D. Siddarthan
{{short description|Sri Lankan politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Hon.
| name = D. Siddarthan
| native_name = {{lang|ta|த. சித்தார்த்தன்}}
ධර්මලිංගම් සිද්ධාර්ථන්
| honorific-suffix = MP
| image = D. Siddarthan.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Siddarthan in February 2017
| office1 = Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
| constituency1 = Jaffna District
| term_start1 = 2015
| term_end1 =
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| successor1 =
| constituency2 = Vanni District
| term_start2 = 2001
| term_end2 = 2004
| predecessor2 =
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| constituency3 = Vanni District
| term_start3 = 1994
| term_end3 = 2000
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| office4 = Member of the Northern Provincial Council
| constituency4 = Jaffna District
| term_start4 = 2013
| term_end4 = 2015
| predecessor4 =
| successor4 = Kanapathippillai Tharumalingam
| birth_name = Dharmalingam Siddarthan
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|09|10|df=y}}
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| party = People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
| otherparty = Tamil National Alliance
| spouse =
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Dharmalingam Siddarthan ({{langx|ta|தர்மலிங்கம் சித்தார்த்தன்|translit=Tarmaliṅkam Cittārttaṉ}}; born 10 September 1948) is a Sri Lankan Tamil militant turned politician, former provincial councillor and Member of Parliament.{{cite web |title=Directory of Members: Dharmalingam Sithadthan |url=https://www.parliament.lk/members-of-parliament/directory-of-members/viewMember/311 |publisher=Parliament of Sri Lanka |access-date=17 September 2020 |location=Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka}} He is the leader of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam, a member of the Tamil National Alliance.{{cite news |last1=Pathirana |first1=Saroj|title=Sri Lanka's 'ignored' non-Tamil Tiger militant groups |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11234087 |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=BBC News |date=14 November 2010 |location=London, U.K.}}{{cite news |title=TNA & Sinhala sensitivities |url=https://www.ceylontoday.lk/52-91310-news-detail-tna-sinhala-sensitivities.html |work=Ceylon Today |date=29 April 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150509222014/https://ceylontoday.lk/52-91310-news-detail-tna-sinhala-sensitivities.html |archive-date=9 May 2015 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}
Early life
Siddarthan was born on 10 September 1948. He is the son of former MP V. Dharmalingam.{{cite news |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=TNA’S Tussle Over Provincial Ministry Posts in North |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/36606/tnas-tussle-over-provincial-ministry-posts-in-north |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) |date=5 October 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite web |last1=Sri Kantha |first1=Sachi |author-link1=Sachi Sri Kantha |title=Remembering Visvanather Dharmalingam |url=http://sangam.org/2010/10/Dharmalingam.php?uid=4103 |access-date=17 September 2020 |publisher=Ilankai Tamil Sangam |date=24 October 2010}}{{cite book |last1=Rajasingham |first1=K. T. |title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story |date=30 March 2002 |publisher=Asia Times |location=Hong Kong |url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DC30Df04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020407114337/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DC30Df04.html |archive-date=7 April 2002 |url-status=unfit |chapter=Chapter 33: India shows its hand}} Siddarthan became involved in Tamil nationalist politics in the 1960s but by the 1970s he had become involved in with militant groups.{{cite news |title=Right thinking people hate war - Siddarthan |url=http://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2004/07/18/fea22.html |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=Sunday Observer |date=18 July 2004 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He was one of the founding members of the Tamil New Tigers and in 1977 founded the London branch of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).{{cite news |title=Prabhakaran asked cadres to shoot him if he swayed away from his cause |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/3187/prabhakaran-asked-cadres-shoot-him.html |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=Deccan Herald |agency=Press Trust of India |date=18 May 2009 |location=Bangalore, India}} In 1980 LTTE chairman Uma Maheswaran split from the LTTE and founded the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). Siddarthan joined PLOTE.{{cite book |last1=Meadows |first1=Mark Stephen |title=Tea Time with Terrorists |date=2010 |publisher=Soft Skull Press |isbn=978-1-59376-275-9 |url=http://www.markmeadows.com/books/lanka/print/10-02-15/TeaTime_screen_10-02-15.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081012/https://www.markmeadows.com/books/lanka/print/10-02-15/TeaTime_screen_10-02-15.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |pages=116–129}} In 1982 Siddarthan, with the assistance of Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students, went to Syria to receive military training from Palestinian militant groups. Siddarthan took over leadership of the PLOTE following the assassination of Uma Maheswaran in 1989.{{cite magazine |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=Who killed Manickathasan? |work=Frontline |date=11 September 1999 |volume=16 |issue=19 |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1619/16190630.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920210759/http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1619/16190630.htm |archive-date=20 September 2013 |location=Chennai, India}}
Career
