Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

List of Sri Lankan Tamils

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Academics

  • Rajan Hoole - Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of Jaffna; human rights activist and author of books; member of University Teachers for Human Rights
  • Ratnajeevan Hoole - Professor of Electrical Engineering; appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna but never took up post due to threats
  • T. Nadaraja - Chancellor of the University of Jaffna; Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ceylon
  • S. Raveendranath - Vice-Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka
  • K. Sivathamby - emeritus professor of University of Jaffna; prominent Tamil scholar, sociologist and author of books
  • X. Thaninayagam - scholar, author and historian
  • Rajini Thiranagama - murdered human rights activist and author of books; head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Jaffna; member of University Teachers for Human Rights
  • T. Varagunam - Chancellor of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka
  • Activists

  • Fr. Mary Bastian - Roman Catholic parish priest and human rights activist; allegedly murdered by the Sri Lankan Army
  • Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown - Roman Catholic parish priest and activist; missing since August 20, 2006; presumed dead
  • Radhika Coommaraswamy – human rights activist; Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict
  • Richard de Zoysa - journalist, author, human rights activist and actor; was abducted and murdered
  • Rev. Chandra Fernando - Roman Catholic parish priest, human rights activist; Batticaloa Citizens Committee member; murdered
  • Rajan Hoole - Professor of Department of Mathematics, University of Jaffna; human rights activist; author of books; member of University Teachers for Human Rights
  • Kethesh Loganathan - Deputy Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat of the Government of Sri Lanka; assassinated
  • Rajini Thiranagama - murdered human rights activist and author of books; head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Jaffna; member of University Teachers for Human Rights
  • Chelvy Thiyagarajah - feminist and International PEN award winner
  • Actors and directors

  • Richard de Zoysa - stage drama actor and Sinhala film actor brutally killed by Sri Lankan government paramilitary forces during the JVP insurrection; of Tamil and Singhala mixed origin; son of Manorani Sarawanamuttu
  • Rukmani Devi - popular film actress
  • Roshan Ranawana (real name Roshan Masilamani) - popular film actor
  • Chandran Rutnam - film producer / director
  • Sri Lankan international and first class cricketers, umpires, and administrators

  • Ignatius Anandappa - late Sri Lankan international cricket umpire
  • Russel Arnold - former Sri Lankan Test cricketer and international commentator
  • Roy Dias - former Sri Lankan Test cricketer/vice captain
  • Kandiah Thirugnansampandapillai Francis - international Test/ODI umpire
  • S. Illangaratnam - late Sri Lankan cricketer, stalwart of Moratuwa and Bloomfield cricket clubs prior to the Test match era and the coach of Bloomfield C&AC
  • Pradeep Jayaprakashdaran - Sri Lankan One Day International (ODI) cricket player
  • Sridharan Jeganathan - late NCC and Sri Lankan Test cricketer/off spin bowler
  • Vinothen John - former NCC and Sri Lankan Test cricketer/opening fast medium bowler
  • Angelo Mathews - Sri Lankan all rounder and the current captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team
  • Muttiah Muralitharan - former Sri Lankan off-spinner who has the record for most number of wickets in Test cricket
  • Selliah Ponnadurai - late international cricket umpire
  • Ravindra Pushpakumara - Karupiah Raveendra Pushpakumara, born to a Tamil father and Singhala mother
  • Ravi Ratnayeke (Joseph Raveendran Ratnayeke) - former Sri Lankan vice captain; Tamil-Singhala mixed
  • Mahadevan Sathasivam - cricket batsman
  • Mario Villavarayan - former NCC and first class cricketer
  • Other athletes and sports people

  • Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam - high jumper; v Olympic Games and Asian Games; winner of Ceylon's first gold medal in international track and field competition (high jump, 1958 Asian Games)
  • Suresh Joachim - Suresh Joachim Arulanantham is a Tamil Canadian film actor, producer, and multiple-Guinness World Record holder who has broken more than 60 world records[1] set in several countries in attempts to benefit underprivileged children around the world.
  • Authors, writers, poets and artists

  • V. Akilesapillai - author, scholar, poet and Hindu activist
  • Ananda Coomaraswamy - Orientalist, author, philosopher and metaphysician
  • Dominic Jeeva - author and social activist
  • S. Kanapathipillai - scholar
  • Muttukumara Kavirajar - poet and Hindu activist
  • Kumaraswamy Pulavar - scholar, poet and Hindu activist
  • D. Raja Segar - painter and sculptor
  • C. W. Thamotharampillai - editor and publisher of classical Tamil poetry and grammar; the oldest extant written work in Tamil, Tolkapiyam - Porulathikaram, was discovered and published by him with a commentary
  • Business people

