P. Chandrasekaran

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Hon.
P. Chandrasekaran
Periyasamy Chandrasekaran.jpg
Member of Parliament
for Nuwara Eliya
In office
1994–2010
Succeeded bySanthanam Arulsamy
Member of the Central Provincial Council
In office
1993–1994
Personal details
Born(1957-04-17)17 April 1957
Talawakelle, Ceylon
Died1 January 2010(2010-01-01) (aged 52)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Political partyUp-Country People's Front
Other political
affiliations		United People's Freedom Alliance
OccupationTrade unionist

Periyasamy Chandrasekaran (Tamil: பெரியசாமி சந்திரசேகரன்; 17 April 1957 – 1 January 2010) was a Sri Lankan trade unionist, politician and government minister.

Early life and family[]

Chandrasekaran was born on 17 April 1957 in Talawakelle in central Ceylon.[1][2] He was educated at Sumana Demala Maha Vidyalayam, Talawakelle, St. Patrick's Vidyalayam, Talawakelle and Highlands College, Hatton.[2][3][4] Following the death of his father he gave up his education to support his family.[5]

Chandrasekaran was married Shanthini Devi.[4] They had two daughters.[4]

Career[]

Chandrasekaran became interested in politics at a young age and wrote articles in Tamil newspapers.[2] He joined the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), becoming its vice-president in 1977.[3][5] He was elected to the Talawakele Lindula Urban Council in 1982, Nuwara Eliya District Development Council in 1985 and Nuwara Eliya Divisional Council in 1987.[1][3] He left the CWC in 1989 and formed the Up-Country People's Front (UCPF).[3][5]

Chandrasekaran was one of the Democratic People's Liberation Front's (DPLF) candidates in Nuwara Eliya District at the 1989 parliamentary election but the DPLF failed to win any seats in Parliament.[6][7] He was arrested in 1990.[1] The draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act was used to arrest him 1993.[2] He was elected to the Central Provincial Council whilst in custody.[1][3]

Chandrasekaran was one of the UCPF's candidates for Nuwara Eliya District at the 1994 parliamentary election. He was elected and entered Parliament.[8] He was re-elected at the 2000, 2001 and 2004 parliamentary elections.[9][10][11]

After being elected to Parliament in 1994 he supported the new People's Alliance government.[1] He held several ministerial appointments thereafter: Deputy Minister of Trade and Commerce (1994); Deputy Minister of Estate Housing (1994–99); Project Minister of Estate Infrastructure (2001); Minister of Community Development; Deputy Minister of Irrigation and Water Management (2001–04); and Minister of Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication (2007–10).[2][3]

Chandrasekaran was a diabetic but drank whiskey which resulted in him suffering alcohol-related illnesses.[12] He was receiving treatment from Northwick Park Hospital and St Mark's Hospital in the UK.[12] Doctors had recommended that he stops drinking and after 4–6 months undergo liver transplant.[12] According to his wife Chandrasekaran didn't follow the medical advice.[12]

Chandrasekaran, who was at his home in Rajagiriya, failed to wake up on the morning of 1 January 2010.[12] He was taken to the private Nawaloka Hospital where he was pronounced dead on admission.[12][13] An autopsy revealed he had died of alcoholic cirrhosis.[12]

Electoral history[]

Electoral history of P. Chandrasekaran
Election Constituency Party Alliance Votes Result
1989 parliamentary[7] Nuwara Eliya UCPF DPLF 1,364 Not elected
1993 provincial Elected
1994 parliamentary[8] Nuwara Eliya UCPF Ind 23,453 Elected
2000 parliamentary[9] Nuwara Eliya UCPF UNP 54,681 Elected
2001 parliamentary[10] Nuwara Eliya UCPF UNF 121,421 Elected
2004 parliamentary[11] Nuwara Eliya UCPF 42,582 Elected

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Directory of Members: P. Chandrasekaran". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Chandrasekaran funeral to take place Monday". TamilNet. 3 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Minister's funeral on Monday". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 3 January 2010.
  4. ^ a b c "Parliament condoles Chandrasekeran: Chandrasekeran a great statesman". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 11 February 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Chandrasekeran's funeral tomorrow". The Nation (Sri Lanka). 3 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009.
  7. ^ a b de Silva, W. P. P.; Ferdinando, T. C. L. 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka (PDF). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 175. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1994" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2010.
  9. ^ a b "General Election 2000 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2010.
  10. ^ a b "General Election 2001 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.[dead link]
  11. ^ a b "General Election 2004 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.[dead link]
  12. ^ a b c d e f g de Silva, Jayantha (3 January 2010). "Autopsy reveals Minister Chandrasekaran died of alcoholic cirrhosis". Sunday Island (Sri Lanka).
  13. ^ "UPF leader Chandrasekaran dies of heart attack". TamilNet. 1 January 2010.
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