Siddarthan contested the 1989 parliamentary election as a Democratic People's Liberation Front's (DPLF) (the political wing of PLOTE) candidate in Jaffna District but the DPLF failed to win any seats in Parliament.{{cite book |last1=de Silva |first1=W. P. P. |last2=Ferdinando |first2=T. C. L. |title=9th Parliament of Sri Lanka |publisher=Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited |location=Colombo Sri Lanka |page=182 |url=http://noolaham.net/project/148/14715/14715.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623233447/http://noolaham.net/project/148/14715/14715.pdf |archive-date=23 June 2015}}{{cite web |title=Results of Parliamentary General Election – 1989 |url=https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/parliamentary-elections/general-election-1989.pdf |publisher=Election Commission of Sri Lanka |access-date=18 September 2020 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=26}} He contested the 1994 parliamentary election as one of the DPLF's candidates in Vanni District and was elected to Parliament.{{cite web |title=Results of Parliamentary General Election – 1994 |url=https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/parliamentary-elections/general-election-1994.pdf |publisher=Election Commission of Sri Lanka |access-date=18 September 2020 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=51}}
Siddarthan contested the 2000 parliamentary election as a DPLF candidate in Jaffna District but the DPLF failed to win any seats in Parliament.{{cite news |last1=Vidanagama |first1=Sena |title=Bombs bullets and bloodshed scar Jaffna ahead of key ballot |url=https://island.lk/2000/09/24/news18.html |work=The Island |date=24 September 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210175814/https://island.lk/2000/09/24/news18.html |archive-date=10 February 2001 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=TULF, PLOTE claim massive election fraud |url=https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=5484 |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=TamilNet |date=10 October 2000 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite web |title=Results of Parliamentary General Election – 2000 |url=https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/parliamentary-elections/general-election-2000.pdf |publisher=Election Commission of Sri Lanka |access-date=18 September 2020 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=50}} He contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the DPLF's candidates in Vanni District and was re-elected to Parliament.{{cite web |title=Parliamentary General Election - 2001 - Preferences |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf |publisher=Department of Elections |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015155/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2010 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=5}} He contested the 2004 parliamentary election as a DPLF candidate in Vanni District but the DPLF failed to win any seats in Parliament.{{cite web |title=Parliamentary General Election - 2004 - Preferences |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf |publisher=Department of Elections |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015514/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2010 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=206}}{{cite web |title=Results of Parliamentary General Election – 2004 |url=https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/parliamentary-elections/general-election-2004.pdf |publisher=Election Commission of Sri Lanka |access-date=18 September 2020 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=169}}{{cite news |last1=Handunnetti |first1=Dilrukshi |title=The big losers |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20040411/focus.htm |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=The Sunday Leader |date=11 April 2004 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He contested the 2010 parliamentary election as a DPLF candidate in Vanni District but again the DPLF failed to win any seats in Parliament.{{cite magazine |title=Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - The Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 - Notice Under Section 24(1) - General Elections of Members of the Parliament |work=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=2 March 2010 |issue=1643/07 |page=227A |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2010/PDF/Mar/1643_7/1643_7(E).pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101220555/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2010/PDF/Mar/1643_7/1643_7%28E%29.pdf|archive-date=1 November 2014 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite web |title=Results of Parliamentary General Election – 2010 |url=https://elections.gov.lk/web/wp-content/uploads/election-results/parliamentary-elections/general-election-2010.pdf |publisher=Election Commission of Sri Lanka |access-date=18 September 2020 |location=Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka |page=200}}
Following the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009 the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora started exerting pressure on Sri Lankan Tamil political parties to unite and so PLOTE joined the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest political group representing Sri Lankan Tamils.{{cite news |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=Tamil National Alliance Faces Acute Political Crisis |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/29624/tamil-national-alliance-faces-acute-political-crisis |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=18 May 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} Siddarthan contested the 2013 provincial council election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Northern Provincial Council.{{cite magazine |title=Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Provincial Council Elections Act, No. 2 of 1988 - Northern Province Provincial Council |work=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=25 September 2013 |issue=1829/33 |page=3A |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2013/9/1829-33_E.pdf |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=Provincial Council Elections 2013 – Results and preferential votes: Northern Province |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/infographics/provincial-council-elections-2013-results-and-preferential-votes-northern-province/193-36078 |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=26 September 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} After the election he was appointed to assist the Chief Minister on vocational training, entrepreneurial development, small and medium enterprises.{{cite news |title=Division of Ministries of the Northern Provincial Council & Subjects for Councillors |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2013/10/Division_of_Ministries.pdf |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=TamilNet |date=11 October 2013 |page=3}} He took his oath as provincial councillor in front of PLOTE Secretary and All Island Justice Peace Subramanian Sathananthan at Chunnakam on 14 October 2013.{{cite news |title=PLOTE members take oaths |url=http://www.ft.lk/article/201518/PLOTE-members-take-oaths |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=Daily FT |date=15 October 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=Two Elected Councilors From PLOTE Took Oaths In Chunnakam |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/node/64880 |work=Asian Tribune |date=14 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016120229/http://www.asiantribune.com/node/64880 |archive-date=16 October 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last1=Bandara |first1=Kelum |last2=Kapilnath |first2=Navaratnam |title=Sivajilingam, Sidharthan sworn in separately |url=https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/daily-mirror-sri-lanka/20131015/281543698651447 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=14 October 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}
