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	* {{cite journal\|last1=Phadnis\|first1=Urmila\|title=The Indo-Ceylon Pact and the "Stateless" Indians in Ceylon\|journal=Asian Survey\|date=April 1967\|volume=7\|issue=4\|pages=226–236\|jstor=2642476\|ref=phadnis\|doi=10.~~1525~~/~~as.1967.7.4.01p0262w~~}}		* {{cite journal\|last1=Phadnis\|first1=Urmila\|title=The Indo-Ceylon Pact and the "Stateless" Indians in Ceylon\|journal=Asian Survey\|date=April 1967\|volume=7\|issue=4\|pages=226–236\|jstor=2642476\|ref=phadnis\|doi=10.2307/2642476}}
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->Lollipoplollipoplollipop: Adding short description: "1964 treaty between Sri Lanka and India" (Shortdesc helper)

2021-11-25T22:25:25Z

Adding short description: "1964 treaty between Sri Lanka and India" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{Short description|1964 treaty between Sri Lanka and India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
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The '''Sirima–Shastri Pact''' or '''Srimavo-Shastri Pact''' (also known as the '''''Indo-Ceylon Agreement''''' and '''''Bandaranaike-Shastri Pact''''') was an agreement that was signed between [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]], the [[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka]], and [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]], the [[Prime Minister of India]], on 30 October 1964. Officially, it was known as ''Agreement on Persons of Indian Origin in Ceylon''. It was a significant agreement in determining the status and future of [[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka|people of Indian origin in Ceylon]].<ref name="pact">{{cite web | url=http://mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/6426/Agreement+on+Persons+of+Indian+Origin+in+Ceylon | title=Agreement on Persons of Indian Origin in Ceylon | publisher=Ministry of External Affairs of India | date=30 October 1964 | accessdate=24 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="pactlk"/>

== Background ==
During the [[British Ceylon|British rule]], [[Tamil People|Tamils]] from [[Tamil Nadu]] were recruited to work in tea, coffee and coconut plantations of Ceylon.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12004081 | title=Sri Lanka profile | publisher=BBC | accessdate=24 January 2015}}</ref> Due to continuous recruitment and population growth, of [[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka|Indian Tamils]] constituted 13.5 percent (602,700) of the total population in 1921. By 1936, Indian Tamils numbered 1,123,000, 15.3 percent of the total population in 1936,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract%202013/CHAP2/2.10.pdf | title=Population by ethnic group and census years | publisher=Department of Census & Statistics of Sri Lanka | accessdate=24 January 2015 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808035544/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract%202013/CHAP2/2.10.pdf | archivedate=8 August 2014 }}</ref> and many of them were non-citizens of Ceylon.

Sinhalese nationalists resented the growth of the Tamil population and pressured the government to send them back to India. Therefore the government introduced the [[Ceylon Citizenship Act|Ceylon Citizenship Bill]]. The act came into force in 1948, and it granted citizenship to about 5,000 Indian Tamils. However, more than 700,000 people (about 11%) were either non-citizens of Ceylon or became stateless.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rd0ESgWLyesC&q=Ceylon+Citizenship+Act+and+indian+tamils | title=Dynamics of Tamil Nadu Politics in Sri Lankan Ethnicity | publisher=Northern Book Centre | author=Palanithurai, Ganapathy | year=1993 | isbn=9788172110406}}</ref> The Indian and Pakistani Residents Citizenship Act (1949)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.immigration.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=132:vision-a-mission&catid=43:about-us&Itemid=59&lang=en | title=About us: Department of Immigration and Emigration | publisher=Department of Immigration and Emigration | accessdate=8 February 2015}}</ref> also failed to solve the issues. In 1954, the [[Nehru-Kotelawala Pact]] was signed to deal with the same issue. Nevertheless, the issue remained unsolved.<ref name="cope">{{cite web | url=http://www.cope.nu/show.asp?NewsID=170&DocType=News | title=Statelessness abolished? | publisher=COPE | accessdate=24 January 2015 | author=Bibin, Thomas}}</ref> In 1962, there were nearly 975,000 people, classified by Ceylon as "Indian nationals" and by India as "[[statelessness|stateless]]". Although India denied any legal responsibility for these people, it acknowledged a "sentimental interest" in them.{{sfn|Phadnis|1967|p=227}}

