X. M. Sellathambu

Hon. X. M. Sellathambu
சே. மா. செல்லத்தம்பு
Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Vavuniya
In office 1970–1977
Preceded by	T. Sivasithamparam
Succeeded by	T. Sivasithamparam
Member of Parliament for Mullaitivu
In office 1977–1983
Personal details
Born	(1917-10-20)20 October 1917
Died	26 March 1984(1984-03-26) (aged 66)
Political party	Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Other political affiliations	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]

References

1. "Directory of Past Members: Sellathambu, Xavier Mark". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
2. "Obituaries". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 16 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007.
3. Navaratnam, V. (1991). The Fall and Rise of the Tamil Nation: Events Leading to the Tamil War of Independence and Resumption of Eelam Sovereignty. Kaanthalakam. p. 120.
4. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
5. Ross, Russell R.; Savada, Andrea Matles, eds. (1990). Sri Lanka : A Country Study (PDF). Library of Congress. p. 51.
6. Chattopadhyaya, Haraprasad (1994). Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations. M. D. Publications. p. 33. ISBN 81-85880-52-2.
7. Amarasinghe, Samanga (2011). Independence to Referendum. Lulu Enterprises. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-105-01908-1.
8. Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 23: Srimavo's constitutional promiscuity". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 13 February 2002.
9. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
10. "Chief Opposition Whips". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
11. Wickramasinghe, Wimal (18 January 2008). "Saga of crossovers, expulsions and resignations etc. Referendum for extention [sic] of Parliament". The Island (Sri Lanka).^{[dead link‍]}
12. Personalities, Sri Lanka: A Biographical Study (15th-20th Century), 1490-1990 A.D., A-Z