitution demand put forward by the late Tamil leader.

Even now after a two-decade-old war, the ruling party in power is dragging the issue of establishing an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) and the joint mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to rehabilitate and reconstruct the war-ravaged and tsunami affected northeast province, he added.

Mr.Sampanthan said the legitimate aspirations of Tamil speaking people in the northeast should be resolved effectively. The failure to do so would cause immense damage long term prosperity of Sri Lanka. The chauvinist rulers of the island have denied the democratic and human rights of the Tamil-speaking people since the country gained political independence, he said.

Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan said the country could be saved from destruction only by resolving the problems of Tamil speaking people through a political solution fulfilling their legitimate political aspirations.

The Vaddukoddai convention of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) was held following the abrogation of political agreements Mr.Chelvanayakam signed with two Sinhalese Prime Ministers, known as Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam pact and Dudley Senanayake-Chelvanayakam pact as an attempt to achieve legitimate aspirations of Tamil speaking in the northeast province through negotiations. Those agreements were abrogated due to the pressure of the Sinhala nationalist hardliners.

Mr.Chelvanayakam was the founder of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and one of the founder leaders of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in 1972.

In 1949 Mr.Chelvanayakam at the inaugural event of the ITAK declared, "we want a federal constitution made up of two linguistic provinces with a federal center at Colombo dealing with only defense, foreign affairs and inter-provincial communication. Each linguistic province will be its master in all internal matters."