Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan passes away in Colombo at 91
Born on February 5, 1933, the political heavyweight had commenced his career as a lawyer. He joined the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi in 1956.
R Sampanthan
CHENNAI: Rajavarodayama Sampanthan, a veteran Sri Lankan politician and a moderate Tamil leader, passed away due to natural causes while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo late on Sunday. The 91-year-old was admitted earlier this week following health complaints, his family said.
The Sri Lankan Tamil politican, of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), was the sitting MP from the Trincomalee district and was only the second Tamil to become the main opposition leader in the Sinhala-majority country.
On October 20, 2001, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization, and the TULF formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with Sampanthan leading it from 2004.
He was ailing for a long time and was missing the current parliamentary sessions for a long time.
He was a moderate Tamil who had been leading the political movement to achieve a negotiated settlement to the Tamil demand for political autonomy. The Tamils put forward their demand for autonomy since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, which, from the mid-70s, turned into a bloody armed conflict.
Born on February 5, 1933, Sampanthan grew to become a brilliant lawyer and joined the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi in 1956.
On May 14, 1972 the ITAK, the ACTC, the Ceylon Workers' Congress, the Eelath Thamilar Otrumai Munnani, and the All Ceylon Tamil Conference formed the Tamil United Front (later renamed as Tamil United Liberation Front - TULF).
Sampanthan was the TULF's candidate from eastern port district of Trincomalee in the 1977 parliamentary election which he won. He served as MP until 1983.
Sampanthan was elected for a second term from 1997 to 2000. He took office as the leader of the opposition in 2015 and was actively involved in the process of drafting a new Constitution until 2019.
Sampanthan contested the 2001 parliamentary election as a TNA candidate from Trincomalee and was elected and re-entered Parliament. He was the incumbent MP from the district until his death on Sunday.
(With additional inputs from Bureau & PTI)