G. G. Ponnambalam
Ceylonese Parliament for Jaffna | |
---|---|
In office 1947–1960 | |
Succeeded by | Alfred Duraiappah |
In office 1965–1970 | |
Preceded by | Alfred Duraiappah |
Succeeded by | C. X. Martyn |
Personal details | |
Born | Ceylon Tamil | 8 November 1901
| |
Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam (
Early life and family
Ponnambalam was born on 8 November 1901.
Ponnambalam married Rose Alagumani Clough.[4] He is the father of Kumar Ponnambalam and daughter Vijayalakshmi.[4]
Career
Law
Ponnambalam was
In January 1976 the
Politics
Ponnambalam became the political leader of the Ceylon Tamils following the deaths of
The Board of Ministers established after the 1936 state council election consisted entirely of Sinhalese members, excluding minorities who together made up 35% of Ceylon's population.[19] This was one of the drivers which led Ponnambalam to make his infamous 50:50 demand in a marathon speech to the State Council on 15 March 1939.[20] He repeated the demand when he gave evidence to the Soulbury Commission in February 1945.[2] Ponnambalam wanted 50% of seats in Parliament for the Sinhalese, 50% for all other ethnic groups.[21][22]
In August 1944 Ponnambalam formed the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), the first political party to represent the Ceylon Tamils, from various Tamil groups.[2][23] He was elected president of the party.[23] Ponnambalam stood as the ACTC candidate for Jaffna at the 1947 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament.[24] The ACTC swept the poll in the Tamil dominated Northern Province, winning seven of the nine seats in the province. The United National Party (UNP) became the largest party Parliament but it did not have a majority.[2] Ponnambalam presided over a meeting at the house of Herbert Sri Nissanka (the Yamuna Conference) at which an unsuccessful attempt was made to form a government without the UNP.[2] The UNP subsequently formed a government with the support of independent and appointed MPs.
Following independence in February 1948, Ceylon's Sinhalese dominated government set about disenfranchising the 780,000 (12% of the population)
Ponnambalam's decision to join the UNP led government in 1948 caused a split in the ACTC.
Ponnambalam was re-elected at the
Ponnambalam was re-elected at the 1956 parliamentary election but lost his seat at the March 1960 parliamentary election.[34][35] He tried unsuccessfully to re-gain his seat at the July 1960 parliamentary election.[36] He was elected at the 1965 parliamentary election.[37] After the election the ACTC joined the UNP led national government and Ponnambalam was offered a ministerial position which he declined. Between 1967 and 1969 Ponnambalam led Ceylon's delegation to UN General Assembly.[38] Ponnambalam lost his seat again at the 1970 parliamentary election.[39]
Ponnambalam died on 9 February 1977.[3][38][b] A commemorative 75 cents stamp was issued on 22 May 1986.[4]
Electoral history
Election | Constituency | Party | Votes | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1931 state council | Mannar-Mullaitivu | 4,667 | Not elected | ||
1934 state council by[40] | Point Pedro | 9,319 | Elected | ||
1936 state council | Point Pedro | 14,029 | Elected | ||
1947 parliamentary[24] | Jaffna | ACTC | 14,324 | Elected | |
1952 parliamentary[32] | Jaffna | ACTC | 12,726 | Elected | |
1956 parliamentary[34] | Jaffna | ACTC | 8,914 | Elected | |
1960 March parliamentary[35] | Jaffna | ACTC | 5,312 | Not elected | |
1960 July parliamentary[36] | Jaffna | ACTC | 6,015 | Not elected | |
1965 parliamentary[37] | Jaffna | ACTC | 9,350 | Elected | |
1970 parliamentary[37] | Jaffna | ACTC | 7,222 | Not elected |
Notes
References
- ^ "Directory of Past Members: Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Vinayagamoorthy, A. (8 November 2003). "103rd Birth Anniversary today : G. G. Ponnambalam – Founder of ACTC". Daily News.
- ^ a b Ponnambalam, G. G. (2001). G.G. Ponnambalam: The Marathon Crusade for 50-50 (Balanced Representation) in the State Council 1939 (PDF). Manimekalai Prasuram. p. xxxvii. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). p. 141.
- ^ a b c Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 15: Turbulence in any language". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 8 February 2002.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Dwight, Richard (12 October 2010). "I come from the land of the Buddha". Daily News.
- ^ a b Ponnambalam, Kumar (4 February 2007). ""Fifty-Fifty" my father's cry". The Sunday Times.
- ISBN 1-85065-519-7.
- ISBN 81-7991-199-3.
- ISBN 81-7991-199-3.
- ^ Sameer, Firoze (27 August 2006). "New Books: The other side of the Sathasivam case". The Sunday Times.
- ^ Hoole, Ratnajeevan (17 February 2013). "Who Will Speak For Tamils at UNHRC?". The Sunday Leader. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (15 June 2003). "Anandasangaree notches seventy today". The Sunday Leader.
- ^ a b Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (9 June 2002). "Life and times of Sivasithamparam". The Sunday Leader.
- ^ Rajasingham, K. T. (26 August 2005). "Amirthalingham Era – A book review". Asian Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.
- ^ Sumanthiran, M. A. (28 October 2012). "13A: To be or not ..." Ceylon Today. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016.
- ^ Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 24: Tamil militancy – a manifestation". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 13 February 2002.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 7: State Councils – elections and boycotts". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 7 February 2002.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 8: Pan Sinhalese board of ministers – A Sinhalese ploy". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 24 December 2001.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ISBN 1-85065-519-7.
- ISBN 978-0-415-73595-7.
- ISBN 0-226-78952-7.
- ^ a b Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 10: Lord Soulbury and his soulless report". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 7 November 2001.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- UNHCR in Sri Lanka. Archived from the originalon 23 October 2009.
- ^ Khan, Gerrard (October 2001). "Citizenship and statelessness in South Asia" (PDF). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 14: Post-colonial realignment of political forces". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 3 January 2002.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ISBN 978-1-4422-5584-5.
- ^ Gunasekara, S. L. (22 April 2001). "S. L. Gunasekara takes on A. Vinayagamoorthy M.P." The Island.
- ISBN 81-7648-449-0.
- ^ Ross, Russell R.; Savada, Andrea Matles, eds. (1988). "Chapter 25: Tamil Politics". Sri Lanka: A Country Study. Library of Congress.
- ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Ceylon Year Book 1951 (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics, Ceylon. pp. 27–28.
- ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 19 March 1960" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 20 July 1960" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Vinayagamoorthy, A. (9 February 2003). "Appreciation: G. G. Ponnambalam QC". The Island.
- ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Election Commission of Sri Lanka.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Russell, Jane (December 1982). Communal Politics Under the Donoughmore Constitution 1931–1947. Tisara Prakasakayo. p. 75.