Today marks 21st Death Anniversary of late Savumiamoorthi Thondaman, Trade Unionist, Parliamentarian and Cabinet Minister who led and toiled unceasingly from 1939 until his demise in 1999 for social and economic emancipation and winning over trade union and political rights of Indian Origin people in this country especially the plantation workers.
He took over the mantle of leadership of Ceylon Workers’ Congress in 1939 when the plantations were under British Sterling Companies where industrial peace was at stake.
Therefore, he led many a strikes on the estates during the early years against oppression and suppression of the plantation workers and to win over trade union demands. To mention some are Mooloya, Kandahena, Orulavalli, High Forest and Montecristo Estates which remain as land marks for trade union struggle in this country. He adopted the principle of “Ahimsa” followed by teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in staging many Satyagrahas to win over workers’ demands.
He challenged many obnoxious laws which deprived basic human rights to the workers. One of them was the consequential dismissal of plantation workers i.e. if either spouse of a plantation worker family is dismissed from employment, the other spouse automatically had to leave the line room provided by the estate Management consequently. The alternative was to face criminal trespass charges in the Magistrate’s Court which invariably led to a conviction. Thondaman challenged this in Courts successfully.
As regards the disenfranchisement of the persons of Indian Origin by the Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948, he took up the rejection of applications to the then highest Court the “Privy Council” and won. His everlasting contribution to the Indian community in Sri Lanka especially to plantation workers was winning over Citizenship rights through Sirima – Shastri Pact in 1988 after forty years of struggle.
This process was to grant the Sri Lanka Citizenship rights to over 500,000 persons and Indian Citizenship to 350,000 persons. Though this Pact could not be implemented fully in strict sense due to various constraints still it formed the basis to end the status of ‘statelessness’ of the plantation workers.
He created unprecedented history by pressuring the then Government to accept an Affidavit declared by Persons of Indian Origin indicating their citizenship preference. This process culminated in enacting the “Grant of Citizenship to Stateless Persons (Special Provisions) Act No. 39 of 1988.”
Besides this he pressurized the then Government and ensured a law passed on April 26, 1989 to confer voting rights to those who got citizenship rights newly.
He wielded much influence in the regional and the world trade union movement by heading the SARTUC (South Asian Regional Trade Union Council). He was a Member of ILO Governing Body until he became a Minister.
His commitment to develop educational facilities for the plantation children was immense. His efforts in this field has yielded successful results in plantation children achieving top rank positions in Public Service and Private Sector.
Savumiamoorthi Thondaman was able to move with ease with the President of the country and the humble worker. He is gratefully revered as “Iyah” by rank and file of the CWC. His unstinted services to working class to enter the mainstream of the society will be remembered for generations to come.
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