Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK; ; , ) is a Sri Lankan political party which represents the Sri Lankan Tamil minority in the country. It was originally founded in 1949 as a breakaway faction of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). In 1972, ITAK merged with the ACTC and Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) to form the Tamil United Front, which later changed its name to the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). ITAK remained dormant until 2004 when a split in the TULF resulted in ITAK being re-established as an active political party. ITAK was the main constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance from 2004 until its dissolution in 2024. As of 2024, the party is the largest Tamil party in Parliament and the third-largest overall, after the National People's Power and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
History Federal Party
ITAK was founded in late 1949 by three Ceylon Tamil parliamentarians, S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, C. Vanniasingam and Senator E. M. V. Naganathan, who had withdrawn from G. G. Ponnambalam's ACTC over the latter's decision to enter the United National Party (UNP) government of D. S. Senanayke.Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism by A. Jeyaratnam Wilson. Published by C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2000 ITAK was commonly known as the Federal Party (FP) in English.
Policies adopted by successive Sri Lankan governments, and the 1956 success of the Sinhalese nationalist government under S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, made the FP the main voice of Sri Lankan Tamil politics. Increased racial and political tension between the country's ethnic groups led three political parties representing the ethnic minorities (FP, ACTC and the CWC) to form the Tamil United Front (TUF) in 1972. The TUF became increasingly nationalistic and by 1976 it had renamed itself as the Tamil United Liberation Front and was advocating an independent Tamil state. The CWC subsequently left the TULF.
The TULF became the first Tamil nationalist party to run on a separatist platform in the 1977 election. It gained a majority of the votes in the north and east, won 18 seats, and became the largest opposition party in parliament. As Tamil nationalism turned violent and civil war broke out, the TULF remained the moderate face of Tamil politics. It became the target of nationalists on both sides and many of its leaders were assassinated.
Tamil National Alliance
In 2001, the TULF formed a political alliance, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), with other moderate Tamil parties as well as a number of former militant groups. The TNA contested the 2001 parliamentary election under the TULF name and won 15 seats. Subsequently, the TNA began to make a more pro–Tamil Tiger stance, recognising the Tigers as the sole representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils. This caused a split within the TULF. This meant some members of the TULF, led by its President V. Anandasangaree, were opposed to the Tigers. Anandasangaree refused to allow the TNA to use the TULF's name during the 2004 parliamentary election. This caused the members of TULF who wished to remain with the TNA to resurrect the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi name. ITAK is a registered political party and the TNA has contested all elections since the 2004 parliamentary election under the ITAK name.
Election results 1952 Parliamentary General Election In the first general election contested by ITAK, the 1952 election in which the UNP increased its stranglehold on power, ITAK won 1.9% of the popular vote and 2 out of 95 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament. The ACTC won four seats.
1956 Parliamentary General Election In the 1956 election in which the SLFP-led leftist coalition swept to power, ITAK won 5.39% of the popular vote and 10 out of 95 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament. The ACTC won just one seat. ITAK became the dominant party in the Tamil districts and remained so for two decades.
Votes and seats won by ITAK by electoral district Electoral DistrictVotes%SeatsTurnout ITAK MP Batticaloa9,30052.05%161.57% Chelliah Rajadurai Chavakachcheri15,95264.77%169.14% V. N. Navaratnam Jaffna7,17332.56%063.72% Kalkudah4,55528.31%060.80% Kalmunai9,46447.80%171.78% M. S. Kariapper Kankesanthurai14,85554.30%167.55% S. J. V. Chelvanayakam Kayts16,30871.19%171.26% V. A. Kandiah Kopay12,80453.83%169.90% C. Vanniasingam Mannar6,72653.12%180.70% V. A. Alegacone Paddirippu9,42249.72%074.17% Point Pedro5,85920.70%064.17% Pottuvil8,35552.46%163.81% M. M. Mustapha Trincomalee7,04856.88%177.36% N. R. Rajavarothiam Vaddukoddai14,93757.92%172.78% A. Amirthalingam Total142,7585.39%10Source: Department of Elections
ITAK's uncompromising stand on Tamil rights earned it the enmity of nationalist Sinhalese. In response to the Sinhala Only Act of 1956, ITAK MPs staged a satyagraha protest, but it was violently broke up by a Sinhalese mob. ITAK was blamed for the 1958 riots and banned briefly.
