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dated October 28, 1955: Ceylon Tamils' demand

For the first time, a major split of a serious nature appears to have taken place within the rank and file of the ruling United National Party in Ceylon on the official language issue — an issue which is driving the country into two distinct camps — Tamil and Sinhalese camps. Mr. V. Kumaraswamy, Junior Minister of Justice, said the Tamil members would have no alternative but to seek separation if their demand for parity of status between Tamil and Sinhalese languages was not accepted by the majority community. "We will never accept Sinhalese domination," he emphasised. Never before in the history of the ruling party has members of the minority communities — Tamils and Muslims — felt that their fundamental rights would be jeopardised by continued cooperation with the majority community nor that their mother tongue would be relegated to a position of secondary importance in the body politic of the island. Tamil and Muslim members holding Cabinet rank and junior Ministerships have come to the conclusion that their salvation lay only in an independent Tamil State within the federal structure if their demand for parity of status between the Tamil and Sinhalese languages was not conceded.

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