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S. A. Tharmalingam

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Honourable
S. A. Tharmalingam
MMC
ச. அ. தர்மலிங்கம்
8th Mayor of Jaffna
In office
28 May 1962 – 4 April 1963
Preceded byM. Jacob
Succeeded byP. M. Yoon
Personal details
Born(1908-03-23)23 March 1908
Political partyTamil Eelam Liberation Front
ProfessionPhysician
EthnicitySri Lankan Tamil

Sanmugam Appacuddy Tharmalingam (Tamil: சண்முகம் அப்பாக்குட்டி தர்மலிங்கம், romanized: Caṇmukam Appākkuṭṭi Tarmaliṅkam; born 23 March 1908, date of death unknown) was a Sri Lankan Tamil physician, politician and Mayor of Jaffna.

Early life and family

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Tharmalingam was born on 23 March 1908.[1][2] He was the son of Sanmugam Appacuddy.[2][3] Tharmalingam was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna.[2]

Tharmalingam married Sundaravalli, daughter of Saravanamuthu from Kaddudai, in 1941.[2][4] They had four daughters - Tharmambal, Tharmavalli, Tharmasothy and Tharmarani.[2] Tharmalingam was the paternal uncle of Jaffna MP V. Yogeswaran.[2][3]

Career

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After qualifying as a doctor in 1933 Tharmalingam worked as a Government Medical Officer in Anagoda, Kolonne, Kurunegala, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Rakwana.[2] He became private practitioner after retiring from government service in 1950/51.[2][4]

Tharmalingam was one of the founding members of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party) and later Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).[5] Tharmalingam was elected to Jaffna Municipal Council, serving as the city's mayor between 1962 and 1963.[2][6] In 1982 several members of TULF, including Tharmalingam, who opposed the party's decision to support the government's proposals for District Development Councils left TULF formed a ginger group called Tamil Eelam Liberation Front (TELF).[7][8][9] Tharmalingam was president of TELF whilst Kovai Mahesan, former editor of the Suthanthiran, was its secretary.[10]

In June 1983 several cities in Sri Lanka witnessed violence against Tamils.[10] On 30 June 1983 Tharmalingam and Mahesan sent telegrams to several foreign embassies in Colombo complaining of violence against Tamils in Trincomalee and foreign intervention "to stop genocide of Tamils".[10] The following day TELF staged a hartal in Jaffna against the violence in Trincomalee.[10] Following a train bombing Tharmalingam and Mahesan were arrested and detained in Jaffna using emergency regulations and taken to Colombo.[9][10] Tharmalingam was held at the Youthful Offenders Building at Welikada Prison.[11] On 25 July 1983 the Black July anti-Tamil riots spread to Welikada's Chapel Ward and around 35 Tamil prisoners were massacred by Sinhalese prisoners, aided and abetted by Sinhalese prison officers.[12][13][14] Two days later armed Sinhalese prisoners broke into the Youth Ward and started attacking Tamil prisoners.[14] Tharmalingam survived the massacre and was amongst the survivors airlifted to Batticaloa prison.[11] The prisoners found out that a maximum security prison was being built in Homagama and, fearing a recurrence of the events at Welikada, they resolved to escape.[14] On 27 September 1983 41 Tamil prisoners broke out of prison.[12][13][15] Tharmalingam, who was too old to escape, remained behind and was eventually released in November 1983.[11][16][17][18]

Tharmalingam migrated to England in 1984.[2][4]

References

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  1. ^ டாக்டர் எஸ். ஏ. தர்மலிங்கம் 90வது ஆண்டு சேவை நலன் மலர் Doctor S. A. Tharmalingam 90th Birthday Tribute (PDF). p. 3.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). p. 229.
  3. ^ a b Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon (PDF). p. 246.
  4. ^ a b c டாக்டர் எஸ். ஏ. தர்மலிங்கம் 90வது ஆண்டு சேவை நலன் மலர் Doctor S. A. Tharmalingam 90th Birthday Tribute (PDF). p. 9.
  5. ^ டாக்டர் எஸ். ஏ. தர்மலிங்கம் 90வது ஆண்டு சேவை நலன் மலர் Doctor S. A. Tharmalingam 90th Birthday Tribute (PDF). p. 7.
  6. ^ "Former Mayors". Jaffna Municipal Council.
  7. ^ Eelaventhan, M. K. (October 2005). "Personality: Last five months as TNA leader was Lion of Udupiddy's finest hour". Tamil Canadian.
  8. ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (10 December 2000). "India deports 'King of Eelam'". The Sunday Leader/Tamil Week.
  9. ^ a b Sri Kantha, Sachi (10 July 2012). "Remembering Kovai Mahesan (1940-1992)". Ilankai Tamil Sangam.
  10. ^ a b c d e Hoole, Rajan (16 September 2016). "Public Security Ordinance In Force". Colombo Telegraph.
  11. ^ a b c Sameer, Firoze (27 July 2008). "That massacre upon massacre". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  12. ^ a b "Veteran Eezham Tamil freedom fighter Gandhiyam David passes away". TamilNet. 11 October 2015.
  13. ^ a b Kolappan, B. (2 August 2012). "Reminiscences of a Sri Lankan Gandhian". The Hindu.
  14. ^ a b c David, S. A. (November 1983). "Detention, Torture and Murder: An eye witness account of the Welikade Prison Massacre". Tamil Nation.
  15. ^ "Veteran Tamil activist and humanist reaches 88 in exile". TamilNet. 23 April 2012.
  16. ^ "42 Tamil Detainees Freed in Daring Commando-Type Operation" (PDF). Tamil Times. II (11 & 12): 5. September 1983.
  17. ^ Sabaratnam, T. "Chapter 12: Conflicting Objectives". Pirapaharan. Ilankai Tamil Sangam.
  18. ^ "Terrorist Label Does Not Stick" (PDF). Tamil Times. III (2): 13. December 1983.
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