Kanthapillai Velupillai Nadarajah | |
---|---|
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Bandarawela | |
In office 1947–1952 | |
Preceded by | seat created |
Succeeded by | K. D. Sugathadasa |
Personal details | |
Born | 6 July 1905 |
Died | October 2000 |
Political party | Independent politician |
Spouse | Gnanamany née Eliyatamby |
Children | Bala (son) |
Alma mater | Jaffna Central College Parameshwara College Ceylon University College |
Profession | lawyer, politician |
Ethnicity | Ceylon Tamil |
Kanthapillai Velupillai Nadarajah (6 July 1905 – October 2000) was a leading Ceylon Tamil lawyer and Member of Parliament.
Early life and family
[edit]Nadarajah was born on 6 July 1905.[1] He was the son of K. Velupillai and Atchikuddy.[1] Nadarajah was educated at Jaffna Central College and Parameshwara College, Jaffna.[1] After school he joined Ceylon University College.[1] He then entered Colombo Law College, qualifying as a proctor.
Nadarajah married Gnanamani, daughter of P. S. Eliyatamby.[1] They had a son (Bala).[1]
Career
[edit]Nadarajah started practising law in Badulla in 1930.[1] He continued practising in Uva Province for 54 years.[1]
Nadarajah was a member of Badulla Urban Council for more than ten years.[1] He contested the 1947 parliamentary election as an independent candidate in Bandarawela and was elected to Parliament.[2][3]
Nadarajah was president of the Badulla Saiva Paripalana Sangam and managing trustee of the Kathir-velauthar Swami Temple in Badulla.[1] He was the founder of first Tamil school in Uva and served as the manager of Badualla Saraswathi Minor and Maha Vidayalam for 30 years.[1]
Later life
[edit]Nadarajah's family home in Pingarawa was burnt to the ground during the Black July anti-Tamil riots of 1983.[3] Nadarajah fled to Colombo with assistance of J. C. T. Kotelawala, the former MP for Badulla.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. pp. 109–110.
- ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015.
- ^ a b c Abeyesekera, Kirthie (29 October 2000). "Former Badulla MP K.V. Nadarajah passes away". The Island (Sri Lanka).