S. Singaravelu
{{Short description|Malaysian Indologist and lawyer (1936–2020)}}
{{Infobox academic|honorific_prefix=professor Dr|name=S Singaravelu|birth_name=Singaravelu Sachithanantham|birth_date=22 December 1936|death_date={{death date and age |2020|1|13 |1936|12|22 |df=yes}}|birth_place=Thopputhurai, Chennai, India|death_place=Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia|discipline=Indology|notable_works=The Ramayana Tradition in South-East Asia, The Social Life of the Tamils, Thirukkural Trilingual|title=Professor Emeritus|education=University of Madras, University of Malaya in Singapore (B.A.)
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (M.A.) (PhD)
University of London (L.L.B.)|occupation=Indologist and lawyer|alma_mater=University of London}}
Singaravelu Sachithanantham (22 December 1936 – 13 January 2020) was a Malaysian Indologist and lawyer. He was Professor Emeritus at the University of Malaya.{{Cite web|title=Remembering 'appa' {{!}} The Star|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2020/02/02/remembering-appa|access-date=2020-12-04|website=www.thestar.com.my}}
Early life and education
Singaravelu Sachithanantham was born in Thopputhurai, Chennai in India on 22 December 1936. He obtained three Bachelor of Arts degrees: his first in Economics, History and Tamil from the University of Madras in 1957; his second in Economics, History and Indian Studies from the University of Malaya (Singapore) in 1959, and his third in Indian Studies (First Class Honours) from the University of Malaya in 1960. He received his M.A. and PhD in 1965 and 1981 respectively, both from University of Malaya.
Career
After retiring from full time academia, he pursued a legal career as an Advocate and Solicitor in the Malaysian High Courts, having obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Honours degree as an external candidate at the University of London in 1989 and called to the Bar on 24 November 1995.
Singaravelu was professor of Indian Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University Malaya from 1980,{{Cite news|title=Singaravelu appointed as Professor|work=Tamil Nesan|url=http://commonrepo.um.edu.my/5364/|access-date=28 September 2020}} becoming Professor Emeritus from 2004.{{cite web|last1=Indaramalar|first1=S|date=19 September 2004|title=University Malaya honours its dons|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2004/09/19/um-honours-its-dons|accessdate=28 September 2020|website=The Star}} He wrote extensively about Indian, Tamil and South-East Asian culture, and served as Head of Department of Indian Studies, University Malaya between 1969 and 1984.{{Cite book|title=Malam Terbilang Bersama Professor Emeritus Dr. S. Singaravelu|publisher=University Malaya|year=2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iB3VwAEACAAJ}} His notable works include The Ramayana Tradition in South-East Asia,{{cite book|last1=Sachithanantham|first1=Singaravelu|url=https://penangbookshelf.com/pd-the-ramayana-tradition-in-southeast-asia---singaravelu-sachithanantham.cfm|title=The Ramayana Tradition in Southeast Asia|date=2004|publisher=University of Malaya Press|isbn=9789831002346|location=Kuala Lumpur}} The Social Life of the Tamils{{cite journal|last1=Marr|first1=J R|date=1967|title=S. Singaravelu: Social life of the Tamils: the classical period.|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/s-singaravelu-social-life-of-the-tamils-the-classical-period-university-of-malaya-department-of-indian-studies-monograph-series-vii-214-pp-kuala-lumpur-department-of-indian-studies-university-of-malaya-1966-m10/5FF585CAFAD0EB7099C9D63F8B8F7A2E#|journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies|volume=30|issue=3|pages=712–713|doi=10.1017/S0041977X00132392|s2cid=162916065 }} and Thirukkural Trilingual{{cite book|last1=Sachithanatham|first1=Singaravelu|title=Thirukkural Trilingual|date=2013|publisher=Uma Publications|isbn=9789674340216|location=Kuala Lumpur|oclc=865465701}} (a classic Indian text translated into English and Malay). He was one of the first lecturers in University Malaya to teach Indian Studies courses in Bahasa Malaysia (the Malay language) in addition to the requisite Tamil and English, which enabled a wider stream of students to pursue courses such as Tamil Culture and Civilisation in Malaysia's national language. Under the guidance of his mentor Professor Xavier Thaninayagam, he began researching links between Indian culture and South East Asia. His Ph.D. thesis on the Ramayana Tradition compared in detail the original literary Ramayana of Valmiki version in Sanskrit with the later Tamil version of Kambaramayanam, the Malay literary version Hikayat Seri Rama and the Thai Ramakien of King Rama I.
Death
Singaravelu died on 13 January 2020 at his home in Petaling Jaya, Selangor at the age of 83.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-23|title=In Memoriam – Schorlarly Singaravelu is an unmatched Legend|url=https://malaysiaindru.my/180786|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Malaysiakini|language=ta-IN}}
Honours
He was made a Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia in 1991.{{cite web |title=National Honours List 1991 |url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/1991.pdf |website=Malaysian Honours |accessdate=10 August 2020}}{{cite web |title=Previous Years Honours |url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/content/article/11-info/44-senarai-penerima-darjah-kebesaran-bintang-dan-pingat-persekutuan-tahun-tahun-terdahulu |website=Malaysian Honours Database |accessdate=10 August 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sachithanantham, Singaravelu}}