S. Natesan

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = Hon. Senator

|name = S. Natesan

|native_name = சு. நடேசன்

|native_name_lang = ta

|honorific-suffix = MSC MP

|image = S. Natesan.jpg

|imagesize =

|office1 = Minister of Posts and Information

|predecessor1 = V. Nalliah

|successor1 = C. A. S. Marikkar

|term_start1 = 1952

|term_end1 = 1956

|office2 = Member of the State Council of Ceylon
for Kankesanthurai

|predecessor2 =

|successor2 =

|term_start2 = 1934

|term_end2 = 1947

|constituency_MP3 = Kankesanthurai

|parliament3 = Ceylonese

|majority3 =

|term_start3 = 1952

|term_end3 = 1956

|predecessor3 = S. J. V. Chelvanayakam

|successor3 = S. J. V. Chelvanayakam

|office4 = Member of the Senate of Ceylon

|predecessor4 =

|successor4 =

|term_start4 =

|term_end4 =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1895|05|21|df=yes}}

|birth_place =

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|01|15|1895|05|21|df=yes}}

|death_place =

|citizenship =

|nationality =

|party =

|otherparty =

|spouse =

|partner =

|relations =

|children =

|residence =

|alma_mater =

|occupation =

|profession = Lawyer

|religion =

|website =

|footnotes =

|blank1 = Ethnicity

|data1 = Indian Tamil

}}

Subaiya Natesan ({{langx|ta|சுப்பையா நடேசன்}}; also known as Subbaiya Nadesapillai; 21 May 1895 – 15 January 1965) was a Ceylonese politician, Member of State Council, Member of Parliament and senator.

Early life and family

Natesan was born on 21 May 1895.{{cite journal|title=கலாநிதி சு.நடேசபிள்ளை அவர்கள்|journal=மில்க்வைற் செய்தி|date=1981|page=9|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF_1981.01}} He was the son of Subaiyapillai from Thanjavur, India.{{cite book|last=Arumugam|first=S.|title=Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Dictionary_of_Biography_of_the_Tamils_of_Ceylon|year=1997|page=118|author-link=S. Arumugam}}

Natesan married Sivagamasundari, daughter of P. Ramanathan, a leading Ceylon Tamil statesman.{{cite news|last1=Kanagisvaran|first1=Kanaganayagam|title=Reverting to the ideals of our forefathers|url=http://www.nation.lk/2008/01/13/special6.htm|work=The Nation (Sri Lanka)|date=13 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104445/http://www.nation.lk/2008/01/13/special6.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}

Career

Natesan moved to Ceylon after being invited by P. Ramanathan and in 1924 was appointed principal of Parameshwara College, Jaffna. He was also Ramanathan's private secretary.

Natesan stood as a candidate in Kankesanthurai at the 1934 state council by-elections. He won the election and entered State Council.{{cite book|last1=Dissanayake|first1=T. D. S. A.|author-link1=T. D. S. A. Dissanayake|title=War or Peace...|publisher=Ilankai Tamil Sangam|chapter=Chapter 1: Was early universal franchise a disaster?}} He was re-elected at the 1936 state council election.{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CI29Df03.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011224000734/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CI29Df03.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2001-12-24|chapter=Chapter 8: Pan Sinhalese board of ministers – A Sinhalese ploy}} He was one of the founding members of the United National Party (UNP) in 1946.{{cite news|title=Two political parties are formed|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070909/FunDay/heritage.html|work=The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)|date=9 September 2007}}{{cite news|title='Devolution of powers - a necessary pre-condition for solution to ethnic issue'|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2006/09/06/fea02.asp|work=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=6 September 2006}}

Natesan stood as the UNP's candidate in Kankesanthurai at the 1947 parliamentary elections but was defeated by the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) candidate S. J. V. Chelvanayakam.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1947%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115557/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1947%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24}}{{cite news|last1=Vivekananthan|first1=C. V.|title=27th death anniversary of S. J. V. Chelvanayakam|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/04/27/new20.html|work=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=27 April 2004}} However, he won the 1952 parliamentary elections and entered Parliament.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1952%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115603/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1952%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24}}{{cite news|last1=Kodituwakku|first1=Karunasena|title=Dudley Senanayake: Gentleman-politician and gentle leader|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2006/06/21/fea03.asp|work=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=21 June 2006}} He was appointed Minister of Posts and Information in the First Dudley Senanayake cabinet following the resignation of V. Nalliah.{{cite book|title=Ceylon Year Book 1951|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Ceylon|pages=27–28|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php/Ceylon_Year_Book_1951?uselang=en}}{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CK10Df03.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020103152932/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CK10Df03.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2002-01-03|chapter=Chapter 14: Post-colonial realignment of political forces}}{{cite news|last1=Vivekananthan|first1=C. V.|title=The Cabinet and Sri Lankan Tamils|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/172-opinion/41226-the-cabinet-and-sri-lankan-tamils.html|work=The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|date=6 January 2014}} He retained his cabinet position, which was renamed Minister of Posts and Broadcasting, when the Kotelawala cabinet was formed in 1953.{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CK17Df01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020208193722/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/CK17Df01.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2002-02-08|chapter=Chapter 15: Turbulence in any language}} Natesan resigned from the government on 19 January 1956 and, like many Tamil UNP politicians, left the UNP over its support of the Sinhala Only policy.{{cite news|title=The early cracks|url=http://www.island.lk/2005/10/22/features4.html|work=The Island (Sri Lanka)|date=22 October 2005}}{{cite news|last1=Markar|first1=Imthiaz Bakeer|title=35th Death Anniversary today: Dudley Senanayake - the all-time gentleman|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2008/04/13/fea01.asp|work=Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka)|date=13 April 2008}} He 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 S. J. V. Chelvanayakam.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1956%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115606/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1956%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24}}

Natesan later joined the ACTC, became its president and was appointed to the Senate of Ceylon. He was a member of the University College Council and Ceylon University Court. He was appointed to the National Education Commission in 1961.{{cite news|last1=Mettananda|first1=D. S.|title=Prof J E Jayasuriya: Educationist par excellence|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2011/02/12/fea01.asp|work=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=12 February 2011}} He was a Tamil scholar and historian - his works included The Northern Kingdom and Glimpses of the Early History of Jaffna. He was awarded an honorary D.Litt. degree by the University of Ceylon for his contribution to Tamil literature. He died on 15 January 1965.