Eelam Tamil Sovereignty – prior to 1948
In Eelam (named Ceylon by the British), the British joined the Tamils Kingdom and the Sinhala Kingdom into one unitary polity in 1833 for their own administrative convenience. Eelam Tamil’s struggle for self-determination evolved through multiple stages during the last 100 years. 99 years back the need for liberation was understood by Sir. Ponnampalam Ramanathan in 1922. This blog provides an initial set of references. All related documents can be found in the following
1922 – The Life of Sir Ponnampalam Ramanathan by M Vythilingham, Volume II – page 540.
In his prefatory address to the Tamil League, he said, ‘The League was brought into existence by a political necessity. But politics is not the , raison d’etre of its existence. Its aim is much higher. The Committee and those responsible for the League consider that our aims should be to keep alive and propagate the Tamil ideals which have through the ages past made the Tamils what they are. We should keep alive and propagate those ideals throughout Ceylon and promote the union and solidarity of what we have been proud to call Tamil Eelam. We desire to preserve our individuality as a people, to make ourselves worthy of our inheritance. We are not enamoured of the cosmopolitanism which would make of us ‘ neither fish, flesh, fowl nor red-herring’.
Book Ref. https://tamilgenocide.com/groups/eelam-tamil-sovereignty/documents/folders/33/
1926 – A Federal Government for Ceylon Speech in July 1926 in Jaffna by S.W.R. D. Bandaranaike
“Under the auspices of the Students’ Congress Mr S. W. R. Dias Bandaranaike, B. A. (Oxon), Barrister-at-law, delivered a very interesting lecture on “Federation as the only Solution to our Political Problems.” Dr Isaac Thambyah presided.”
1928 and 1948 – Kandyan Sinhalese Called for Three Federal states in 1928 and 1948
Lakshman Kiriella,
“After years of colonial rule, when Sri Lanka was on the way to constitutional reform, the Donoughmore Commission was set up by the British Government in 1928 and several representations were made to the Donoughmore Commission. The most liberal and far-sighted memorandum was sent to the Commissioners by the Kandyan leaders at that time.”
1944 – Ceylon Communist Party’s Resolutions & Memoranda on Federalism and Self-Determination October 1944
“b) Recognition that the nationalities should have the unqualified right to self determination, including the right, if ever they so desire, to form their own independent state.”
[…] Eelam Tamil Sovereignty – prior to 1948 CEYLON CITIZENSHIP ACT NO 18 OF 1948Immediately after the Independence from the British on 4th February 1948, the above Act was passed by the Sinhalese Majoritarian Government to deprive over a million Tamils of Indian Origin to disfranchise and take away their right to vote. This Act reduced the number of Tamil Members in the Parliament, and the Indian Origin Tamils were treated as third class citizens aas they lost their right to vote and could not send a representative to the Parliament. […]