G. G. Ponnambalam

Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam (8 November 1902 – 9 December 1977), known as G.G. Ponnambalam, was a Tamil politician in Ceylon, and then after independence, in Sri Lanka. He founded the first Tamil political party, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ponnambalam stood for the principle of minority representation.

Personal history

G.G. Ponnambalam’s parents were both from the northernmost part of the island, Jaffna District, his father Gangesar was a Postmaster from Alvai North, Point Pedro, and his mother was from Navali, Manippai. He received his secondary education at St. Joseph's College, Colombo, and then went to Kings College, London University on a scholarship and graduated with a degree in the Natural Sciences. He went on to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge to study the Law Tripos. GG graduated with a BA in Law and was subsequently called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn, London.

He was an outstanding criminal defense attorney. In the famous Ranjani taxi cab murder case, the first finger print case in Ceylon, he thoroughly demolished the testimony of Scotland Yard's Inspector Godsell on cross-examination.

After his last (1956) term in parliament, he migrated to Malaysia and practiced law there until his death on 9 February 1977.

The Sri Lankan Government honored him by issuing a commemoration postage stamp on 22 May 1986.

Political philosophy

Ponnambalam and his colleagues stood for the principle of minority representation of the Tamils. He had a cousin by Maheswaran who he constantly did not go to his trials without. They believed that without it the minority Tamils would become second class citizens. For the opposing viewpoint see Solomon Bandaranaike. Ponnambalam asked for a 50% representation of Tamils in parliament even though the Tamils only constituted 20% of Sri Lanka. This was immediately rejected and rebuked by the British Governor General as a "mockery of democracy”. Fact|date=April 2007

Political history

G.G. Ponnambalam entered the Ceylon State councile in 1934 from Point Pedro.

In 1948 Ponnambalam joined the cabinet of D.S. Senanayake of the UNP, a move seen by some as an abandonment of his principles.

External links

* [http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/ggponnambalam.htm One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century - G.G. Ponnambalam Q.C. 1902 - 1977 by Appathuray Vinayagamoorthy] ;