List of Tamils of Sri Lanka

This is a List of Tamils of Sri Lanka by their country of domicile or origin. All communities that speak Tamil or spoke Tamil and originally came from Sri Lanka are included. Tamils of Sri Lanka today are a trans-national minority and are found across the globe.

ri Lanka

Historical figures

*Eelattu Poothanthevanar - Sangam era poet [ [http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568352_4/Sri_Lanka.html "Sri Lanka - Literature" Encarta article] reads: "The earliest known Sri Lankan Tamil poet was Eelattu Poothanthevanar, whose poems were included in the Tamil cankam (sangam) poetry anthologies compiled in southern India before 250 AD."]
*Ellalan - B.C.E Tamil King in Sri Lanka of Indian origin.
*Cankilli 1 (1519-1560) - a prominent king of The Jaffna Kingdom. [Kunarasa, K "The Jaffna Dynasty", p.82-84] [Gnanaprakasar, S "A critical history of Jaffna", p.113-117]
*Cankilli II Last King of Jaffna (1617-1619). [Abeysinghe, T "Jaffna Under the Portuguese", p.58-63] [Gnanaprakasar, S "A critical history of Jaffna", p.153-172]
*Pandara Vannian - Leading rebel Vanni chieftain who was defeated by the British colonials in 1811.
*Arumaipperumal (died 1803) - Leading rebel Batticaloa chieftain who was captured by the British colonials in 1803.
*Alagakkonara(1340-1380) - A chieftain of the Kotte kingdom.

Religious figures

*Arumuka Navalar - Hindu reformer and author of books.
*Yoga Swamy - Hindu ascetic from Jaffna.
*Vipulananda - Hindu reformer and author of books.

Literary figures

*Muttukumara Kavirajar (1780—1851)cite book | last = Hudson | first = Dennis
title = Religious Controversy in British India: Dialogues in South Asian Languages | publisher = State University of New York | date = January 1992 | isbn = 0791408272 ]
*C.W. Thamotharampillai - Editor/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.
*Ananda Coomaraswamy Orientialist and author.
*V. Akilesapillai - Author and Hindu activist.
*A.J.Canagaratna - Critic and Humanist. One time Editor of the Saturday Review. Passed away in Oct 06.
*Dominic Jeeva - Author and social activist.
*Sillaiyoor Selvarajan - Poet, broadcaster and TV personality.
*P.Muthukumarasamy Sharma -carnatic vocalist, broadcaster and musician.
*Ravi Sathasivam- Poet (English)
*R. Namasivayam - Author and President of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple - Mannar

Civil servants

* Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan KBE CCS - First secretary to be the Ministry of Defence and External Affairs (1947 - 1952)
*K.C.Kamalasabayson - Attorney-General of Sri Lanka.
*T.E.Anandarajah - Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka.
*C. Loganathan - Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Ceylon.

Military officers

* Major General Anton Muttukumaru OBE, ED, ADC, CLI - First native Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (then Ceylon Army) and Chief-of-Staff.cite book |last=Army |first=Sri Lanka |title=Sri Lanka Army, "50 YEARS ON" - 1949-1999" |edition=1st Edition |year=1999 |month=October |publisher=Sri Lanka Army |location=Colombo |language=English |isbn=995-8089-02-8 |pages= |chapter= ]
* Rear Admiral Rajan Kadiragamar MVO, RCyN - former Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy.
* Major General Y. Balarathnerajah USP, ndc - Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Army (June 10, 1992 - September 30, 1992).
* Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan - Fromer Deputy Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force [ [http://www.airforce.lk/news/race07Kat.htm Sri Lanka Air Force ] ] and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence [ [http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=14228 Defence Ministry Additional Secretary replaced] ]
*Major General Dr. Chelliah Thurairaja USP, SLMC - former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps. [http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/09/13/spo06.html]
* Brigadier E.G. Thevanayagam VSV - Commander, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (1984 - 1986).
* Brigadier R.T. Thambaiah
* Colonel R. Kumaranayagam E.D - Served Ceylon Light Infantry in World War 2 and was also Deputy Commandant of the Ceylon Army Volunteer Force.
* Group Captain A. Kumaresan RSP,USP,psc.
* Captain S. Kadiragamar - One of the first two officers to attend Staff Collage Course in Camberley, UK.