  • Ken Balendra - Sri Lankan corporate leader and executive; holds and has held many corporate positions in Sri Lanka and the region
  • Chandran Rutnam - filmmaker and owner of Lionair
  • Diplomats

  • Yogendra Duraiswamy - first batch of Ceylon Overseas Service, 1949
  • Tamara Kunanayakam - Sri Lankan Ambassador to Cuba (2008-2009); Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva
  • Historical figures

  • Arumaipperumal - Batticaloa chieftain who led a rebellion against the British colonial occupiers in 1803
  • Cankili I (Sankili Segarajasekaran) - a prominent king of the Jaffna Kingdom
  • Cankili II - last king of the Jaffna kingdom
  • Pandara Vannian (Kulasegaram Vairamuthu Pandaravanniyan) - Vanni chieftain who challenged British rule
  • Tamil historical figures who ruled the Sinhalese kingdom

  • Sena and Guttika - Tamil horse merchants who ascended the throne in Anuradhapura, 237-215 BC
  • Ellalan Elara - ruled Anuradhapura from 205 BC to 161 BC; considered a most impartial and just monarch
  • Pulahatta - Tamil king, ruled from Anuradhapura 103 -100 BC
  • Bahiya - Tamil king, ruled from Anuradhapura 100-98 BC
  • Panya Mara - Tamil king, ruled from Anuradhapura 98-91 BC
  • Pilaya Mara - Tamil King, ruled from Anuradapura 91-90 BC
  • Dathiya - Tamil King of Anuradhapura 447-450 AD
  • Pandu - Tamil king from 436-441 BC
  • Parindu - son of Pandu, ruled for one year, 441 BC
  • Khudda Parinda - brother of Pandu, ruled 441-447 BC
  • Tiritara - 447 BC
  • Dathiya - 447-450 BC
  • Pithiya - 450-452
  • Chempaha Perumal - a Jaffna Tamil who ascended the Sinhala throne as King Bhuvanekabahu VI of Kotte
  • Velupillai Prabhakaran - Leader of the LTTE, President of the de facto state of Tamil Eelam till 2009.
  • Journalists and broadcasters

  • S. P. Mylvaganam - first Tamil announcer of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon
  • A. Nadesan - murdered Virakesari newspaper journalist
  • M. Nimalrajan - murdered journalist, BBC reporter
  • K. S. Raja - Radio Ceylon announcer
  • Claude Selveratnam - Radio Ceylon announcer
  • Kailayar Sellanainar Sivakumaran - broadcaster and Journalist in English and Tamil
  • Taraki Sivaram - journalist, military analyst editor of TamilNet news website, author of books
  • J. S. Tissainayagam - journalist and first winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism
  • Lawyers and judges

  • V. Casipillai - Crown Proctor, President of the Jaffna Hindu Board, co-founder of Jaffna Hindu College, founder of Parvathy Maha Vidyalayam and other educational institutions
  • Hon. Justice V. Manicavasagar - Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Chancellor of the University of Jaffna and Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon
  • S. Selliah - Justice of the Court of Appeal, Judge of the High Court, Magistrate
  • S. Sharvananda - Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and Governor of the Western Province
  • K. Sripavan - 44th Chief justice, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  • H. D. Thambiah - Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice of the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
  • H. W. Thambiah - Justice of the Supreme Court
  • Militants and rebels

