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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

PIC.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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214

Enclosure 2 in No. 174.

MUSLIM POLITICAL Conference.

Ceylon Muslim League Chambers, SIR,

Colombo, 8th October, 1931. WITH reference to the interview which the Muslim Deputation had with His Excellency the Governor last Tuesday at the Government Lodge and in compliance with His Excellency's request, I have the honour to forward to you for His Excel- lency's information the names of the Muslim Delegates who will be proceeding to England to wait upon the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The names are:-

Messrs. T. B. Jayah, B.A. (Lond.), former Muslim Member of the Legislative Council; M. C. Abdul Cader, B.A., Advocate, Batticaloa; M. Mahroof, B.A. (Cantab.), Barrister-at-law; F. G. Hussein, partner of Messrs. E. G. Adamally & Co.

The Delegates will be leaving for England by the M.M. Porthos due to sail from Colombo on the 13th instant. The probable date of arrival in London will be 3rd of November.

I have also the honour to enclose herewith a copy of the Memorial which has been signed by thousands of Muslims living in different parts of the Island. and the resolutions passed at the Mass Meeting held in Colombo on the 20th of September. which was attended by representative Muslims from all parts of the Island.

I am, &c.,

M. MAHROOF,

Honorary Secretary, Muslin Political Conference.

The Private Secretary to His Excellency the Governor,

Government Lodge, Colombo.

Mass Meeting Resolutions.

1. "Whereas the right of the Muslims to elect their Muslim representatives on the Legislature has been deprived without their consent, and whereas in the conditions obtaining in Ceylon at present and so long as these conditions continue to exist Muslim representation in the Legislature through elected Muslim Members is essential to bring into being a really representative Government, the Muslims in Mass Meeting assembled record their sense of injury, and demand the revision of the Constitution so as to ensure in the Council of State an adequate and effective representation of the Muslims of Ceylon."

2. "That the Memorial addressed to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies signed by Muslims living in different parts of the Island and embodying the grievances, the rights and prayers of the Muslims of Ceylon be adopted and that a deputation be appointed with full powers to proceed immediately to England with the Memorial, and place the case of the Muslims of Ceylon before Ilis Majesty's Government in England and take all measures necessary for the success of the mission."

Names of Delegates

Messrs. T. B. Jayah, M. Mahroof, M. C. Abdul Cader, and F. G. Hussein, with

power to add one more.

3. "That a deputation consisting of seven Members from the Executive Com- mittee of the Muslim Political Conference do wait upon His Excellency the Governor and urge upon His Excellency the sympathetic consideration of the above resolutions."

Names of delegates :-

4.

Messrs. N. H. M. Abdul Cader, M.M.C., T. B. Jayah, B.A., S. L. Mahamood Hadjiar, J.P., E. G. Adamally, Saheed A. Marikar, Barrister-at-law, A. C. Mohammadu, Proctor, and A. H. M. Salman, B.A., LL.B., Barrister- at-law.

"The General Committee of the Muslim Political Conference inaugurated. by the Ceylon Muslim League with power to add to its number be authorized to continue its political work to carry out the objects of the Meeting."

215

To the Right Honourable Secretary of State for the Colonies.

The humble Memorial of the Muslims of Ceylon.

Respectfully showeth :

1. Your Memorialists beg leave to submit for your Lordship's favourable con- sideration the following facts with respect to the representation of Muslims in the State Council of Ceylon.

2. The Memorial arises in connexion with the abolition of communal representa- tion under the present Constitution.

3. A brief historical survey of the evolution of the Legislative Council and of the trend of opinion in the country on the question of representation will show the existence and gradual development of the idea of communal representation in Ceylon, where the population is composed of diverse elements with fundamental racial and religious differences.

4. The first Legislative Council was formed on 28th September, 1833, after all parts of the Island had come under the effective control of the British. It consisted of 10 Official Members. This number was increased by the addition of two Unofficial Members in 1837. In 1845 four more Unoflicials were added. All of them were nominated by the Governor. These six unofficial seats were allotted to (i) the Low- country Singhalese, (ii) the Tamils, (iii) the Burghers, (iv) the planters, (v) the mer- chants, and (vi) the general European community.

The principle of having Unofficial Members to represent communities and interests had therefore been recognized, and in 1889 the principle was extended to include the, Moormen (Arab descendants) and the Kandyan Singhalese when two unofficial seats were allotted to them.

When once the Government had made these changes in the Constitution there was a growing demand for more changes. But now the demands were directed more specially towards the introduction of the elective principle in place of nomination. As a concession to these demands the Constitution of 24th November, 1910, was granted. The Council was remodelled to consist of 11 Official and 10 Unofficial Members. Of the latter, four were elected, representing respectively the European Urban, the European Rural, the Ceylonese, and the Burgher communities. The remaining six Unofficial Members were still nominated and included 1 Kandyan Singhalese, 1 Muslim, 2 Low-country Singhalese, and 2 Tamil Members.

The agitation for reform did not cease. The Ceylon Reform League and the Ceylon National Association submitted a Memorial to the Secretary of State at the end of 1917, in which they asked that the Legislative Council should have an Un- official majority mostly elected territorially. Two years later the National Congress formulated its demands for reform, and it would be interesting to note that in its demands it recognized the importance of minorities and allowed for provisions for their proper representation.

As a result of the consideration of these views the Order in Council of the thirteenth of August, 1920, was passed reconstituting the Legislative Council of 14 Official and 23 Unofficial Members. Eleven of the Unofficial Members were to be elected on a territorial basis and 8 others were to represent the Europeans (2), Burghers (1), Chamber of Commerce (1), Low-country Products Association (1), Kandyans (2), Indians (1), a member to represent the Muslim community, and three others to represent such interests as in the opinion of the Governor were not ade- quately provided for otherwise, were to be nominated by him.

The Ceylon National Congress, however, was not satisfied with these reforms, and on the motion of the late Sir James Perris, its President, a resolution in December, 1921, suggesting amendments to the Order. In this instance, too, it would be noted that the system of communal representation was not interfered with. On the contrary the National Congress submitted that the Communal and Minority represented should be retained with minor alterations.

This resolution was followed by a joint memorandum of the European, Tamil, Muslim, and Indian Members of the Legislative Council dated the 21st of February, 1922. It proposed that there should be 45 Unofficial Members in Council, of whom In the 19 should be territorially and 11 communally elected and 15 nominated. course of 1923 appeals were made to the Secretary of State with regard to the repre- sentation of various minority communities including that of the Tamils of Colombo. The result was that on the 19th of December, 1923, the Ceylon Legislative Council Order was passed by His Majesty in Council. One of the principal provisions of this Order was that the Council should consist of 12 Official Members and 37 Unofficial Members. The Unofficials were to consist of 3 persons nominated by the