The SJV Chelvanayakam’s Legacy To Sri Lanka: Unity Recognizing Diversity
Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole
The 45th Memorial Lecture
April 26, 1977 was the day that Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam, Esquire, QC, the founder-leader of the Federal Party (a.k.a. the Ilangai Thamil Arasuk Katchi or ITAK) who is affectionately known as SJV, passed from this realm to the next. This 26th morning, promptly at 9:30 the 45thSJV Chelvanayagam event started as scheduled. The venue was the location of his memorial stupa across the Jaffna Public Library and next to Subramaniam Park.
SJV’s legacy to the Tamil people was the political belief that Sri Lanka has different peoples with different and even conflicting needs and aspirations, so that we must live together in a federalist undivided Sri Lanka pursuing our own aspirations without treading on each other’s toes. That belief came with a firm commitment to nonviolence. His is a legacy few quarrel with. His is a stature that even his detractors fear to speak against. Even violent LTTE backers claim to adore him, hoping his stature would rub off a little on them.
S.J.V. Chelvanayakam
Attendees and Absentees
Notable for their presence were C. Chandrahasan SJV’s son, his grandson Elangovan (also the grandson of ITAK stalwart Hensman Naganathan), and Soundari Watson who is SJV’s grandniece, the daughter of his niece Samathanam Somasundaram (nee Muththiah) of Alaveddy. Hon. K. Thirairajasingam, MP, the ITAK Secretary from Batticaloa, and Eastern PC Education Minister Mr.S. Thandayuthapani from Trincomalee were noted for their presence from the East. Present were also ITAK Secretary General Hon. Mavai Senathirajah, MP, Jaffna District ITAK MPs Hon. Shanthi Sriskantharajah and Hon. MA. Sumanthiran, and Vanni District MP Hon. Charles Nirmalanathan. The current diocesan Bishop of SJV’s Church of South India, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Daniel Thiagarajah, also made it despite his recent loss of his brother. The presence of Jaffna’s brand new mayor, His Worship Emmanuel Arnold, added a refreshing young face to an aging party.
Of special note was the presence of the new Indian Consul in Jaffna, HE Balachandran, an Andhra man speaking fluent Tamil. It is hoped that he would be less identified with the BJP’s religious policies. This is said to be his first public function and his presence augurs well for more secular policies from the Indian Consulate General.
Mr. R. Sampanthan and Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran were notable absentees, as also were most of the ITAK MPs. Chairman of the NPC, C.V.K. Sivagnanam whose wife’s funeral had been scheduled for 10:00 AM the same day was naturally absent. Some who came and showed their faces ran off quickly to the funeral thereby accounting for the less than expected crowd. The organizers should have coordinated better with Mr. Sivagnanam.
Perhaps the most serious absentee was the Muslim leader invited to be on the stage to show case the ITAK’s strength in having bridges to all communities as a secular party. It was Moulavi A.M.A. Aziz who was billed after he confirmed his acceptance, but did not show up.
The Chairman of the Organizing Committee, The Rt. Rev. S. Jebanesan opened the event with the welcome speech which was to be by Prof. S. Sathiaseelan, the organizing committee secretary who was another absentee. The Bishop wore a scarlet cassock but without the customary cross, perhaps to make the function more secular. The whole group moved to the stupa and the SJV statue where garlanding was done by a large number until they ran out of garlands.