  • Charles Lucas Anthony (Seelan) - senior Tamil Tiger commander
  • V. Baheerathakumar (Colonel Theepan) - senior Tamil Tiger commander, de facto military leader
  • V. Balakumaran - former leader of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students, later joined the Tamil Tigers
  • Anton Balasingham - chief political strategist and chief negotiator for the Tamil Tigers
  • S. Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) - Tamil Tiger member, defected to the Sri Lankan Government; Chief Minister of the Eastern Province
  • Douglas Devananda - Tiger deserter; former militant turned politician; founder and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization; Government Minister and Member of Parliament
  • B. Kandiah (Brigadier Balraj) - senior Tamil Tiger commander
  • S. Krishnakumar (Colonel Kittu) - senior Tamil Tiger commander
  • G. Mahendraraja (Mahattaya) - Deputy Leader of the Tamil Tigers and head of the People's Front of Liberation Tigers
  • V. Muralitharan (Colonel Karuna Amman) - senior Tamil Tiger commander, defected to the Sri Lankan Government; Government Minister and appointed Member of Parliament
  • B. Nadesan - Tamil Tiger political leader
  • A. Neminathan (Colonel Raju) - senior Tamil Tiger commander
  • R. Parthipan (Lt. Colonel Thileepan) - Tamil Tiger political wing member who died during a hunger strike
  • S. Pathmanathan (KP) - senior Tamil Tiger member; now collaborating with the Sri Lankan government
  • Velupillai Prabhakaran (Karikalan) - founder of Tamil Tiger
  • Arul Pragasam - founder and leader of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
  • Thenmozhi Rajaratnam – assassin who killed Rajiv Gandhi
  • E. Ratnasabapathy - founder member of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students
  • S. Ravishankar (Colonel Charles) - Tamil Tiger military intelligence wing leader
  • Sri Sabaratnam - leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
  • T. Sivanesan (Colonel Soosai) - Tamil Tiger Sea Wing leader
  • P. Sivaparan (Nediyawan) - senior Tamil Tiger member
  • S. Sivashankar (Pottu Amman) - Tamil Tigers Intelligence Wing leader, was number 2 in the organisation
  • V. Sornalingam (Colonel Shankar) - founder of Sea Tigers and Air Tigers wing of the Tamil Tigers
  • S. P. Thamilselvan - Tamil Tiger political leader
  • N. Thangathurai - co-founder and leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
  • K. Ulaganathan (Colonel Ramanan) - senior Tamil Tiger commander
  • V. Vasanthan (Captain Miller) - first Black Tiger
  • S. Yogachandran (Kuttimani) - co-founder and leader of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
  • Military

  • Air Vice Marshal P.B. Premachandra - former Air Vice Marshal, Sri Lanka Air Force
  • Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan - former Deputy Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence
  • Major General Y. Balaretnarajah, Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama, National Defence College, India, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps - Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Army (1992-1992)
  • Rear Admiral Rajan Kadiragamar, Royal Victorian Order, Royal Ceylon Navy - former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
  • Air Vice Marshal A. Kumaresan, Rana Sura Padakkama, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Psc (British Army), Sri Lanka Air Force - current Director of Planning, Sri Lanka Air Force
  • Major General Anton Muttukumaru, OBE, Efficiency Decoration; Aide-de-camp, Ceylon Light Infantry; first Ceylonese Commander of the Sri Lanka Army
  • Major General E. G. Thevanayagam, Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya - Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (1984–1986)
  • Major General Chelliah Thurairaja, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps - former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
  • Politicians

