Alfred Duraiappah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Duraiappah
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அல்பிரட் துரையப்பா
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| Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Jaffna |
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| In office 1960–1965 |
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| Preceded by | G. G. Ponnambalam |
| Succeeded by | G. G. Ponnambalam |
| 12th Mayor of Jaffna | |
| In office 15 February 1970 – 27 July 1975 |
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| Preceded by | S. Nagarajah |
| Succeeded by | R.Viswanathan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 June 1926 |
| Died | 27 July 1975 (aged 49) Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
| Alma mater | Ceylon Law College |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Alfred Thangarajah Duraiappah (born June 15, 1926 – died July 27, 1975) was an important Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician. He served as the Mayor of Jaffna and was also a Member of Parliament. He worked hard for his community and played a big role in the politics of his time.
Early Life and Family
Alfred Duraiappah was born on June 15, 1926. His father made ice and fizzy drinks in a place called Vannarpannai in northern Ceylon (which is now Sri Lanka).
Alfred went to school at St. John's College, Jaffna. After that, he studied law at Ceylon Law College. He became a lawyer, known as a proctor.
He married a woman named Parameswary. Her father was Cumaraswamy. Alfred and Parameswary had one daughter, named Rochana, who was also called Eesha. Alfred Duraiappah was a Christian.
His nephew, Nishan Duraiappah, later became the chief of police in a region of Canada.
Political Career
Alfred Duraiappah started his political journey early. He was elected to the Jaffna Municipal Council and became its deputy mayor when he was just 23 years old. He later served as the Mayor of Jaffna from 1970 to 1975.
He also ran for a seat in the country's Parliament. In the March 1960 election, he ran as an independent candidate for the Jaffna area. He won and became a Member of Parliament.
He was re-elected in the July 1960 election. However, he lost his seat in the 1965 election to G. G. Ponnambalam. He tried to win back his seat in 1970 but was not successful.
Duraiappah was a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which was the ruling party at the time. He was also the main organizer for his party in the Jaffna District.
Some groups who wanted a separate Tamil state did not agree with Duraiappah's political views. They saw him as someone who worked too closely with the government. In 1971, a Tamil militant named Pon Sivakumaran tried to harm Duraiappah by throwing a grenade at his car. Luckily, Duraiappah was not in the car at the time.
He also faced criticism for how he handled a big event in 1974 where some people died.
His Death
On July 27, 1975, Alfred Duraiappah and his daughter Eesha went to a temple in Ponnalai. This was their weekly visit for worship. When they arrived at the temple, masked men shot Duraiappah, and he died.
Some members of his family believed that a political rival was involved in his death. However, many people blamed the rebel group called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its leader, V. Prabhakaran. In 1978, the LTTE publicly stated that they were responsible for the deaths of eleven people, including Duraiappah.
Today, a sports stadium in Jaffna is named the Duraiappah Stadium in his memory.
