V. Kumaraswamy

Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament

This article is about the Ceylon Tamil politician and Member of Parliament. For the Ceylon Tamil civil servant and diplomat, see V. Coomaraswamy.

Hon.

V. Kumaraswamy

வே. குமாரசுவாமி

Member of the Ceylonese Parliament
for Chavakachcheri
In office
1947–1956
Succeeded by| V. N. Navaratnam
Personal details
Born| (1919-07-31)31 July 1919
Died| 10 March 1978(1978-03-10) (aged 58)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Alma mater| Ceylon Law College
Profession| Lawyer
Ethnicity| Ceylon Tamil

Velupillai Kumaraswamy (Tamil: வேலுப்பிள்ளை குமாரசுவாமி; 31 July 1919 – 10 March 1978)[1] was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament.

## Early life and family[edit]

Kumaraswamy was born on 31 July 1919.[2] He was the son of Velupillai, a proctor from Chavakachcheri in northern Ceylon.[3] After school Kumaraswamy joined Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate.

Kumaraswamy had a son (Vaheeswaran) and a daughter (Dushyanti).[3]

## Career[edit]

Whilst still studying law, Kumaraswamy stood as the All Ceylon Tamil Congress's (ACTC) candidate in Chavakachcheri at the 1947 parliamentary election.[3] He won the election and entered Parliament.[4] Kumaraswamy became a Parliamentary Secretary after the ACTC joined the United National Party dominated government in 1948.[3][5]

Kumaraswamy was re-elected at the 1952 parliamentary election.[6] The ACTC left the UNP government in 1953 but Kumaraswamy chose to remain with the UNP.[7] Kumaraswamy left the UNP in 1956 over the party's support of the Sinhala Only Act.[7]

Kumaraswamy stood for re-election in the constituency at the 1956 parliamentary election as an independent candidate but was defeated by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party) candidate V. N. Navaratnam.[3][8] He was the ACTC's candidate in the constituency at the March 1960 and 1970 parliamentary elections but on each occasion was defeated by Navaratnam.[9][10] He contested the 1977 parliamentary election as an independent candidate but was again defeated by Navaratnam.[11]

Kumaraswamy practised law in Colombo.[3]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "குமாரசாமி காலமானார்" (PDF). Eelanadu. Jaffna, Sri Lanka. 11 March 1978. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
2. ^ "Directory of Past Members: Kumaraswamy, Velupillai". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
3. ^ a b c d e f Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. p. 90.
4. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
5. ^ Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 14: Post-colonial realignment of political forces". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 3 January 2002.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
6. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
7. ^ a b Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 15: Turbulence in any language". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 8 February 2002.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
8. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
9. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1960-03-19" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
10. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
11. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2013.

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* e

← // Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon (1947 (1947)–1952) →

* Speaker: Alexander Francis Molamure/Albert Peries

* Prime Minister: D. S. Senanayake/Dudley Senanayake
* Leader of the Opposition: N. M. Perera

Central Province (15)|

* M. D. Banda
* George E. de Silva
* T. B. Ilangaratne, Tamara Kumari Ilangaratne
* Senerat Gunewardene
* R. S. Pelpola
* Karuppiah Kumaravelu
* G. R. Motha
* Abdul Aziz
* V. T. Nanayakkara
* E. A. Nugawela
* T. B. Panabokke
* H. R. U. Premachandra
* K. Rajalingam
* H. B. Rambukwella
* Abeyratne Ratnayaka
* H. B. Tenne
* Savumiamoorthy Thondaman
* C. V. Velupillai

Eastern Province (7)|

* A. R. A. M. Abubucker
* S. U. Ethirmanasingham
* M. M. Ebrahim
* M. S. Kariapper
* Ahamed Lebbe Sinne Lebbe
* V. Nalliah
* S. Sivapalan

Northern Province (9)|

* S. J. V. Chelvanayakam
* K. Kanagaratnam
* V. Kumaraswamy
* G. G. Ponnambalam
* T. Ramalingam
* C. Sittampalam
* C. Suntharalingam
* Alfred Thambiayah
* C. Vanniasingam

North Central Province (5)|

* P. L. Bauddhasara
* P. B. Bulankulame
* S. H. Mahadiulwewa
* T. B. Poholiyadde
* Maithripala Senanayake

North Western Province (10)|

* Ivan Dassanayake
* J. J. Fernando
* Kavisena Herath
* I. M. R. A. Iriyagolle
* Hameed Hussain Sheikh Ismail
* John Kotelawala
* Albert Peries
* Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake
* Herbert Sri Nissanka
* Tikiri Banda Subasinghe

Sabaragamuwa Province (10)|

* C. E. Attygalle
* D. F. Hettiarachchi
* N. H. Keerthiratne
* E. W. Mathew
* Alexander Francis Molamure
* Jayaweera Kuruppu
* N. M. Perera
* Reginald Perera
* Harris Leuke Ratwatte
* Dudley Senanayake
* Florence Senanayake