  • Selvam Adaikalanathan - President of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and Member of Parliament
  • A. Amirthalingam - leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, Leader of the Opposition and Member of Parliament
  • V. Anandasangaree - leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front and Member of Parliament
  • Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam CCS – pre-independence politician and civil servant; Registrar General; member of Executive Council of Ceylon; member of Legislative Council of Ceylon
  • A. Canagaratnam - member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon, Chairman of the first Urban Council of Jaffna; founder of Canagaratnam Maha Vidyalayam (formerly Stanley College) in Jaffna
  • S. J. V. Chelvanayakam – political leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil people; founder and leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party); leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front; Member of Parliament
  • A. Coomaraswamy – member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
  • Sir Muthu Coomaraswamy – member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon; first Asian to be knighted; father of author Ananda Coomaraswamy
  • Douglas Devananda - Militant turned politician; founder and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party paramilitary group; Government Minister and Member of Parliament
  • K. W. Devanayagam - former minister, Member of Parliament, lawyer who represented Kalkudah seat
  • Waithilingam Duraiswamy - pre-independence Sri Lankan lawyer, politician and speaker of the State Council of Ceylon
  • Alfred Duraiappah - Member of Parliament from 1960 to 1964; Mayor of Jaffna
  • Jeyaraj Fernandopulle - slain SLFP politician, a Negombo chetty
  • Mano Ganesan - leader of the Democratic People's Front political party; Member of Parliament; member of Western Provincial Council
  • Praba Ganeshan - MP
  • Lakshman KadirgamarMinister of Foreign Affairs; nominated Member of Parliament
  • N. Kumaraguruparan - General Secretary of Democratic People's Front political party; General Secretary and Senior Vice President of All Ceylon Tamil Congress; member of the Colombo Municipal Council; member of Western Provincial Council
  • Sir Arunachalam Mahadeva - Minister of Home Affairs; member of the State Council of Ceylon; member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon
  • S. Nadesan - member of the State Council of Ceylon, Member of Parliament, Senator
  • Joseph Pararajasingham - Member of Parliament
  • C. Ponnambalam - first Mayor of Jaffna
  • G. G. Ponnambalam – political leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil people; founder and leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress; government minister and Member of Parliament
  • Kumar Ponnambalam - Nationalist politician and human rights activist; leader of All Ceylon Tamil Congress; presidential candidate
  • Suresh Premachandran - leader of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front and Member of Parliament
  • Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan – pre-independence politician and political leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil people; Solicitor General of Ceylon; member of Legislative Council of Ceylon
  • N. Raviraj - Member of Parliament
  • James T. Rutnam - historian, educationalist, author and politician
  • A. Sabapathy - member of Legislative Council of Ceylon; one of the founders of Jaffna Hindu College; editor of Hindu Organ; President of Jaffna Association
  • T. M. Sabaratnam - member of Legislative Council of Ceylon; President of the Vattrapalai Kannagi Amman Kovil Trust
  • R. Sampanthan - Leader of Tamil National Alliance political party; Member of Parliament
  • S. Sellamuttu, OBE - Colombo mayor, 1951
  • N. Shanmugathasan - General Secretary of the Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist)
  • C. Sittampalam - Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in the first Cabinet of independent Ceylon; Member of Parliament
  • S. Sivamaharajah - Member of Parliament; managing director of Namathu Eelanadu
  • M. Sivasithamparam - Deputy Speaker of the Parliament
  • C. Suntharalingam - Government Minister and Member of Parliament
  • Bala Tampoe - veteran trade unionist; General Secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers Union
  • Arumugam Thondaman - leader of the CWC
  • S. Thondaman - Leader of the Ceylon Workers' Congress, Government Minister, Member of Parliament
  • Murugeysen Tiruchelvam - Government Minister and Senator
  • Neelan Tiruchelvam – Member of Parliament
  • Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan KBE CCS - Minister for Housing, Industry and Social Service; first Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence (1947–1952); Senator
  • A. Vinayagamoorthy - President of All Ceylon Tamil Congress and Member of Parliament
  • Sarojini Yogeswaran - Mayor of Jaffna
  • V. Yogeswaran - co-leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front and Member of Parliament
  • Religious figures

  • Arumuka Navalar - Hindu reformer and author of books from Jaffna
  • Swami Vipulananda - Hindu reformer and author of books
  • Yogaswami - Hindu ascetic from Jaffna
  • Activists

  • Christie Jayaratnam Eliezer - Professor of Mathematics in University of Ceylon, University of Malaya and La Trobe University in Australia; recipient of Order of Australia
  • Business people

  • Jitto Arulampalam - Chairman of Progen Pharmaceuticals Limited and Euro Petroleum Limited; Australian Financial Review MIS Magazine 2006 recognized him as one of the "top 25 global rising stars"
  • Maha Sinnathamby - property developer; the man behind Australia's largest real estate project; frequently listed in BRW's annual list of the 200 richest Australians
  • Singers

  • Kamahl (Kandiah Kamalesvaran) - singer
  • Academics

  • Elagu V. Elaguppillai - academic, researcher, entrepreneur and politician
  • Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson - peacemaker, politician and author of books on Sri Lanka
  • Actors and directors

  • Rohan Fernando - filmmaker born in Jaffna
  • Lenin M. Sivam – film director; directed the critically acclaimed film 1999
  • Athletes and sports people

  • Trevin Bastiampillai - Canadian cricketer
  • Manoj David - Canadian cricketer
  • Arvind Kandappah - Canadian cricketer
  • Sanjayan Thuraisingam - Canadian cricketer
  • Authors, writers, poets and musicians

  • Shyam Selvadurai - author of Funny Boy and Cinnamon Gardens
  • Journalists and broadcasters

  • D. B. S. Jeyaraj - freelance journalist
  • Politicians

  • Gary Anandasangaree - MP
  • Logan Kanapathi - Markham City Councillor, first Tamil Canadian elected to political office (2006)
  • Neethan Shan - Toronto City Councillor
  • Rathika Sitsabaiesan - Canadian politician from Toronto; the New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge River; the first Tamil elected to the Canadian Parliament
  • Actors and directors

