Murugesu Sivasithamparam
Encyclopedia
Murugesu Sivasithamparam was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil politician, Member of Parliament
and Deputy Speaker
.
in northern British Ceylon
. He was educated at Vigneswara College, Karaveddy and St. Joseph's College, Colombo
. He later studied at Ceylon University College and Colombo Law College. After graduation he joined the legal profession, becoming an advocate
. He appeared as defence counsel in many criminal cases.
Sivasithamparam married Sarathadevi, daughter of Ponnambalam. They had a son (Sathyendra) and a daughter (Nirnajali).
and Marxism
whilst studying at Ceylon University College. He was a supporter of P. Kandiah, a leading communist from Karaveddy. His support for communism gradually declined and he took up Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
instead.
Sivasithamparam stood as an independent
candidate for Point Pedro
at the 1956 parliamentary election but failed to get elected. He joined the All Ceylon Tamil Congress
(ACTC) in 1958. A delimitation commission in the late 1950s created a new electoral district for Udupiddy
from parts of Point Pedro. Sivasithamparam stood as the ACTC candidate in the new electoral district at the March 1960 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament
. He was re-elected at the July 1960 and 1965 parliamentary elections.
Sivasithamparam took part in the 1961 satyagraha
organised by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
(Federal Party). He served as "postman" for the Tamil Postal Service set-up as part of the civil disobedience campaign, delivering by motorcycle a letter informing the Jaffna police superintendent of the illegal postal service. He was assaulted by soldiers whilst trying to women taking part in the satyagraha and was hospitalised for days.
Sivasithamparam served as Deputy Speaker
between 1968 and 1970. He stood for re-election in Udupiddy at the 1970 parliamentary election but was defeated by the ITAK candidate. In 1972 the ACTC, ITAK and others formed the Tamil United Front (later renamed Tamil United Liberation Front
). Sivasithamparam was elected vice president of TUF in 1972.
Sivasithamparam was delivering leaflets along with other leading Tamil politcians (A. Amirthalingam, V. N. Navaratnam
, K. P. Ratnam
and K. Thurairatnam) in 1976 when they were all arrested on government orders. Sivasithamparam was released but the others were taken to Colombo and tried for sedition
. All the defendants were acquitted after a famous trial at bar case in which 72 Tamil lawyers including S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
and G. G. Ponnambalam
acted for the defence.
Sivasithamparam was the TULF's candidate for Nallur
at the 1977 parliamentary election
which he won with the largest majority in the country. The TULF became the largest opposition party in Parliament and Sivasithamparam became deputy leader of the opposition. Sivasithamparam was elected president of the TULF in 1978.
During the Black July
Sivasithamparam's home and cars in Norris Canal Road, Colombo were burnt. Sivasithamparam was away in Mannar
but his family were home. They escaped unharmed.
Sivasithamparam and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from Sri Lankan Tamil militants
not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state
; and the Black July riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese
mobs. After three months of absence, Sivasithamparam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983. His refusal to take the oath under the Sixth Amendment also barred him from practising as a lawyer.
Sivasithamparam and his family, like many families of leading Tamil politicians, fled to Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu
. M. G. Ramachandran
, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, gave the family a flat to stay in. Whilst in India Sivasithamparam took part in numerous peace talks. After the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
in 1987 Sivasithamparam returned to Sri Lanka. He was one of the TULF's candidates in Jaffna District
at the 1989 parliamentary election
but failed to get elected. Sivasithamparam survived an assassination attempt on 13 July 1989 but A. Amirthalingam and V. Yogeswaran, his fellow TULF leaders, were killed in the incident. Sivasithamparam had been shot in the chest and spent a long time in hospital recovering. He took on the leaderhsip of the TULF following the assassination of Amirthalingam.
He was one of the TULF's candidates in Vanni District at the 1994 parliamentary election
but again failed to get elected. He took part in further peace talks in the late 1990's. Ill health and failure of peace talks forced him to return to Tamil Nadu.
In 2001 the TULF, ACTC, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
formed the Tamil National Alliance
(TNA). Sivasithamparam, the elder statesman of Sri Lankan Tamil politics, returned to Sri Lanka in 2001 when he was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament
for the TNA in December 2001.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and Deputy Speaker
Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka the Speaker of the Parliament is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The Speaker fulfills a number of important functions in relation to the operation the House, which is based upon the British Westminster Parliamentary system.The...
.
