Senanayake-Chelavanayakam Pact
1965
The Senanayake -Chelavanayakam Pact was signed
between Dudley Senanayake, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and S.J.V
Chelavanayakam, Tamil leader on 24 March 1965. Reproduced below is the
text of the Pact.
Mr. Dudley Senanayake and Mr. S. J. V. Chelvanayakam met on 24 March
1965 and discussed matters relating to some problems over which the
Tamil-speaking people were concerned, and Mr. Senanayake agreed that
action on the following lines would be taken by him to ensure a stable
government:
(1) Action will be taken early under the Tamil Language Special
Provisions Act to make provision of the Tamil Language of Administration
and of Record in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Mr. Senanayake explained that it was the policy of his party that a
Tamil-speaking person should be entitled to transact business in Tamil
throughout the island.
(2) Mr. Senanayake stated that it was the policy of his party to amend
the Languages of Courts Act to provide for legal proceedings in the
Northern and Eastern Provinces to be conducted and recorded in Tamil.
(3) Action will be taken to establish District Councils in Ceylon vested
with powers over subjects to be mutually agreed upon between two
leaders. It was agreed, however, that the government should have power
under the law to give directions to such councils under the national
interest.
(4) The Land Development Ordinance will be amended to provide that
citizens of Ceylo n be entitled to the allotment of land under the
Ordinance.
Mr. Senanayake further agreed that in the granting of land under
colonization schemes the following priorities be observed in the
Northern and Eastern provinces:
(a) Land in the Northern and Eastern provinces should in the first
instance be granted to landless persons in the district.
(b) Secondly, to Tamil-speaking persons resident in the northern and
eastern provinces.
(c) Thirdly, to other citizens in Ceylon, preference being given to
Tamil citizens in the rest of the island.
Signed
Dudley Senanayake
24.3.1965 Signed
S. J. V. Chelavanayakam
24.3.1965