Activists

*Radhika Coommaraswamy – Human Rights activist and United Nations representative for violence against women and children.
*Rajini Thiranagama - Murdered Human Rights activist and author of books.
*Chelvy Thiyagarajah Kidnapped, tortured and murdered Feminist by LTTE- Poet and the recipient of international PEN award.
*Fr. Mary Bastian Human Rights activist allegedly murdered by Srilankan army personnel.
*Rev. Chandra Fernando Murdered Human rights activist and Batticaloa citizens committee member.
*Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Director of Center for Policy Alternatives, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
*Dr.Rajan Hoole Professor and Human Rights activist of the University Teachers' for Human Rights UTHR(J) and author of books.
*Ketheesh Loganathan, Assassinated Deputy Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat of the government of Sri Lanka.
*Paris Sabalingam Publisher and Activist [http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport19ptII.htm#Appendix] .
*Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown - Activist parish priest gone missing since August 20, 2006. He is presumed dead.

Athletes

*Umesh Walloopillai - Tennis Davis Cup player.
*Sanjeev Paramanathan - Tennis Davis Cup Player.
*V.S. Kumar Anandan - Guinness World Record holder in swimming.
*Muttiah Muralitharan - World-class spin bowler Sri Lankan Test Cricket player.
* Dr.N.Ethirveerasingam - High Jump - Olympic Games and Asian Games - 1950s. Winner of Sri Lanka's first Gold Medal in international track and field competition (High Jump, 1958 Asian Games).
*Mahadevan Sathasivam - One of the best cricket batsmen produced by Ceylon.
*Russel Arnold - Sri lankan Cricketer.
*Deepika Chanmugam - Elite swimmer. Bagged 7 gold medals at the 1991 South Asian Games.
*Ravi Sathasivam - National and International Spring Board / Platform Diver - 1975 (SSC)

Journalists

*Claude Selveratnam - Radio Ceylon Journalist
*S.P.Mylvaganam - Radio Ceylon first Tamil journalist
*Mylvaganam Nimalarajan - Murdered journalist, BBC reporter. Murdered by an armed gang on order from Sri Lankan military Intelligence Service.
*Taraki Sivaram - A reputed journalist and military analyst editor of Tamilnet news website, author of books. Murdered by an armed gang on order from Sri Lankan military Intelligence Service.
*Aiyathurai Nadesan - Murdered journalist of Virakesari newspaper
*Subramaniam Sivanayagam - Prominent journalist, editor, editor of Saturday Review from Jaffna and an author of books.
*K.S.Raja - Popular Radio Ceylon announcer
*Richard de Zoysa - Part Tamil journalist, actor and political activist.

ingers/Actors

*A.Ragunathan Popular Tamil Film Actor/Director/Writer
*Pararajasingam Popular Tamil people/Tamil Folk singer/composer
*A.E.Manoharan Popular Tamil Baila singer/composer
*Rukmani Devi Popular Sinhalese film actress of Tamil origin
*Kumar Navaratnam Pop singer

Academics

*Prof. Father Xavier Thaninayagam - Tamil scholar, Author and historian.
*Prof. K.Kailasapathi First Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jaffna.
*Prof. Indrapala Historian from University of Jaffna now living in Australia
*Prof. S.K Sitrampalam Prominent historian from University of Jaffna and author of books.
*Prof. Karthigesu Sivathamby Prominent Tamil scholar, sociologist and author of books.
*Dr. Ratnajeevan Hoole- Senior Professor and Vice Chancellor, University of Jaffna on special leave
*Prof. S. Pathmanathan Prominent Historian best known for his expertise on the Kingdom of Jaffna.
*Viswanather Casipillai President Jaffna Hindu Board, Co-founder of Jaffna Hindu College, Founder of Parvathy Maha Vidyalayam and other Educational Institutions.
*Arumugam Canagaratnam Chairman of the First Urban Council of Jaffna and Founder of Canagaratnam Maha Vidyalayam (formerly Stanley College)in Jaffna