Early life
Sivasithamparam was born 20 July 1923 in KaraveddyKaraveddy
Karaveddy is a town located 7 km from the City of Point Pedro, Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. In local Tamil Language it translates to Coastal Strip, although it is few km from the coast....
in northern British Ceylon
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
. He was educated at Vigneswara College, Karaveddy and St. Joseph's College, Colombo
St. Joseph's College, Colombo
St. Joseph's College is a Catholic educational institution in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was established in 1896 by French missionaries, with Rev Christopher Ernst Bonjean playing a leading role. The college has over 4000 students with a staff of over 200...
. He later studied at Ceylon University College and Colombo Law College. After graduation he joined the legal profession, becoming an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
. He appeared as defence counsel in many criminal cases.
Sivasithamparam married Sarathadevi, daughter of Ponnambalam. They had a son (Sathyendra) and a daughter (Nirnajali).
Political career
Sivasithamparam came under the influence of communismCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
whilst studying at Ceylon University College. He was a supporter of P. Kandiah, a leading communist from Karaveddy. His support for communism gradually declined and he took up Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism is the conviction of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, a minority ethnic group in the South Asian island country of Sri Lanka , that they have the right to constitute an independent or autonomous political community. This idea has not always existed...
instead.
Sivasithamparam stood as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate for Point Pedro
Point Pedro Electoral District
Point Pedro Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Point Pedro in Jaffna District, Northern Province. Udupiddy Electoral District was carved out of the western part of the district in March 1960...
at the 1956 parliamentary election but failed to get elected. He joined the All Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress , is the oldest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka.-History:The ACTC was founded in 1944 by G.G. Ponnambalam. Ponnambalam asked for a 50-50 representation in parliament...
(ACTC) in 1958. A delimitation commission in the late 1950s created a new electoral district for Udupiddy
Udupiddy Electoral District
Udupiddy Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Udupiddy in Jaffna District, Northern Province. The district was carved out of the western part of Point Pedro Electoral District in March 1960...
from parts of Point Pedro. Sivasithamparam stood as the ACTC candidate in the new electoral district at the March 1960 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament
Parliament of Ceylon
The Parliament of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1947 by the Soulbury Constitution, prior to independence on 4 February 1948...
. He was re-elected at the July 1960 and 1965 parliamentary elections.
Sivasithamparam took part in the 1961 satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
organised by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi is a Sri Lankan political party which represents the Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic minority in the country. It was originally formed in 1949 as breakaway faction of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress...
(Federal Party). He served as "postman" for the Tamil Postal Service set-up as part of the civil disobedience campaign, delivering by motorcycle a letter informing the Jaffna police superintendent of the illegal postal service. He was assaulted by soldiers whilst trying to women taking part in the satyagraha and was hospitalised for days.
Sivasithamparam served as Deputy Speaker
Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka the Speaker of the Parliament is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The Speaker fulfills a number of important functions in relation to the operation the House, which is based upon the British Westminster Parliamentary system.The...
between 1968 and 1970. He stood for re-election in Udupiddy at the 1970 parliamentary election but was defeated by the ITAK candidate. In 1972 the ACTC, ITAK and others formed the Tamil United Front (later renamed Tamil United Liberation Front
Tamil United Liberation Front
The Tamil United Liberation Front is a political party in Sri Lanka which seeks independence for the Tamil-populated areas of Sri Lanka.-Formation:...
). Sivasithamparam was elected vice president of TUF in 1972.
Sivasithamparam was delivering leaflets along with other leading Tamil politcians (A. Amirthalingam, V. N. Navaratnam
V. N. Navaratnam
V. N. Navaratnam was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and Member of Parliament.Navaratnam represented the Chavakacheri constituency in the Sri Lankan Parliament between April 1956 and July 1983, for the Federal Party at first and then the Tamil United Liberation Front .He resigned from Parliament on...
, K. P. Ratnam
K. P. Ratnam
Kaarthigesar Ponnambalam Ratnam was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and Member of Parliament.-Early life:Ratnam was born on 10 March 1914 in Velanai on the island of Kayts in northern British Ceylon. He excelled in Tamil language and Tamil literature at school. He became a pundit in 1933 and vidvan...
and K. Thurairatnam) in 1976 when they were all arrested on government orders. Sivasithamparam was released but the others were taken to Colombo and tried for sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
. All the defendants were acquitted after a famous trial at bar case in which 72 Tamil lawyers including S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament. He was the political leader and father figure of the Sri Lankan Tamil community for more than two decades...
and G. G. Ponnambalam
G. G. Ponnambalam
Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam , known as G.G. Ponnambalam, was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician in British Ceylon, and then after independence, in Ceylon. He founded the first Sri Lankan Tamil political party, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ponnambalam stood for the principle of minority...
acted for the defence.
