Vettivelu Yogeswaran
Encyclopedia
Vettivelu Yogeswaran was a Sri Lankan Tamil politician and Member of Parliament
. Yogeswaran was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.
in northern British Ceylon
, and Parasakthi. He was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna
and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna. He later studied law in the United Kingdom. Whilst in UK he was an active member of the National Union of Students, Anti Apartheid League and president of the UK branch of the Ceylon Tamil Overseas League. After graduation he returned to Ceylon and joined the legal profession, becoming an attorney at law
and appearing in the Jaffna courts.
Yogeswaran married Sarojini
, daughter of Ponnambalam.
. He was a member of the TULF's Action Committee and in charge of youth affairs. He was the TULF's candidate for Jaffna at the 1977 parliamentary election
. He won the election and entered Parliament
.
Yogeswaran's house in Jaffna was burnt down on the night of 31 May 1981 by a mob of Sinhalese
policemen and paramilitaries. Yogeswaran and his wife managed to escape by jumping over their back walls. This incident and the Burning of Jaffna library
were part of an orgy of violence orchestrated by the Sri Lankan government against Tamil targets.
Yogeswaran 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, Yogeswaran forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983.
Yogeswaran and his family, like many families of leading Tamil politicians, fled to Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu
. Yogeswaran later returned to Jaffna despite the threats made against the TULF by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
. The Tamil Tigers kept him under house arrest until the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force
in July 1987. In early 1988 Yogeswaran and his wife moved into a house in Bullers Road (Baudhaloka Mawatha) in the Cinnamon Gardens
area of Colombo
. The house was shared with other leading TULF politicians (A. Amirthalingam, M. Sivasithamparam and Mavai Senathirajah) and their families.
Yogeswaran's wife Sarojini, who later became mayor of Jaffna, and was also assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.
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,...
. Yogeswaran was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.
Early life
Yogeswaran was born 5 February 1934. He was the son of S. A. Vettivelu, a medical doctor from JaffnaJaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
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...
, and Parasakthi. He was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna
St. John's College, Jaffna
St. John's College is a boys private school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries.-History:...
and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna. He later studied law in the United Kingdom. Whilst in UK he was an active member of the National Union of Students, Anti Apartheid League and president of the UK branch of the Ceylon Tamil Overseas League. After graduation he returned to Ceylon and joined the legal profession, becoming an attorney at law
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
and appearing in the Jaffna courts.
Yogeswaran married Sarojini
Sarojini Yogeswaran
Sarojini Yogeswaran was a Sri Lankan politician. Yogeswaran was a member of the Tamil United Liberation Front. In 1997, she was elected mayor of Jaffna, the first elected mayor in 14 years....
, daughter of Ponnambalam.
Political career
Yogeswaran was a strong supporter of the Tamil United Liberation FrontTamil 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:...
. He was a member of the TULF's Action Committee and in charge of youth affairs. He was the TULF's candidate for Jaffna 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...
. He won the election and entered Parliament
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
.
Yogeswaran's house in Jaffna was burnt down on the night of 31 May 1981 by a mob of 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...
policemen and paramilitaries. Yogeswaran and his wife managed to escape by jumping over their back walls. This incident and the Burning of Jaffna library
Burning of Jaffna library
The burning of the Jaffna library was an important event in the Sri Lankan civil war. An organized mob went on a rampage on the nights of May 31 to June 2, 1981, burning the Jaffna public library. It was one of the most violent examples of ethnic biblioclasm of the twentieth century...
were part of an orgy of violence orchestrated by the Sri Lankan government against Tamil targets.
Yogeswaran 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 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, Yogeswaran forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983.
Yogeswaran and his family, like many families of leading Tamil politicians, fled to Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. Yogeswaran later returned to Jaffna despite the threats made against the TULF by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
. The Tamil Tigers kept him under house arrest until the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990...
in July 1987. In early 1988 Yogeswaran and his wife moved into a house in Bullers Road (Baudhaloka Mawatha) in the Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located 3 kilometers south-east from Colombo city centre. Cinnamon Gardens is named from the former Cinnamon plantation in this area. In the year 1789, there were of Cinnamon trees in Cinnamon Gardens...
area of 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...
. The house was shared with other leading TULF politicians (A. Amirthalingam, M. Sivasithamparam and Mavai Senathirajah) and their families.
Assassination
In effort to bring about unity amongst the Tamils, Yogeswaran made contact with the Tamil Tigers and met with them several times. He arranged a meeting between the Tamil Tigers and the TULF leaders at their Bullers Road residence. On the evening of 13 July 1989 three men, Peter Aloysius Leon, Visu (Rasiah Aravindarajah) and Sivakumar (Vignan/Arivu), arrived at the residence. Aloysius and Visu went inside the house whilst Sivakumar remained outside. The two men met with Yogeswaran, Amirthalingam and Sivasithamparam in Yogeswaran's apartment on the first floor. The meeting seemed to be going well when suddenly Visu pulled out a gun and shot Amirthalingam in the head and chest. Yogeswaran stood up but was shot by Aloysius and Visu. Security guards heard the shots and rushed in, shooting the assailants who were injured. The assailants shot Sivasithamparam in the shoulder before running downstairs. They were chased and shot dead by the security guards. Sivakumar was also shot and died later of his injuries. Amirthalingam and Yogeswaran were killed but Sivasithamparam survived. The Tamil Tigers initially denied responsibility for the assassinations but later accepted responsibility.Yogeswaran's wife Sarojini, who later became mayor of Jaffna, and was also assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.