G. G. Ponnambalam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hon. G. G. Ponnambalam MP MSC KC
ஜி. ஜி. பொன்னம்பலம்
Minister of Industries, Industrial Research and Fisheries
In office 3 September 1948 – 22 October 1953
Preceded by	C. Sittampalam
Succeeded by	Kanthiah Vaithianathan
Member of the State Council of Ceylon for Point Pedro
In office 1934–1947
Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Jaffna
In office 1947–1960
Succeeded by	Alfred Duraiappah
In office 1965–1970
Preceded by	Alfred Duraiappah
Succeeded by	C. X. Martyn
Personal details
Born	(1901-11-08)8 November 1901 Alvai, British Ceylon
Died	9 February 1977(1977-02-09) (aged 75) Malaysia
Political party	All Ceylon Tamil Congress
Alma mater	Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Profession	Lawyer
Ethnicity	Ceylon Tamil

Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam (Tamil: கணபதி காங்கேசர் பொன்னம்பலம்; born November 8, 1901 – died February 9, 1977) was an important Tamil lawyer and politician from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was a cabinet minister and started the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), which was the first political party for Ceylon Tamils.

Early Life and Education

G. G. Ponnambalam was born on November 8, 1901. His father, Gangaser, was a postmaster from a place called Alvaly in northern Ceylon.

He went to school at St. Patrick's College, Jaffna and St. Joseph's College, Colombo. Later, he earned a scholarship to study at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in England. He got a top degree in natural sciences. He also earned degrees in law and arts from Cambridge.

Ponnambalam married Rose Alagumani Clough. They had a son, Kumar Ponnambalam, and a daughter, Vijayalakshmi.

His Career as a Lawyer

After finishing his studies, Ponnambalam became a lawyer in England. He returned to Ceylon in 1927 and started working as an advocate. He was known for being a great debater.

He became one of the country's best criminal lawyers. In 1948, he was given the special title of King's Counsel. This title is given to very experienced and respected lawyers.

Ponnambalam worked on many important legal cases. For example, in 1954, he helped defend people in a taxi cab case. His smart questioning of fingerprint experts led to the accused being found not guilty. This case even helped change laws about fingerprints.

Later in his career, he also practiced law in Malaya (now Malaysia). He would return to Ceylon for elections and big legal cases.

His Political Journey

Ponnambalam became a key political leader for the Ceylon Tamils. This happened after other important Tamil leaders, P. Arunachalam and P. Ramanathan, passed away.

Early Steps in Politics

In 1931, he first tried to get elected to the State Council. This was like a parliament for Ceylon. He didn't win that time because of a boycott in his home area.

The boycott ended in 1934, and Ponnambalam ran again in his home area of Point Pedro. This time, he won and joined the State Council. He was re-elected in 1936.

Fighting for Fairness: The 50:50 Demand

After the 1936 election, the government's main group of ministers was made up only of Sinhalese people. This was a problem because other groups made up 35% of Ceylon's population.

Because of this, Ponnambalam made a famous request on March 15, 1939. He asked for "50:50" representation. This meant he wanted 50% of the seats in Parliament for the Sinhalese people and 50% for all other ethnic groups combined. He believed this would ensure fairness for everyone.

Starting a Political Party

In August 1944, Ponnambalam started the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). This was the first political party specifically for Ceylon Tamils. He became the party's president.

In the 1947 election, Ponnambalam won a seat in Parliament for Jaffna. His party, the ACTC, won seven out of nine seats in the Tamil-majority Northern Province.

Joining the Government and a Party Split

After Ceylon became independent in 1948, the government passed a law that took away the right to vote from many Indian Tamils living in Ceylon. Ponnambalam and the ACTC were against this law.

However, soon after, Ponnambalam decided to join the government. He became the Minister of Industries, Industrial Research and Fisheries in September 1948. During his time as minister, new factories were opened, like the Kankesanthurai Cement Factory.

Ponnambalam's decision to join the government caused a split in his party. In 1949, some members, led by S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, left to form a new party called the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), also known as the Federal Party.

Over time, the new party (ITAK) became more popular among Ceylon Tamils. This was because the main political parties in Ceylon introduced policies, like the Sinhala Only Act, which made things harder for minority groups.

Later Political Career

Ponnambalam was re-elected to Parliament in 1952. His job as minister changed to Minister of Industries and Fisheries. But in 1953, the new Prime Minister asked him to resign.

He was re-elected in 1956 but lost his seat in the March 1960 election. He tried again in July 1960 but didn't win. He was elected once more in the 1965 election. After this election, his party joined the government, but Ponnambalam chose not to take a ministerial position.

Between 1967 and 1969, Ponnambalam led Ceylon's group to the United Nations General Assembly. He lost his seat in the 1970 election.

G. G. Ponnambalam passed away on February 9, 1977. Years later, in 1986, a special stamp was issued to honor him.

Electoral History