Mr. Dudley Senanayake and Mr. S. J. V. Chelvanayakam met on the 24-3-1965 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 Ceylon
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 24.3.65
signed, S.J.V. Chelvanayakam 24.3.65