Sivasithamparam was the TULF's candidate for Nallur
Nallur Electoral District
Nallur Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Nallur in Jaffna District, Northern Province. The district was carved out of the eastern part of Jaffna Electoral District in March 1960...
at the 1977 parliamentary election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1977
The 1977 Sri Lankan election heralded the beginning of a new period of Sri Lanka's history - a period of unprecedented violence.-Background:Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike had become extraordinarily unpopular. Her economic policies had led to industrial growth and self-reliance, but was...
which he won with the largest majority in the country. The TULF became the largest opposition party in Parliament and Sivasithamparam became deputy leader of the opposition. Sivasithamparam was elected president of the TULF in 1978.
During the Black July
Black July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
Sivasithamparam's home and cars in Norris Canal Road, Colombo were burnt. Sivasithamparam was away in Mannar
Mannar, Sri Lanka
Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
but his family were home. They escaped unharmed.
Sivasithamparam and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from Sri Lankan Tamil militants
Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups
Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka in order to create an independent Tamil Eelam in the north of Sri Lanka. They rose in response to the perception amongst minority Sri Lankan Tamils that the state was preferring the majority Sinhalese...
not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been the constitution of the island nation of Sri Lanka since its original promulgation by the National State Assembly on 7 September 1978. It is Sri Lanka's second republican constitution, and its third constitution since the...
required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
; and the Black July riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
mobs. After three months of absence, Sivasithamparam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983. His refusal to take the oath under the Sixth Amendment also barred him from practising as a lawyer.
Sivasithamparam and his family, like many families of leading Tamil politicians, fled to Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, gave the family a flat to stay in. Whilst in India Sivasithamparam took part in numerous peace talks. After the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was an accord signed in Colombo on July 29, 1987, between Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene. The accord was expected to resolve the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war...
in 1987 Sivasithamparam returned to Sri Lanka. He was one of the TULF's candidates in Jaffna District
Jaffna Electoral District
Jaffna Electoral District is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district covers the administrative districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi in the Northern province...
at the 1989 parliamentary election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1989
Sri Lanka had not had a parliamentary election since 1977. The elections that should normally have been held by 1983 had been cancelled by the 1982 referendum.President Ranasinghe Premadasa called the election for February 15.-Electoral District:...
but failed to get elected. Sivasithamparam survived an assassination attempt on 13 July 1989 but A. Amirthalingam and V. Yogeswaran, his fellow TULF leaders, were killed in the incident. Sivasithamparam had been shot in the chest and spent a long time in hospital recovering. He took on the leaderhsip of the TULF following the assassination of Amirthalingam.
He was one of the TULF's candidates in Vanni District at the 1994 parliamentary election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1994
The Sri Lankan parliamentary election of 1994 marked the decisive end of 17 years of UNP rule and a revival of Sri Lankan democracy.-Background:Democracy in Sri Lanka had seemed doomed as the presidencies of J.R...
but again failed to get elected. He took part in further peace talks in the late 1990's. Ill health and failure of peace talks forced him to return to Tamil Nadu.
In 2001 the TULF, ACTC, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front is a Sri Lankan political party and a former militant separatist group.-Militant separatists:The EPRLF was formed in 1980 by K...
and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization is an Eelam Tamil organisation campaigning for the establishment of an independent Tamil Eelam in the northeast of Sri Lanka. The TELO was originally created as a militant group, and functioned as such until 1986, when most of its membership was killed in a...
formed the Tamil National Alliance
Tamil National Alliance
The Tamil National Alliance is a powerful minority Sri Lankan Tamil political alliance in Sri Lanka. It was formed as an amalgamation of moderate Tamil parties as well as number of former rebel groups...
(TNA). Sivasithamparam, the elder statesman of Sri Lankan Tamil politics, returned to Sri Lanka in 2001 when he was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament
National List Member of Parliament
A National List Member of Parliament is an unelected Member of Parliament who is appointed by a political party or an independent group to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The number of national list MPs allocated to a contending party or an independent group depends on the proportion to their share...
for the TNA in December 2001.