V. Kumaraswamy
{{Short description|Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament}}
{{About|the Ceylon Tamil politician and Member of Parliament|the Ceylon Tamil civil servant and diplomat|V. Coomaraswamy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = Hon.
|name = V. Kumaraswamy
|native_name = வே. குமாரசுவாமி
|native_name_lang = ta
|honorific-suffix = MP
|image =
|imagesize =
|constituency_MP = Chavakachcheri
|parliament = Ceylonese
|majority =
|term_start1 = 1947
|term_end1 = 1956
|predecessor1 =
|successor1 = V. N. Navaratnam
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1919|07|31|df=yes}}
|birth_place =
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1978|03|10|1919|07|31}}
|death_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party =
|otherparty =
|spouse =
|partner =
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|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater = Ceylon Law College
|occupation =
|profession = Lawyer
|religion =
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|footnotes =
|blank1 = Ethnicity
|data1 = Ceylon Tamil
}}
Velupillai Kumaraswamy ({{langx|ta|வேலுப்பிள்ளை குமாரசுவாமி}}; 31 July 1919 – 10 March 1978){{cite news |title=குமாரசாமி காலமானார் |url=http://noolaham.net/project/352/35105/35105.pdf |access-date=29 May 2020 |work=Eelanadu |date=11 March 1978 |location=Jaffna, Sri Lanka}} was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament.
Early life and family
Kumaraswamy was born on 31 July 1919.{{cite web|title=Directory of Past Members: Kumaraswamy, Velupillai|url=http://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-past-members/viewMember/2433|publisher=Parliament of Sri Lanka}} He was the son of Velupillai, a proctor from Chavakachcheri in northern Ceylon.{{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=90}} After school Kumaraswamy joined Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate.
Kumaraswamy had a son (Vaheeswaran) and a daughter (Dushyanti).
Career
Whilst still studying law, Kumaraswamy stood as the All Ceylon Tamil Congress's (ACTC) candidate in Chavakachcheri at the 1947 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament.{{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|access-date=2016-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115557/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1947%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}} Kumaraswamy became a Parliamentary Secretary after the ACTC joined the United National Party dominated government in 1948.{{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}}
Kumaraswamy was re-elected at the 1952 parliamentary election.{{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|access-date=2013-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115603/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1952%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}} The ACTC left the UNP government in 1953 but Kumaraswamy chose to remain with the UNP.{{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}} Kumaraswamy left the UNP in 1956 over the party's support of the Sinhala Only Act.
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.{{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|access-date=2013-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115606/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1956%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1960_03_19%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1960-03-19|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2013-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712194326/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1960_03_19%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-07-12|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1970%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2010-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209231958/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1970%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2009-12-09|url-status=dead}} He contested the 1977 parliamentary election as an independent candidate but was again defeated by Navaratnam.{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2013-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717002624/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF|archive-date=2011-07-17|url-status=dead}}
Kumaraswamy practised law in Colombo.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumaraswamy, V.}}
Category:All Ceylon Tamil Congress politicians
Category:Alumni of Ceylon Law College
Category:Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon
Category:Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon
Category:Parliamentary secretaries of Ceylon
Category:People from Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Category:People from British Ceylon