  • Chandrababu - actor, comedian, singer
  • Poongkothai Chandrahasan - actress and Harvard-trained filmmaker
  • Suresh Joachim - actor, producer, singer
  • Balu Mahendra – prominent Kollywood film director.
  • M. G. Ramachandran - actor, director, producer and politician.
  • Authors, writers, poets and artists

  • V. Kanakasabhai - lawyer, historian and Dravidologist of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
  • Politicians

  • E. M. V. Naganathan - one of the founders of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party); Member of Parliament
  • Academics

  • Shan Ratnam - professor and researcher
  • Athletes and sports people

  • Punch Gunalan - former national badminton player and IBF Executive Deputy President
  • Mahadevan Sathasivam - former captain of the Malaysian cricket team
  • Authors, writers, poets and artists

  • Rani Manicka - writer
  • Manicasothy Saravanamuttu - editor of The Straits Echo in Malaya (1931–1941); credited with 'saving' Penang during Japanese invasion in 1941; author of The Sara Saga
  • Business people

  • Vijay Eswaran - Group MD; CEO of the QI Group of companies
  • Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam - Executive chairman of Westport; ranked 29th in the 2007 Forbes Asia List of the 40 Richest Malaysians
  • Ananda Krishnan – Malaysia's richest man and 62nd Richest Man in the world according to the 2009 Forbes Billionaire List
  • Bastianpillai Paul Nicholas - the first non-British businessman who endeavoured to become one of the top bankers in the then Malaya
  • Civil servants

  • Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam - Malaysian economist
  • Politicians

  • Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan - former politician
  • Sivarasa Rasiah - human rights lawyer and vice-president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party)
  • D. R. Seenivasagam - founder of People's Progressive Party in Malaysia
  • Datuk Dr S Vijayaratnam - former Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Vice-President
  • Academics

  • Philip Jeyaretnam – Professor of Law; member of Public Service Commission
  • Shan Ratnam - former Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the National University of Singapore
  • Authors, writers, poets and artists

  • Edwin Thumboo – poet
  • Sharmila Melissa Yogalingam - award-nominated writer
  • Civil servants

  • K. S. Rajah - former Supreme Court Judge
  • Politicians

  • Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam – former Solicitor General and perennial opposition politician of the Workers' Party of Singapore
  • Sinnathamby Rajaratnam – politician, deputy prime minister, one of the founding fathers of Singapore
  • Tharman Shanmugaratnam - politician and deputy prime minister
  • Academics

  • Ganesh Sittampalam - Guinness World Record holder as the youngest person in the UK to pass an A-Level in 1988, aged only nine years and four months old at the time
  • Activists

  • S. J. Emmanuel - priest, academic, and activist; President of the Global Tamil Forum; Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese
  • Athletes and sports people

  • Dimitri Mascarenhas - international cricketer, plays for England; born to Sri Lankan Bharatakula Tamil parents in the UK, brought up in Australia and the UK
  • Murugan Thiruchelvam - British child prodigy chess player
  • Musicians and singers

  • Arjun
  • (M.I.A.) (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) - British rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer
  • Journalists and broadcasters

  • George Alagiah - BBC reporter and journalist
  • James Coomarasamy - BBC reporter and journalist
  • Darshini David - BBC reporter and journalist
  • Tim Kash - MTV and BBC reporter and journalist
  • Academics

  • Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah - retired Harvard University professor of anthropology and author of several books
  • Business people

  • Kavichandran Alexander (Kavi Alexander) - owner of US record label Water Lily Acoustics; engineer; won 1993 Grammy Award for Ry Cooder's album A Meeting by the River
  • Sanjay Kumar – former Chief Executive of Computer Associates
  • Kumar Mahadeva – former Chief Executive of Cognizant Technology Solutions
  • Raj Rajaratnam – hedge fund manager and the founder and Managing General Partner of The Galleon Group; on Forbes' Richest Americans List
  • Musicians and singers

  • Clarence Jey – songwriter and composer for US Late Night host Jimmy Fallon's 2013 Grammy-winning record Blow Your Pants Off; songwriter and producer for Emmy-winning US TV animation series Growing Up Creepie; producer and songwriter for Rebecca Black's viral hit song "Friday"
  • Politicians

  • V. Rudrakumaran - Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
  • References

    List of Sri Lankan Tamils Wikipedia


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