Politicians

*Alfred Duraiappah - SLFP Politician and Mayor of Jaffna, Allegedly assassinated by the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. [ [http://www.uthr.org/Book/CHA02.htm#_Toc527947383 Welcome to UTHR, Sri Lanka ] ]
*Appapillai Amirthalingam - Leader of the TULF party murdered by the LTTE. One time Leader of the Opposition.
*Bala Tampoe - Veteran Trade Unionist
*Douglas Devananda - Government Minister and Member of Parliament of the anti- LTTE, EPDP party.
*G.G. Ponnambalam – Politician, pre- and post- independence. Minister
*Joseph Pararajasingham - Assassinated Tamil National Alliance MP.
*Kumar Ponnambalam - Assassinated Tamil nationalist politician. Ex Leader of ACTC.
*Lakshman Kadirgamar – PA MP and Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. Assassinated by LTTE.
*Sir Muthu Coomaraswamy – First Asian to be knighted, father of author Ananda Coomaraswamy [http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/feb102008/394.pdf Ananda K. Coomaraswamy:From Geology to philosophia perennis] ]
*Nadesan - Pre-independence politician
*N. Shanmugathasan - Veteran Communist Party Leader
*Nadarajah Raviraj - Assassinated TNA member of parliament.
*Neelan Tiruchelvam – Tamil Member of Parliament TULF murdered by an LTTE-suicide bomber, Human Rights activist and founder of The International Centre for Ethnic Studies and Minority Rights organisation.
*Periya Sundram - Founder member of CWC or Indian Tamils workers congress in Sri Lanka
*R. Sampanthan - Leader of TNA political party.
*Nalliah Kumaraguruparan - Present General Secretary of WPF political party. Former General Secretary & Senior Vice President of ACTC and present Member of the Colombo Municipal Council.
*Mano Ganesan -Member of Parliament - Colombo District. Leader of WPF political party.
*A.Vinayagamoorthy - Present President of ACTC and Ex Member of Parliament.
*Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah - Assassinated pro-Tamil nationalist politician and media baron
*Sir.Ponnambalam Arunachalam – Pre-independence politician and Attorney General.
*Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan – Pre-independence politician
*Sir.Waithialingam Duraiswamy - Speaker of the former Legislature of the State Council 1936-1947.
*S.J.V. Chelvanayagam – Tamil nationalist politician of the pre- and post-independence era. Founder of the Federal Party.
*Sarojini Yogeswaran - TULF Mayoress of Jaffna assassinated by the LTTE.
*Savumiamoorthy Thondaman - Veteran CWC trade unionist and Minister. Deceased.
*V Yogeswaran - Co-leader of the moderate TULF party, and MP, murdered by the LTTE.
*C. Sittampalam - The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in the First Cabinet of Independent Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).
*C. Ponnambalam - The First Mayor of Jaffna.
*C.Casipillai - The Third Mayor of Jaffna.

Business people

*Kandiah (Ken) Balendra A well-respected business leader, who holds and has held many prestigious positions. In October 2003 he was voted the Most Effective Business Leader in Sri Lanka since independence in a poll conducted by the LMD magazine. He is the Chairman of Brandix Lanka Ltd. and Ceylon Tobacco company. Former Chairman of John Keells Holdings Ltd., Bank of Ceylon, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, etc.
*Raj Rajaratnam A hedge fund manager and the founder and Managing General Partner of The Galleon Group.
*Raj Selvaskandan A lawyer by profession. CEO of CT Properties that is building the GS Tower and Empire.
*Ratna Sivaratnam Retired Chairman/CEO/Managing Director of Aitken Spence - a leading blue chip conglomerate in Sri Lanka.
*Chandran Rutnam - Film maker and owner of Lionair.