Southern Province (12)|

* H. D. Abeygoonewardane
* Simon Abeywickrema
* H. W. Amarasuriya
* Wijeyananda Dahanayake
* William de Silva
* Arthur de Zoysa
* Walwin de Silva)
* D. S. Goonesekera
* Montague Jayawickrama
* P. Kumarasiri
* D. A. Rajapaksa
* Lakshman Rajapaksa
* V. G. W. Ratnayake
* W. Wickremasinghe

Uva Province (7)|

* Leo Fernando
* J. C. T. Kotelawala
* K. V. Nadarajah
* D. Ramanujam
* J. A. Rambukpota
* S. M. Subbaiah
* K. D. Sugathadasa

Western Province (20)|

* S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
* Somaweera Chandrasiri
* R. A. de Mel
* T. F. Jayewardene
* Colvin R. de Silva
* George R. de Silva
* A. Ekanayake Gunasinha
* Cholomondeley Goonewardene
* Philip Gunawardena
* Kusumasiri Gunawardena
* Robert Gunawardena
* T. B. Jayah
* M. C. M. Kaleel
* A. P. Jayasuriya
* D. P. Jayasuriya
* J. R. Jayewardene
* D. D. Karunaratne
* P. P. Jayawardena
* Pieter Keuneman
* Wilmot A. Perera
* Henry Peiris
* D. S. Senanayake
* S. A. Silva
* H. de Z. Siriwardena

Appointed (6)|

* E. F. N. Gratiaen
* Rosslyn Koch
* F. H. Griffith
* R. Singleton-Salmon
* J. A. Martenze
* J. W. Oldfield
* S. A. Pakeman
* G. R. Whitby

* v
* t
* e

← Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon (1952 (1952)-1956) →

* Speaker: Albert Peries

* Prime Minister: Dudley Senanayake/John Kotelawala
* Leader of the Opposition: S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike

Central Province (15)|

* Bernard Aluwihare
* M. D. Banda
* H. E. P. de Mel
* M. W. R. de Silva
* Robert Edward Jayatilaka
* C. A. S. Marikkar
* E. A. Nugawela
* T. B. Panabokke
* H. B. Rambukwella
* Abeyratne Ratnayaka
* E. L. Senanayake
* Fredrick de Silva
* P. H. C. Silva
* P. P. Sumanatilaka
* H. B. Tenne
* Ukku Banda Unamboowe

Eastern Province (7)|

* M. M. Ebrahim
* R. B. Kadramer
* A. M. Merza
* M. E. H. Mohamed Ali
* V. Nalliah
* N. R. Rajavarothiam
* S. M. Rasamanickam

Northern Province (9)|

* V. Kumaraswamy
* S. Natesan
* G. G. Ponnambalam
* T. Ramalingam
* C. Sittampalam
* C. Suntharalingam
* Alfred Thambiayah
* C. Vanniasingam
* V. Veerasingam

North Central Province (5)|

* P. B. Bulankulame
* C. P. de Silva
* S. H. Mahadiulwewa
* T. B. Poholiyadde
* Maithripala Senanayake

North Western Province (10)|

* Shirley Corea
* Ivan Dassanayake
* Kavisena Herath
* I. M. R. A. Iriyagolle
* Hameed Hussain Sheikh Ismail
* John Kotelawala
* Albert Peries
* Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake
* Tikiri Banda Subasinghe
* Dingiri Bandara Welagedara

Sabaragamuwa Province (10)|

* C. E. Attygalle
* C. R. Beligammana
* N. H. Keerthiratne
* A. E. B. Kiriella
* E. W. Mathew
* Alexander Francis Molamure
* N. M. Perera
* Edmund Samarakkody
* Dudley Senanayake
* Harold Weragama

Southern Province (12)|

* Henry Abeywickrema
* Wijeyananda Dahanayake
* Neal de Alwis
* William de Silva
* Ian de Zoysa
* C. A. Dharmapala
* Charles Edirisuriya
* Montague Jayawickrama
* D. A. Rajapaksa
* V. G. W. Ratnayake
* Mahanama Samaraweera
* Doreen Young Wickremasinghe

Uva Province (7)|

* M. B. Bambarapane
* Leo Fernando
* Gladwin Kotelawala
* J. C. T. Kotelawala
* S. A. Peeris
* J. A. Rambukpota
* E. B. Dimbulane
* Wilfred A. Ratwatte
* K. D. Sugathadasa

Western Province (20)|

* A. N. D. A. Abeysinghe
* John Amaratunga
* S. D. Bandaranayake
* S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
* Somaweera Chandrasiri
* P. Andrew Cooray
* Razik Fareed
* Kusumasiri Gunawardena
* Robert Gunawardena
* S. de Silva Jayasinghe
* D. P. Jayasuriya
* M. D. H. Jayawardena
* T. F. Jayewardene
* J. R. Jayewardene
* M. C. M. Kaleel
* C. W. W. Kannangara
* D. C. W. Kannangara
* Pieter Keuneman
* Cyril E. S. Perera
* Wilmot A. Perera

Appointed (6)|

* R. P. Gaddum
* Rosslyn Koch
* J. R. Murray
* V. R. S. Schokman
* Robert Singleton-Salmon
* A. C. Tutein-Nolthenius
* S. P. Vythilingam

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