R. Sampanthan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hon. R. Sampanthan MP
இரா. சம்பந்தன்
Sampanthan in 2013
14th Leader of the Opposition
In office 3 September 2015 – 18 December 2018
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe Mahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Nimal Siripala De Silva
Succeeded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Leader of the Tamil National Alliance
In office 2001–2024
Member of Parliament for Trincomalee District
In office 5 December 2001 – 30 June 2024
Majority	33,834
In office 1997 – 18 August 2000
Preceded by	Arunasalam Thangathurai
Member of Parliament for Trincomalee
In office 21 July 1977 – 7 September 1983
Preceded by	B. Neminathan
Majority	15,144
Personal details
Born	(1933-02-05)5 February 1933 British Ceylon
Died	30 June 2024(2024-06-30) (aged 91) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Political party	Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Other political affiliations	Tamil National Alliance
Alma mater	Ceylon Law College
Profession	Lawyer
Ethnicity	Sri Lankan Tamil

Rajavarothiam Sampanthan (born February 5, 1933 – died June 30, 2024) was an important Sri Lankan Tamil politician and a lawyer. He led the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) from 2001 until he passed away in 2024.

Mr. Sampanthan was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years. He served as an MP from 1977 to 1983, then from 1997 to 2000, and again from 2001 until his death. He also held the important role of Leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka's Parliament from September 2015 to December 2018. He passed away at the age of 91.

Early Life and Education

Rajavarothiam Sampanthan was born on February 5, 1933. His father, A. Rajavarothiam, worked as a Superintendent of Stores. Sampanthan had relatives who were also Members of Parliament for Trincomalee.

He went to several schools, including St. Patrick's College, Jaffna, St. Anne's College, Kurunegala, St. Joseph's College, Trincomalee, and St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa. After finishing school, he studied at Ceylon Law College. He became an attorney at law, which means he was qualified to practice law.

Family Life

Sampanthan married Leeladevi. They had two sons, Sanjeevan and Senthuran, and one daughter, Krishanthini.

Political Journey and Career

After becoming a lawyer, Sampanthan started his law practice in Trincomalee.

Joining Politics

In 1956, Sampanthan joined a political party called the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), also known as the Federal Party. The leader of ITAK, S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, offered him a chance to run for election in 1963 and 1970, but Sampanthan decided not to at those times.

Forming Political Alliances

On May 14, 1972, several Tamil political groups, including ITAK, joined together. They formed the Tamil United Front, which was later renamed the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).

Sampanthan became the TULF's candidate for the Trincomalee area in the 1977 parliamentary election. He won this election and became a Member of Parliament for the first time.

Leaving and Returning to Parliament

In 1983, Sampanthan and other TULF MPs stopped attending Parliament. This was partly because they were pressured by Tamil militant groups. Also, a new rule, the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, required them to promise not to support a separate state. After being absent for three months, Sampanthan lost his seat in Parliament on September 7, 1983.

He continued to be active in the TULF, holding roles like joint treasurer, vice president, and general secretary.

U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets Sampanthan in May 2015.

Sampanthan ran in the 1989 and 1994 parliamentary elections but did not win a seat. However, he returned to Parliament in 1997 after another MP, A. Thangathurai, passed away. He ran again in the 2000 election but did not win that time.

Leading the Tamil National Alliance

On October 20, 2001, several Tamil parties, including TULF, formed a new group called the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Sampanthan became the leader of the TNA. He ran in the 2001 parliamentary election as a TNA candidate for Trincomalee District and was elected, returning to Parliament once more.

After the TNA was formed, it began to support the Tamil Tigers as the main representatives of Sri Lankan Tamils. This caused some disagreements within the TULF. Some TULF members, like its president V. Anandasangaree, did not agree with supporting the Tigers. Because of this, the TULF members who wanted to stay with the TNA, led by Sampanthan, decided to restart the original Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) party. Sampanthan became the leader of ITAK.

Sampanthan was re-elected to Parliament in the 2004, 2010, and 2015 elections.

On September 3, 2015, the Speaker of Parliament officially recognized Sampanthan as the Leader of the Opposition. This is a very important role in a country's government. During the 2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, the TNA, under Sampanthan's leadership, supported Maithripala Sirisena as a candidate. Sirisena won the election and became the president.

Electoral History

This table shows the elections R. Sampanthan participated in and the results.

See also

In Spanish: R. Sampanthan para niños