A. Amirthalingam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
A. Amirthalingam
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| அ. அமிர்தலிங்கம் | |
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| 7th Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 4 August 1977 – 24 October 1983 |
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| President | J. R. Jayewardene |
| Prime Minister | J. R. Jayewardene Ranasinghe Premadasa |
| Preceded by | J. R. Jayewardene |
| Succeeded by | Anura Bandaranaike |
| Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front | |
| In office 1977–1989 |
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| Preceded by | S. J. V. Chelvanayakam |
| Succeeded by | M. Sivasithamparam |
| Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Vaddukoddai |
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| In office 1956–1970 |
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| Preceded by | V. Veerasingam, ACTC |
| Succeeded by | A. Thiagarajah, ACTC |
| Member of Parliament for Kankesanthurai |
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| In office 21 July 1977 – 22 October 1983 |
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| Preceded by | S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, ITAK |
| Member of Parliament for National List |
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| In office 1989–1989 |
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| Succeeded by | Mavai Senathirajah, TULF |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 August 1927 Pannagam, Vaddukoddai, British Ceylon |
| Died | 13 July 1989 (aged 61) 342/2 Baudhaloka Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi |
| Other political affiliations |
Tamil United Liberation Front |
| Alma mater | Ceylon Law College |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
| Website | amirthalingam.com |
Appapillai Amirthalingam (Tamil: அப்பாப்பிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கம்; Sinhala: අප්පාපිල්ලෙයි අමිර්තලිංගම්; 26 August 1927 – 13 July 1989) was an important Sri Lankan Tamil politician. He was a Member of Parliament and served as the Leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka. Sadly, Amirthalingam was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.
Early Life and Education
Appapillai Amirthalingam was born on 26 August 1927. His birthplace was Pannagam, a village near Vaddukoddai in northern Ceylon. His father, S. Appapillai, was a retired station master. His mother was Valliammai. He had three brothers: Sockalingam, Vasu Thevalingam, and Thigamparalingam.
Amirthalingam went to Meihandan Tamil School in Pannakam. He also studied at Victoria College, Chulipuram. Later, he attended Ceylon University College. After finishing his studies, he became a lawyer.
Amirthalingam married Mangaiyarkarasi, who was the daughter of Vallipuram. They had two sons together, named Kandeepan and Baheerathan.
Political Journey
Amirthalingam started his political career in 1949. He joined a new political party called the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party). He quickly became the leader of the party's Youth Front.
He first tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1952. He ran for the Vaddukoddai area but did not win. However, he tried again in the 1956 election. This time, he won and became a Member of Parliament. He was re-elected in 1960 (twice) and 1965. In the 1970 election, he lost his seat.
In 1972, several Tamil political parties joined together. They formed the Tamil United Front, which was later renamed the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Amirthalingam was a key leader in this new group.
In 1976, Amirthalingam and other Tamil politicians were arrested. They were handing out leaflets and were accused of trying to cause trouble. They were taken to Colombo for a trial. Many Tamil lawyers, including S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, helped defend them. All the politicians were found not guilty.
After S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, the leader of TULF, passed away in 1977, Amirthalingam took over his role. He became the new leader of both the TULF and the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi.
In the 1977 election, Amirthalingam ran for the Kankesanthurai area. He won the election and returned to Parliament. Because the TULF became the largest party not in power, Amirthalingam was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition. This meant he was the main voice against the government in Parliament.
In 1983, Amirthalingam and other TULF Members of Parliament decided to leave Parliament. This happened for a few reasons. There was pressure from groups who wanted a separate state for Tamils. Also, a new rule, called the Sixth Amendment, required them to promise not to support a separate state. Around this time, there was also a lot of violence against Tamils. After three months of being absent, Amirthalingam lost his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983.
Amirthalingam and his family moved to Madras (now Chennai) in India. While in India, he took part in many discussions to try and bring peace. After a peace agreement was signed in 1987, Amirthalingam returned to Sri Lanka. He and his wife lived in a house in Colombo with other TULF leaders and their families.
In the 1989 election, Amirthalingam ran for election again. He did not win a regular seat. However, he was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament for the TULF. This allowed him to serve in Parliament once more.
Assassination
To try and unite different Tamil groups, another TULF leader, V. Yogeswaran, met with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers). He arranged a meeting between the Tamil Tigers and TULF leaders at their home in Colombo.
On the evening of 13 July 1989, three men from the Tamil Tigers arrived at the house. Two of them, Peter Aloysius Leon and Rasiah Aravindarajah, went inside. They met with Yogeswaran, Amirthalingam, and M. Sivasithamparam. During the meeting, one of the men suddenly pulled out a gun. He shot Amirthalingam in the head and chest. Yogeswaran was also shot. Security guards heard the shots and rushed in. They shot the attackers, who were injured. The attackers shot Sivasithamparam in the shoulder as they ran downstairs. The security guards chased them and shot them dead. The third attacker, who had stayed outside, was also shot and later died.
Amirthalingam and Yogeswaran were killed in this attack. M. Sivasithamparam survived. The Tamil Tigers at first said they were not responsible, but later they accepted that they had carried out the assassinations.
See Also
- List of assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
