Mr. Speaker: This Amendment too was moved by the hon. Member for Kankesanturai (Mr. Chelvanayakam). Question put, that the following words be there added: "But regret, (1) that the promise held out in Your Excellency's Speech that Your will Excellency's Government shortly introduce legislation guaranteeing 'fundamental rights' after depriving the entire Tamilspeaking people of this country of their most fundamental of all rights their language freedomand after denying to nearly a million Tamil-speaking people their most sacred right to citizenship and the franchise, in this the land of their birth and adoption, is a cruel mockery of the charter of human rights and liberties; (2) that the proposed Regional Coun cils besides being subservient to the over-riding power and authority of a Minister of State will also not be entitled to any control of autonomy over many subjects such as health, education, industry, land settlement, colonization, &c., and, therefore, bears no comparison with, but really is in complete contrast to the status and functions of an autonomous State or canton established under a Federal constitution; and (3) that the reference in Your Excel lency's Speech that the activities of the Federal Party and its proposed satyagraha movement in August is a threat to peace law and order and communal amity' is totally unjustified and unwarranted and further regrets the non-reference in Your Excellency's Speech to the activities of certain well-known aggressively-communal organizations in non-Tamil speaking areas, which seek by methods of political blackmail and intimidation to repress and subdue the Tamilspeaking people into accepting a status of permanent inferiority in this country and preventing them by totally undemocratic coercion from exercising their legitimate and moral right to the method of satyagraha in their struggle for freedom and self-respect. The House divided (under Standing Order No. 48): Ayes, 8; Noes, 54. Mr. Speaker: The last Amendment was moved by the hon. Member for Maturata (Mr. Banda). Question, that the following words be there added, put, and negatived: "But deplore (1) the undemocratic and unconstitutional activities of the Government such as the recruitment of a private volunteer force and the use of the State broadcasting services for Party purposes, which activities involve a threat to the liberty of the subject; (2) the unwarranted interference by Ministers and other members of the Government Party with the Police and other public institutions responsible for the due administration of the country and the maintenance of law and order, in the discharge of their duties, which interference has brought about an alarming increase in lawlessness in the country and a disturbing sense of insecurity among the people; (3) the frequent contradictory and inconsistent declarations on fundamental matters of policy by Ministers, which declarations have destroyed the stability of our economy and crippled the progressive development of the country; and (4) the failure of Government to solve any of the outstanding problems of the day, such as the rising tide of unemployment and increase in the cost of living; which acts of omission and commission on the part of the Government have resulted in a rapid deterioration of the economic and political conditions of the country. Main Question put, No. 5 20th June, 1957 UNIVERSI ១០ 1957 DIVISION PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICIAL REPORT PRINCIPAL CONTENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS [Col. 449] PAPERS PRESENTED [Col. 451] LEAVE OF ABSENCE [Col. 452] PRIVILEGE: "DINAMINA" REPORT OF PRIME LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY-LAWS [Col. 456] FOOD CONTROL ORDERS [Col. 458] INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES REGULATION [Col. 459] SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY [Col. 461] ADJOURNMENT MOTION [Col. 496] PRINTED AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, CEYLON Annual Subscription Rs. 28.50 (Uncorrected copies Rs. 31.50) and to The Hon. T. B. Ilangaratne The Hon. R. G. Senanayake Mr. M. D. Banda Mr. K. D. Goonaratna Mr. Cholmondeley Goonewardene Mrs. Vivienne Goonewardene Mr. E. L. B. Hurulle Mr. V. T. G. Karunaratne (2) Four sets of By-laws made under Sections 267 and 272 of the Municipal Councils Ordinance, No. 29 of 1947. (3) Eight sets of By-laws made under sections 143 (b) and 166; 166 and 170 (9); 166 and 170 (9) (b) of the Urban Councils Ordinance, No. 61 of 1939.-[Hon. C. P. de Silva on behalf of Hon. Jayaweera Kuruppu.] Ordered to lie upon the Table. Four sets of Regulations made by the Minister of Home Affairs under section 5 (1) of LEAVE OF ABSENCE: MR. S. U. ETHIRMANASINGAM Resolved: "That Mr. S. U. Ethirmanasingam, M.B.E., Member for Paddiruppu, be granted leave under section 24 (1) (e) of the Ceylon (Constitution) Order in Council, 1946, to be absent from the Sittings of the House for a period of three months from 20th June, 1957." [Hon. C. P. de Silva.] LEAVE OF ABSENCE: THE RT. HON. SIR JOHN KOTELAWALA Dr. N. M. Perera (Ruwanwella): I move, "That the Right Honourable Sir John Kotelawala, C.H., K.B.E., Member for Dodangaslanda, be granted leave under section 24 (1) (e) of the Ceylon (Constitution) Order in Council, 1946, to be absent from the Sittings of the House for a period of four months from 20th June, 1957. Mr. Leslie Goonewardene (Panadura) seconded. Question put, and agreed to. SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE Resolved: "That this House at its rising this day do adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 2nd July, 1957. "-—[Hon. C. P. de Silva.] 66 PRIVILEGE: DINAMINA" REPORT OF PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH The Hon. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike (Prime Minister): Mr. Speaker, I am very happy, at a time when one newspaper is shedding crocodile tears over certain statements alleged to have been made regarding the press, to draw your attention and that of the House to a very grave, and obviously not accidental, report of my speech appearing in a paper today. Especially to those hon. Members whose views have been canvassed by the "Ceylon Observer" this will prove a very striking example of the sort of thing that, with patience, wrong. In the "Dinamina" of today, page 5, under banner headlines appears this regarding my speech yesterday : I suggested the Holidays Ordinance (Chapter 135) relating to making 1st May, 1957, a holiday for the Broadcasting, Customs, Posts and Telecommunication and Meterology Departments.-[Hon. C. P. de Silva on behalf of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Home Affairs.] Ordered to lie upon the Table. was " සම තැන් දීමෙත් මගේ වැඩ පිළිවෙළෙත් වෙනසක් නැහැ." I am supposed to have said that my attitude over the language issue is to give parity to Sinhalese and Tamil |