K. P. Ratnam
Encyclopedia
Kaarthigesar Ponnambalam Ratnam was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and Member of Parliament
.
on the island of Kayts
in northern British Ceylon
. He excelled in Tamil language
and Tamil literature
at school. He became a pundit
in 1933 and vidvan in 1942. He joined the academic profession, becoming an assistant master at Kopay Teacher Training College in 1941. In 1943 he was appointed Inspector of Schools. Between 1945 and 1956 he was a lecturer in Tamil at Maharagama Training College. Later he spent eight years as a research officer in the Official Languages Department in Colombo
. He then served as lecturer in Indian Studies at the University of Malaya
.
Ratnam was awarded BA
(Hons) degree from the University of London
in 1945. He later received a Bachelor of Oriental Languages and MA
(1952) from the University of Madras
.
Ratnam married Sinthamany, daughter of P. Vaitilingam. They had a son - S. Nimalan.
(Federal Party). He was ITAK's candidate for Kilinochchi
at the March 1965 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament
. He was ITAK's candidate for Kayts
at the May 1970 parliamentary election which he won. In 1972 the ITAK, All Ceylon Tamil Congress
and others formed the Tamil United Front (later renamed Tamil United Liberation Front
). Ratnam was the TULF's candidate in Kayts at the 1977 parliamentary election
which he won. Ratnam and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from Sri Lankan Tamil militants
not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state
; and the Black July
riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese
mobs. After three months of absence, Ratnam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983.
in 1985 . He returned to Sri Lanka
in 2003 and lived with his children in Wellawatte
, Colombo
. He was president of Colombo Tamil Sangam and Ulaka Tamil Marai Kallakam. He was also a vice-president of the Tamil United Liberation Front.
Ratnam died on 20 December 2010 at his home.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Early life
Ratnam was born on 10 March 1914 in VelanaiVelanai
Velanai,is a small village in Velanai Island which is in off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka..The majority of the people are Hindus along with a minority of Christians. There are number of Hindu Temples along with few Church. The village is also served by a dozen schools...
on the island of Kayts
Kayts
Kayts , is one of the important villages in Velanai Island which is a small island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka. There are number of other villages within the Velanai Island such as Allaipiddy, Mankumpan, Velanai, Saravanai, Puliyankoodal, Suruvil, Naranthanai and...
in northern British Ceylon
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
. He excelled in Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Tamil literature
Tamil literature
Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...
at school. He became a pundit
Pundit
Pundit may refer to:* Pandit or pundit in India, a scholar or expert, especially of traditional Indian law, philosophy, or music* Pundit , a 19th century term to denote native surveyors who explored regions to the north of India for the British Empire* Pundit , an expert or opinion-leader who...
in 1933 and vidvan in 1942. He joined the academic profession, becoming an assistant master at Kopay Teacher Training College in 1941. In 1943 he was appointed Inspector of Schools. Between 1945 and 1956 he was a lecturer in Tamil at Maharagama Training College. Later he spent eight years as a research officer in the Official Languages Department in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. He then served as lecturer in Indian Studies at the University of Malaya
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
.
Ratnam was awarded BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(Hons) degree from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1945. He later received a Bachelor of Oriental Languages and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1952) from the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
.
Ratnam married Sinthamany, daughter of P. Vaitilingam. They had a son - S. Nimalan.
Political career
After retirement Ratnam entered politics, joining the Illankai Tamil Arasu KachchiIllankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi is a Sri Lankan political party which represents the Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic minority in the country. It was originally formed in 1949 as breakaway faction of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress...
(Federal Party). He was ITAK's candidate for Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi Electoral District
Kilinochchi Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Kilinochchi in Kilinochchi District, Northern Province. The district was carved out of the southern part of Chavakacheri Electoral District in March...
at the March 1965 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament
Parliament of Ceylon
The Parliament of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1947 by the Soulbury Constitution, prior to independence on 4 February 1948...
. He was ITAK's candidate for Kayts
Kayts Electoral District
Kayts Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the island of Kayts in Jaffna District, Northern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing...
at the May 1970 parliamentary election which he won. In 1972 the ITAK, All Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress
All Ceylon Tamil Congress , is the oldest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka.-History:The ACTC was founded in 1944 by G.G. Ponnambalam. Ponnambalam asked for a 50-50 representation in parliament...
and others formed the Tamil United Front (later renamed Tamil United Liberation Front
Tamil United Liberation Front
The Tamil United Liberation Front is a political party in Sri Lanka which seeks independence for the Tamil-populated areas of Sri Lanka.-Formation:...
). Ratnam was the TULF's candidate in Kayts at the 1977 parliamentary election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1977
The 1977 Sri Lankan election heralded the beginning of a new period of Sri Lanka's history - a period of unprecedented violence.-Background:Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike had become extraordinarily unpopular. Her economic policies had led to industrial growth and self-reliance, but was...
which he won. Ratnam and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from Sri Lankan Tamil militants
Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups
Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka in order to create an independent Tamil Eelam in the north of Sri Lanka. They rose in response to the perception amongst minority Sri Lankan Tamils that the state was preferring the majority Sinhalese...
not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka
Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been the constitution of the island nation of Sri Lanka since its original promulgation by the National State Assembly on 7 September 1978. It is Sri Lanka's second republican constitution, and its third constitution since the...
required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
; and the Black July
Black July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were murdered by Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
mobs. After three months of absence, Ratnam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983.
Later life
Ratnamn moved to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1985 . He returned to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
in 2003 and lived with his children in Wellawatte
Wellawatte
Wellawatte, a suburb in Colombo, lies immediately south of Bambalapitiya and is classified as zone 6 within the Colombo Municipal region. The town begins at the old Dutch canal just before the Savoy Cinema and extends all the way south to the same canal that spills into the sea just before the...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. He was president of Colombo Tamil Sangam and Ulaka Tamil Marai Kallakam. He was also a vice-president of the Tamil United Liberation Front.
Ratnam died on 20 December 2010 at his home.