T. Maheswaran
Encyclopedia
T. Maheswaran (18 June 1960 – 1 January 2008) was an ethnic Tamil Sri Lanka
n Member of Parliament
(MP) from Colombo
. He belonged to the main opposition United National Party
and was critic of Rajapakse government's war against Tamil rebels. He was the former Hindu Affairs minister and a former Member of Parliament for Colombo District
, escaped an assassination attempt on the final day of the 2004 election campaign in Colombo. He was assassinated by a gunshot on January 1, 2008 while worshipping at a Hindu
temple with his family. Number of other devotees were also injured. The injured gunman has been apprehended and is in police custody in a hospital.
and attended the prestigious St Johns College
. He was a successful businessman before becoming a politician with the United National Party. He was one of the first minority Tamil politician to join a majority Sinhalese dominated political party from the south after the commencement of the Sri Lankan civil war. During the UNP rule he was known for not following party regulations regarding voting for emergency regulations. He always voted to rescind it. He was also known for his efforts to high light the Human rights
situation affecting the minority Sri Lankan Tamils both in the parliament and to the local media. Generally he had voiced support for the war effort against the LTTE but had highlighted the civilian repercussions.
Just before his death, he had accused the rival Eelam People's Democratic Party as being behind the rash of murders targeting civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. Just before his death, his security staff was reduced from 11 to 2 by the government after the budget speech. He was accused by D. B. S. Jeyaraj
of being a Hindu chauvinist and eroding "Tamil religious unity" by supporting the anti-Conversion bill espoused by Sinhala Buddhist politicians during his term as Hindu affairs minister.
prayers at Kotahena, Sivan Kovil around 10:35 local time (05:05 GMT) and later succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo General Hospital along with one Hindu pilgrim who was too attending to the prayers. He had escaped an earlier assassination attempt in 2004. UNP parliamentarians Johnston Fernando and Dayasiri Jayasekara accused the current government as responsible by saying that T. Maheswaran's plan to reveal Jaffna situation has led to his murder. The government has denied any responsibility. To the accusation that Douglas Devananda
a cabinet minister and leader of the EPDP political party was involved in his murder and had previously threatened T. Maheswaran, Douglas had denied any responsibility.
According to the spokesperson of Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence
, the gunman was wounded when Maheswaran's bodyguard returned fire and had been arrested and hospitalized. He is the third prominent minority Tamil parliamentarian to be killed. Joseph Pararajasingham
and Nadarajah Raviraj
were the other parliamentarians who were critical of the war effort who were killed during the years 2006 to 2008.
According to the United National Party spokesperson, Maheswaran was killed as he was about to divulge the names of the paramilitary operatives who are responsible for daily killings of civilians in the minority dominated Jaffna peninsula
as part of the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War
. In June 2007, he was very vocal in his opposition to the Expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo
.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Member of Parliament
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,...
(MP) from Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. He belonged to the main opposition United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
and was critic of Rajapakse government's war against Tamil rebels. He was the former Hindu Affairs minister and a former Member of Parliament for Colombo District
Colombo District
Colombo District is the smallest district in Sri Lanka with an area of 642 km². It is located in the Western Province, on the western coast of the island. Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo and the political capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte are located in this district...
, escaped an assassination attempt on the final day of the 2004 election campaign in Colombo. He was assassinated by a gunshot on January 1, 2008 while worshipping at a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple with his family. Number of other devotees were also injured. The injured gunman has been apprehended and is in police custody in a hospital.
Biography
T. Maheswaran was born in Karainagar, JaffnaJaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
and attended the prestigious St Johns College
St. John's College, Jaffna
St. John's College is a boys private school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries.-History:...
. He was a successful businessman before becoming a politician with the United National Party. He was one of the first minority Tamil politician to join a majority Sinhalese dominated political party from the south after the commencement of the Sri Lankan civil war. During the UNP rule he was known for not following party regulations regarding voting for emergency regulations. He always voted to rescind it. He was also known for his efforts to high light the Human rights
Human rights in Sri Lanka
Major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the United States Department of State and the European Union, have expressed concern about the state of human rights in Sri Lanka. Both the government of Sri Lanka and the separatist Liberation Tigers of...
situation affecting the minority Sri Lankan Tamils both in the parliament and to the local media. Generally he had voiced support for the war effort against the LTTE but had highlighted the civilian repercussions.