Unlike the Left parties, which opposed anything but full parity for the Tamil language, ITAK agreed to compromise and accepted the 1958 the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act in accordance with the Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact.
1960 (March) Parliamentary General Election In the March 1960 election in which the UNP became the largest party, ITAK won 5.80% of the popular vote and 15 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by ITAK by electoral district Electoral DistrictVotes%SeatsTurnout ITAK MP Batticaloa28,30947.62%1159.67% Chelliah Rajadurai Chavakachcheri13,90765.26%183.20% V. N. Navaratnam Jaffna5,10129.35%071.91% Kalkudah7,31848.51%183.46% P. Manicavasagam Kalmunai5,52039.67%079.41% Kankesanthurai13,54567.61%171.22% S. J. V. Chelvanayakam Kayts10,82056.61%175.34% V. A. Kandiah Kilinochchi3,74141.76%164.89% A. Sivasunderam Kopay10,27948.63%177.13% M. Balasundaram Mannar6,46347.37%181.31% V. A. Alegacone Mutur10,68526.73%1144.20% T. Ahambaram Nallur9,65149.36%173.12% E. M. V. Naganathan Paddirippu10,79962.36%189.91% S. M. Rasamanickam Point Pedro5,67940.34%173.33% K. Thurairatnam Trincomalee8,87271.43%165.96% N. R. Rajavarothiam Udupiddy3,86018.19%074.84% Uduvil9,03344.07%175.92% V. Dharmalingam Vaddukoddai11,52453.52%175.37% A. Amirthalingam Vavuniya1,33810.78%067.76% Total176,4445.80%15Source: Department of Elections
1960 (July) Parliamentary General Election In the July 1960 election in which the SLFP became the largest party, ITAK won 7.0% of the popular vote and 16 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
1965 Parliamentary General Election In the 1965 election in which the UNP became the largest party, ITAK won 5.38% of the popular vote and 14 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by ITAK by electoral district Electoral DistrictVotes%SeatsTurnout ITAK MP Batticaloa29,02343.47%1150.59% Chelliah Rajadurai Chavakachcheri16,31669.41%177.92% V. N. Navaratnam Jaffna6,80030.81%077.76% Kalkudah6,09635.22%072.70% Kalmunai6,23532.69%086.07% Kankesanthurai14,73558.24%172.42% S. J. V. Chelvanayakam Kayts13,55869.98%161.49% V. Navaratnam Kilinochchi5,92244.69%171.33% K. P. Ratnam Kopay12,33951.93%172.90% S. Kathiravelupillai Mannar6,89639.52%182.04% V. A. Alegacone Mutur20,23735.64%1150.92% M. E. H. Mohamed Ali Nallur10,30145.05%172.03% E. M. V. Naganathan Paddirippu11,27051.50%185.23% S. M. Rasamanickam Point Pedro7,56446.24%171.62% K. Thurairatnam Pottuvil8714.53%082.26% Trincomalee9,65148.48%173.00% S. M. Manickarajah Udupiddy8,45232.85%075.47% Uduvil11,63848.61%172.80% V. Dharmalingam Vaddukoddai15,49860.78%169.83% A. Amirthalingam Vavuniya4,51225.05%073.45% Total217,9145.38%14Source: Department of Elections
1970 Parliamentary General Election In the 1970 election in which the SLFP-led United Front coalition won a landslide, ITAK won 4.92% of the popular vote and 13 out of 151 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by ITAK by electoral district Electoral DistrictVotes%SeatsTurnout ITAK MP Batticaloa27,66133.17%1164.35% Chelliah Rajadurai Chavakachcheri15,47354.49%186.11% V. N. Navaratnam Jaffna8,84835.59%179.89% C. X. Martyn Kalkudah8,42037.97%083.59% Kalmunai4,96023.00%087.77% Kankesanthurai13,52044.29%181.03% S. J. V. Chelvanayakam Kayts13,07953.35%176.88% K. P. Ratnam Kilinochchi8,39246.55%076.03% Kopay16,42843.92%179.01% S. Kathiravelupillai Mannar10,69748.98%186.34% V. A. Alegacone Mutur19,78725.87%1174.73% A. Thangathurai Nallur12,50844.61%078.69% Paddirippu12,72348.76%090.45% Point Pedro9,21748.50%179.52% K. Thurairatnam Trincomalee12,39545.83%176.61% B. Neminathan Udupiddy12,91846.54%180.41% Kandappa Jeyakody Uduvil14,12049.27%178.43% V. Dharmalingam Vaddukoddai13,63448.71%078.67% Vavuniya10,94742.99%180.82% X. M. Sellathambu Total245,7274.92%13Source: Department of Elections