Canada

Academics

*Indira Samarasekera nee Rutnam - President of University of Alberta
*Elagu V. Elaguppillai - Academic, Researcher, Entrepreneur and politician
* Chelva Kanaganayakam [http://www.utoronto.ca/english/faculty/bios/kanaganayakam.htm] , Director, Centre for South Asian Studies, Professor, Department of English, University of Toronto.
* Joseph Chandrakanthan [http://www.staugustines.on.ca/academic/faculty.html] , Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto.
*Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson [http://www.eelamweb.com/books/lpg-wilson.html] – Peace maker and politician and author of books on Sri Lanka. Deceased.
* Chelliah Sriskandarajah Professor, Academic, Researcher, University of Texas in Dallas, USA

ports people

*Sonya Jayaseelan [http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesBiosA2M/jeyaseelan.html] - Canadian tennis player
*Sanjayan Thuraisingam- Canadian cricketer
*Suresh Joachim - Guinness World Record holder

Literary figures

*Shyam Selvadurai - Canadian author of "Funny Boy" and "Cinnamon Gardens"
*A. Sivanandan [http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16621] - Canadian author of "When Memory Dies", and editor of the journal "Race and Class"
*Rohan Fernando - Canadian flim maker
*Gary Anadasangaree - is a prominent real estate lawyer in Toronto and is the son of the current TULF leader in Sri Lanka.

Politicians

* Logan Kanapathi - Markham Town councillor, first Tamil Canadian elected to political office (2006).
* Vincent Veerasundaram - Conservative Party of Canada nominee for federal elections in 2006.
*David Thomas - New Democratic Party nominee for 2006 federal elections

Journalists

*David Jeyaraj Canadian freelance journalist

ingapore

Politicians

*Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam – Perennial opposition politician of the Worker's Party
*Sinnathamby Rajaratnam – Politician and deputy prime minister as well as one of the founding fathers of Singapore
*Tharman Shanmugaratnam - Politician and minister

Literary figures

*Edwin Thumboo – Poet

Academics

*Prof Philip Jeyaretnam – Professor
*Prof Sittampalam Shanmugaratnam - Professor and researcher

Business people

*Clarence Chandran – Former Chief Executive of Nortel

Malaysia

Business people

*Ananda Krishnan – One of Malaysia's richest men and usually makes Forbes 100 richest people list
*Bastianpillai Paul Nicholas - the first non-British businessman who endeavoured to become one of the top bankers in the then Malaya.
*Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam, executive chairman of Westport.
*Mahesvaran Sivatharmar, Lotus Notes Administrator
*Vijay Eswaran, Group MD and CEO of the QI Group of companies

Politicians

* E. E. C. Thuraisingham, a politician of pre-Independence Malaysia
* D.R. Seenivasagam, founder of People's Progressive Party (Malaysia)
* Sivarasa Rasiah, a human rights lawyer and vice-president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party). [ cite web|url=http://www.sivarasa4subang.com/site/archives/86 |title=Sivarasa Wins! |accessdate=2008-03-08 ]
* Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, former politician
* Prof. Ponnusamy, Deputy Chief Minister Of Penang

Government servants

* Dr S.S. Thiruchelvam - first Asian surgeon in the world.
* Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam, prominent Malaysian economist

ports figures

* Punch Gunalan, former national badminton player and IBF Executive Deputy President.
* Mahadevan Sathasivam, former captain of the Malaysian cricket team.

