X. M. Sellathambu Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon.
X. M. Sellathambu
Native Name:சே. மா. செல்லத்தம்பு
Native Name Lang:ta
Constituency Mp1:Vavuniya
Parliament1:Ceylonese
Term Start1:1970
Term End1:1977
Predecessor1:T. Sivasithamparam
Successor1:T. Sivasithamparam
Constituency Mp2:Mullaitivu
Parliament2:Sri Lankan
Term Start2:1977
Term End2:1983
Birth Date:20 October 1917
Party:Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Otherparty:Tamil United Liberation Front
Occupation:Civil servant

Xavier Mark Sellathambu (Tamil: சேவியர் மார்க் செல்லத்தம்பு ; 20 October 1917 – 26 March 1984) was a Sri Lankan Tamil civil servant, politician and Member of Parliament.

Early life

Sellathambu was born on 20 October 1917.[1] He was married to Mary Josephine.[2]

Career

Sellathambu was Divisional Revenue Officer for Mullaitivu.[3]

Sellathambu stood as the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi's (Federal Party) candidate in Vavuniya at the 1970 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament.[4]

On 14 May 1972 the ITAK, All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Ceylon Workers' Congress, Eelath Thamilar Otrumai Munnani and All Ceylon Tamil Conference formed the Tamil United Front, later renamed Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).[5] [6] [7] [8]

Sellathambu was the TULF's candidate in Mullaitivu at the 1977 parliamentary election and was re-elected.[9] He was Chief Opposition Whip from 1977 to 1983.[10]

Sellathambu and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from Sri Lankan Tamil militants not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state; and the Black July riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese mobs. After three months of absence, Sellathambu forfeited his seat in Parliament on 21 October 1983.[11] Sellathambu died in March 1984 at the age of 66.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Directory of Past Members: Sellathambu, Xavier Mark. Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  2. News: Obituaries. Daily News (Sri Lanka). 16 January 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20070629202306/http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/01/16/obits.html. 29 June 2007.
  3. Book: Navaratnam. V.. V. Navaratnam. The Fall and Rise of the Tamil Nation: Events Leading to the Tamil War of Independence and Resumption of Eelam Sovereignty. 1991. Kaanthalakam. 120.
  4. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka .
  5. Book: Ross. Russell R.. Savada. Andrea Matles. Sri Lanka : A Country Study. 1990. Library of Congress. 51.
  6. Book: Chattopadhyaya. Haraprasad. Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations. 1994. M. D. Publications. 81-85880-52-2. 33.
  7. Book: Amarasinghe. Samanga. Independence to Referendum. 2011. Lulu Enterprises. 978-1-105-01908-1. 188.
  8. Book: Rajasingham, K. T.. Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. https://web.archive.org/web/20020213084644/http://atimes.com/ind-pak/DA19Df06.html. unfit. 2002-02-13. Chapter 23: Srimavo's constitutional promiscuity.
  9. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977. Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  10. Web site: Chief Opposition Whips. Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  11. News: Wickramasinghe. Wimal. Saga of crossovers, expulsions and resignations etc. Referendum for of Parliament. The Island (Sri Lanka). 18 January 2008.
  12. https://books.google.com/books?id=dm9mAAAAMAAJ&q=sellathambu+1917 Personalities, Sri Lanka: A Biographical Study (15th-20th Century), 1490-1990 A.D., A-Z