1977 Parliamentary General Election In the first general election contested by the TULF, the 21 July 1977 election in which the UNP won by a landslide, the TULF won 6.40% of the popular vote and 18 out of 168 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament, including all 14 seats in the Northern Province.
Votes and seats won by TULF by electoral district Electoral DistrictVotes%SeatsTurnout TULF MP Batticaloa26,64824.70%1171.15% Chelliah Rajadurai Chavakachcheri20,02863.27%185.65% V. N. Navaratnam Jaffna16,25156.62%182.32% V. Yogeswaran Kalkudah12,59543.07%086.02% Kalmunai7,09327.38%089.86% Kankesanthurai31,15585.41%183.08% A. Amirthalingam Kayts17,64064.05%175.72% K. P. Ratnam Kilinochchi15,60773.42%179.71% V. Anandasangaree Kopay25,84077.20%180.03% S. Kathiravelupillai Manipay27,55083.99%179.28% V. Dharmalingam Mannar15,14151.58%192.40% P. S. Soosaithasan Mullaitivu10,26152.36%179.34% X. M. Sellathambu Mutur7,52027.00%091.65% Nallur29,85889.42%183.05% M. Sivasithamparam Paddirippu15,87749.17%189.92% P. Ganeshalingam Point Pedro12,98955.91%181.66% K. Thurairatnam Pottuvil23,99026.97%1179.02% M. Kanagaratnam Puttalam3,26810.52%083.58% Sammanthurai8,61534.65%091.04% Trincomalee15,14451.76%181.78% R. Sampanthan Udupiddy18,76863.44%180.05% T. Rasalingam Vaddukoddai23,38470.18%181.90% T. Thirunavukarasu Vavuniya13,82159.02%182.31% T. Sivasithamparam Total399,0436.40%18Source:
The TULF became the official opposition as result of the rout of the SLFP. The TULF's success would lead to riots in which hundreds of Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese mobs.
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the TULF was frequently blamed by nationalist Sinhalese politicians for acts of violence committed by militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In fact, the TULF represented an older, more conservative generation of Tamils that felt independence could be achieved without violence, more rival than ally to youth groups like the LTTE who believed in armed conflict.
In October 1983, all the TULF legislators, numbering sixteen at the time, forfeited their seats in Parliament for refusing to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state in accordance with the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
During the 1980s, the LTTE began to see the TULF as a rival in its desire to be considered the sole representatives of the Tamils of the north and east. Over the next two decades, the LTTE assassinated several TULF leaders, including A. Amirthalingam and Neelan Thiruchelvam.
1989 Parliamentary General Election The TULF formed an alliance with the three Indian backed paramilitary groups, Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), to contest the 15 February 1989 election. The alliance won 3.40% of the popular vote and 10 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.
Votes and seats won by TULF / ENDLF / EPRLF / TULF alliance by electoral district