Academics and Educationists

*R. Thampipillay, educationist
*Prof Sittampalam Shanmugaratnam - Professor and researcher
*Matthew Rajendra Chandrasegaran - Longest serving IT trainer

Authors

*Rani Manicka, writer

ingers

*Guy Sebastian, winner of Australian Idol 2003

USA

Academics

* [http://engineering.jhu.edu/~civil/e/?id=61 Dr. Annalingam Anandarajah] Professor of Civil Engineering, Johns Hopkins University.
* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/anthropology/fac-bios/daniel/faculty.html Prof. Valentine Daniel] Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University and author of several books.
* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/data/indiv/area/idsas/DeVOTTA,Neil.htm Prof. Neil DeVotta] Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College and author of several books on Sri Lanka.
* [http://www.geog.uiuc.edu/people/sivapalan.html Professor Murugesu Sivapalan] - Professor at University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign and winner of the John Dalton Medal by the European Geophysical Society for Distinguished Research in Hydrology
* [http://www.ictj.org/en/about/staff/212.html Dr. Vasuki Nesiah] - Legal and Feminist Scholar and Editor of [http://www.lines-magazine.org "Lines"] magazine
*Prof. Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah Retired Harvard University professor of Anthropology and author of several books.
* [http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/scientists/pulendran.shtml Dr. Bali Pulendran] Professor of Immunology at Emory University
* Prof. Archibald Singham - Professor of political science at Howard University. Author of "The Non-Aligned in an age of alignment"and several other books.
* [http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/gf Professor George Fernandez] University of Nevada Reno, Professor of Applied Statistics, and Director, Center for Research Design and Analysis and Author of [http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/gf/dm.html Data Mining Using SAS ] - CRC Press
* Dr Mahadevan Mahendran, University of Arkansas, College of Medicine
* Dr K Armuganathan, University of Nebraska

Business people

*Sanjay Kumar – Former Chief Executive of Computer Associates
*Kumar Mahadeva – Former Chief Executive of Cognizant Technologies
*Raj Rajaratnam – Chief Executive of a Hedge Fund.

Artists

*Clarence Jey – Song-writer/Music Producer for Emmy winning US TV animation series Growing Up Creepie
*Kavichandran Alexander – Kavi Alexander - Owner US record label Water Lily Acoustics/Engineer - 1993 Grammy Award for album by Ry Cooder 'A Meeting by the River'.

UK

Journalists

*Darshini David BBC reporter and journalist
*George Alagiah BBC reporter and journalist
*James Coomarasamy BBC reporter and journalist
*Tim Kash MTV reporter and VJ

Academics

* [http://www.patent.gov.uk/patent/legal/decisions/2001/o03701.pdf Dr. S. Sabanathan] (late) Prominent Thoracic surgeon at Bradford Royal Infimary.
*Dr. S. Surendrakumar- PhD, B.Sc(Hons), PGCE, CChem, MRSC- Chief synthetic organic chemist

ports people

*Murugan Thiruchelvam - British child prodigy chess player

ingers

*Mathangi Arulpragasam- British rapper M.I.A.

Medical Profession

*Dr Namasivayam Sathiyamoorthy - Founder and General Secretary of the Ayurvedic Medical Association UK and a Freeman of the City of London.

Activist

*Nirmala Rajasingam

Business people

* Dr. Arjuna Sittampalam, the World renowned invetment banker and currently the Chairman of the investment company, Sage and Hermes, Ltd. in U.K.

India

Films

*Balu Mahendra – prominent Kollywood film director
*Chandrababu- renowned Tamil actor, comedian & singer
*Raadhika Sarathkumar prominent Kollywood actress
*M. G. Ramachandran Known as MGR - Tamil film actor and Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
*Pooja Gautami Umashankar
*Sujatha - renowned Tamil actress in Kollywood

Others

*Yasmin Tambiah [http://www.lines-magazine.org/textmay03/yasmin.htm] - Director at the Centre for Feminist Legal Research, New Delhi, & author

Australia

ingers

* Kandiah Kamalesvaran Prominent singer known as Kamahl
* Guy Sebastian, winner of Australian Idol 2003

Activists

*Christie Jayaratnam Eliezer - Professor of Mathematics in University of Ceylon, University of Malaya and Latrobe University in Australia. Recipient of Order of Australia

Business people

*Maha Sinnathamby Renowned property developer and is the man behind Australia's largest real estate project.

ee also

*Tamil diaspora
*Sri Lankan Tamils
*Ceylonese diaspora
*Hill Country Tamils
*Negombo Tamils

References