== Pact ==
In 1964, both countries had newly elected prime ministers, and a new round of negotiations were initiated. The negotiations were initially scheduled to last four days, but eventually ended up taking six. On several occasions they came close to collapse. Finally, both countries agreed to a [[Treaty|pact]], negotiating a formula that satisfied both governments.{{sfn|Phadnis|1967|p=228}}

The central part of the pact was the granting of Ceylonese citizenship to 300,000 of the Indian population in Sri Lanka, while 525,000 would be repatriated to India.<ref name="pact"/><ref name="pactlk">{{cite web | url=http://pact.lk/29-october-1964/ | title=Peace and Conflict Timeline | publisher=PACT | accessdate=24 January 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112857/http://pact.lk/29-october-1964/ | archive-date = 2015-01-28 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/081026/FunDay/fundaytimes_2.html | title=Solution to a prolonged problem | work=The Sunday Times | date=26 October 2008 | accessdate=24 January 2015}}</ref> It was agreed that the citizenship of the remaining 150,000 Indian residents of Ceylon would be negotiated at a later point.{{sfn|Phadnis|1967|p=228}}

== Aftermath ==
The pact was criticized in various ways, especially on the procedure for its implementation.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/02/04/supstory.asp?id=s28 | title=Plantation community - a struggle for life | publisher=Daily News (Sri Lanka) | accessdate=24 January 2015 | author=Muttiah, M.P.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tamilcanadian.com/eelam/hrights/?cat=1&id=1000865 | title=Angry Tamils seek changes in Lanka's constitution | publisher=Hindustan Times | work=Tamil Canadian | date=31 March 2000 | accessdate=24 January 2015}}</ref> [[S. J. V. Chelvanayakam]], father figure of the Sri Lankan Tamil community, said "It is an unprecedented move in international relations for half a million people to be treated as pawns in the game of power politics".<ref name="pactlk"/>

In 1981, it was estimated that only 280,000 had been repatriated to India, and 160,000 granted Sri Lankan citizenship.<ref name=thevictims>{{cite journal|title=The Victims|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|date=August 22, 1981|volume=16|issue=34|page=1367|jstor=4370122}}</ref> India was slow to grant Indian citizenship and implement the repatriation. In 1982, India declared that it no longer considered the pact binding as its implementation period had expired. In 1984, the [[Sri Lankan civil war]] caused the suspension of the [[ferry]] service between the two countries, bringing an end to repatriations.<ref name="cope"/>

The problem of statelessness among Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka was finally resolved in 2003, with the Grant of Citizenship to Persons of Indian Origin Act, which granted Sri Lankan citizenship to those of Indian origin who had lived in Sri Lanka since the Sirima–Shastri Pact was agreed in October 1964.<ref name="cope"/>

== See also ==
* [[Sirima-Gandhi Pact]]
* [[Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Phadnis|first1=Urmila|title=The Indo-Ceylon Pact and the "Stateless" Indians in Ceylon|journal=Asian Survey|date=April 1967|volume=7|issue=4|pages=226–236|jstor=2642476|ref=phadnis|doi=10.1525/as.1967.7.4.01p0262w}}
{{refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirima-Shastri Pact}}
[[Category:Politics of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:History of Sri Lanka (1948–present)]]
[[Category:India–Sri Lanka relations]]
[[Category:Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:1964 in India]]
[[Category:Treaties concluded in 1964]]
[[Category:1964 in Ceylon]]
[[Category:Bilateral treaties of India]]
[[Category:Treaties of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Shastri administration]]

Sirima–Shastri Pact - Revision history

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

->Lollipoplollipoplollipop: Adding short description: "1964 treaty between Sri Lanka and India" (Shortdesc helper)