Siddarthan contested the 2015 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was re-elected to Parliament.{{cite magazine |title=Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - The Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 |work=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=19 August 2015 |issue=1928/3 |page=5A |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2015/8/1928-03_E.pdf |access-date=20 August 2015 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=Ranil tops with over 500,000 votes in Colombo |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/83949/ranil-tops-with-over-500-000-votes-in-colombo |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=19 August 2015 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He was re-elected at the 2020 parliamentary election.{{cite magazine |title=Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 |work=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=8 August 2020 |issue=2187/26 |page=5A |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2020/8/2187-26_E.pdf |access-date=9 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=General Election 2020: Preferential votes of Jaffna District |url=https://ceylontoday.lk/news/general-election-2020-preferential-votes-of-jaffna-district |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=Ceylon Today |date=7 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027094033/https://ceylontoday.lk/news/general-election-2020-preferential-votes-of-jaffna-district |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=Did Sumanthiran Win In Jaffna By "Stealing" Sashikala’s Votes? |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Did-Sumanthiran-Win-In-Jaffna-By-Stealing-Sashikalas-Votes/172-193895 |access-date=18 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=15 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}
Electoral history
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Electoral history of D. Siddarthan ! scope=col|Election ! scope=col|Constituency ! scope=col colspan="2"|Party ! scope=col colspan="2"|Alliance ! scope=col|Votes ! scope=col|Result | |||||||
| 1989 parliamentary | Jaffna District | style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| | PLOTE | style="background:{{party color|Democratic People's Liberation Front}};"| | DPLF | align=right|{{Nts|1731}} | Not elected |
| 1994 parliamentary | Vanni District | style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| | PLOTE | style="background:{{party color|Democratic People's Liberation Front}};"| | DPLF | align=right|{{Nts|6376}} | Elected |
| 2000 parliamentary | Jaffna District | style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| | PLOTE | style="background:{{party color|Democratic People's Liberation Front}};"| | DPLF | align=right|{{Nts |
|-
| 2001 parliamentary || Vanni District || style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| || PLOTE || style="background:{{party color|Democratic People's Liberation Front}};"| || DPLF || align=right|{{Nts|4468}} || Elected
|-
| 2004 parliamentary || Vanni District || style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| || PLOTE || style="background:{{party color|Democratic People's Liberation Front}};"| || DPLF || align=right|{{Nts|3954}} || Not elected
|-
| 2010 parliamentary || Vanni District || style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| || PLOTE || style="background:{{party color|Democratic People's Liberation Front}};"| || DPLF || || Not elected
|-
| 2013 provincial || Jaffna District || style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| || PLOTE || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || TNA || align=right|{{Nts|39715}} || Elected
|-
| 2015 parliamentary{{cite news |last=Jayakody |first=Pradeep |title=The Comparison of Preferential Votes in 2015 & 2010 |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/85309/the-comparison-of-preferential-votes-in-2015-2010 |access-date=20 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=28 August 2015 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} || Jaffna District || style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| || PLOTE || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || TNA || align=right|{{Nts|53740}} || Elected
|-
| 2020 parliamentary{{cite news |title=General Election Preferential Votes |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2020/08/08/political/225317/general-election-preferential-votes |access-date=20 September 2020 |work=Daily News |date=8 August 2020 |location=Colombo Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka |page=2}} || Jaffna District || style="background:{{party color|People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam}};"| || PLOTE || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || TNA || align=right|{{Nts|23840}} || Elected
|}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Members of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of the 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of the 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siddarthan, D.}}
Category:Democratic People's Liberation Front politicians
Category:Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members
Category:Members of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Members of the 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Members of the 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka
Category:Members of the Northern Provincial Council
Category:People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam militants