Just before his death, he had accused the rival Eelam People's Democratic Party as being behind the rash of murders targeting civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. Just before his death, his security staff was reduced from 11 to 2 by the government after the budget speech. He was accused by D. B. S. Jeyaraj
David Jeyaraj
David Buell Jeyaraj is a freelance Canadian journalist. His articles appear under the name D.B.S Jeyaraj, the initials stand for David Buell Sabapathy.- Biography :...
of being a Hindu chauvinist and eroding "Tamil religious unity" by supporting the anti-Conversion bill espoused by Sinhala Buddhist politicians during his term as Hindu affairs minister.
Assassination
He was shot dead by unknown gunman while attending the New YearNew Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
prayers at Kotahena, Sivan Kovil around 10:35 local time (05:05 GMT) and later succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo General Hospital along with one Hindu pilgrim who was too attending to the prayers. He had escaped an earlier assassination attempt in 2004. UNP parliamentarians Johnston Fernando and Dayasiri Jayasekara accused the current government as responsible by saying that T. Maheswaran's plan to reveal Jaffna situation has led to his murder. The government has denied any responsibility. To the accusation that Douglas Devananda
Douglas Devananda
Kathiravelu Nithyananda Douglas Devananda, commonly known as Douglas Devananda, is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician, Cabinet Minister and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party. Originally a Sri Lanka Tamil militant who fought against the Sri Lankan government for an independent Tamil Eelam, he...
a cabinet minister and leader of the EPDP political party was involved in his murder and had previously threatened T. Maheswaran, Douglas had denied any responsibility.
According to the spokesperson of Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....
, the gunman was wounded when Maheswaran's bodyguard returned fire and had been arrested and hospitalized. He is the third prominent minority Tamil parliamentarian to be killed. Joseph Pararajasingham
Joseph Pararajasingham
Joseph Pararajasingham was a Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and a poet who was known for his pro-Tamil Tiger views and advocacy of human rights...
and Nadarajah Raviraj
Nadarajah Raviraj
Nadarajah Raviraj was a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician and human rights lawyer. Born in the Jaffna district in the North of Sri Lanka, he served as a Member of Parliament for the Tamil National Alliance, which is backed by the LTTE, until he was shot dead by gunmen in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on...
were the other parliamentarians who were critical of the war effort who were killed during the years 2006 to 2008.
Reactions
United National PartyAccording to the United National Party spokesperson, Maheswaran was killed as he was about to divulge the names of the paramilitary operatives who are responsible for daily killings of civilians in the minority dominated Jaffna peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
as part of the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. In June 2007, he was very vocal in his opposition to the Expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo
Expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo
The expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo was an incident which took place on June 7, 2007 when 376 ethnic Tamils who were temporarily staying in Colombo and who could not explain their reasons for being in the city were sent back to their homes by the Sri Lankan Police due to security...
.
See also
Assassinated parliamentarians in 2007-2008- Joseph PararajasinghamJoseph PararajasinghamJoseph Pararajasingham was a Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and a poet who was known for his pro-Tamil Tiger views and advocacy of human rights...
- Nadarajah RavirajNadarajah RavirajNadarajah Raviraj was a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician and human rights lawyer. Born in the Jaffna district in the North of Sri Lanka, he served as a Member of Parliament for the Tamil National Alliance, which is backed by the LTTE, until he was shot dead by gunmen in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on...
- D. M. DassanayakeD. M. DassanayakeDassanayake Mudiyanselage Dassanayake was a Sri Lankan politician from the Puttalam District. He was serving as a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and non-cabinet Minister of Nation Building when he was assassinated in a roadside bomb attack on January 8, 2008 in Ja-Ela, twelve miles north of...