S. R. Kanaganayagam

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Senator
S. R. Kanaganayagam
எஸ். ஆர். கனகநாயகம்
S. R. Kanaganayagam.jpg
Member of the Senate of Ceylon
In office
1949–1957
Personal details
Born(1904-05-16)16 May 1904
Died15 May 1989(1989-05-15) (aged 84)
Sydney, Australia
Political partyAll Ceylon Tamil Congress
Alma materHindu English School
Victoria College, Chulipuram
Jaffna College
Ceylon University College
ProfessionLawyer
EthnicityCeylon Tamil

Suppiah Ratnasingham Kanaganayagam (16 May 1904 – 15 May 1989) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer and member of the Senate of Ceylon.

Early life and family[]

Kanaganayagam was born on 16 May 1904.[1][2] He was from Sangarathai in northern Ceylon.[1] Kanaganayagam was educated at Hindu English School, Vaddukoddai, Victoria College, Chulipuram and Jaffna College.[1] He played football for the college.[1] After school he joined Ceylon University College, graduating with an arts degree.[1] He then entered Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate.[1]

Kanaganayagam married Satiammah, daughter of Selvaduari.[1] They had a daughter (Savitri Devi) and two sons (Kanag-Isvaran and Maheswaran).[1]

Career[]

Kanaganayagam was called to the bar on 10 April 1933.[2] He practised law at the Jaffna Bar.[1]

Kanaganayagam was a member of the Jaffna Youth Congress, Jaffna Association and Tamil Association.[1] He joined the United National Party (UNP) in 1947 and was appointed to the Senate of Ceylon in 1949.[1][2] He left the UNP because of its support for the Sinhala Only Act.[1] He joined the All Ceylon Tamil Congress and served as president of its Jaffna branch until his death.[1]

Kanaganayagam was awarded the Smith Mundt Scholarship in 1953 and studied in the USA.[2]

Kanaganayagam was a director and vice president of the Hindu Board of Education.[1]

Later life[]

Kanaganayagam was heavily involved with the Hindu orphanage in Thirunelveli.[1] He was a member of the senate of the University of Jaffna.[1]

The civil war caused Kanaganayagam to move from Jaffna to his birth town of Sangarathai in 1984.[1] He later moved to Australia to live with his daughter.[1][2] He died on 15 May 1989 in Sydney.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. pp. 67–68.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tharmarajah, K. M. (14 May 2004). "Advocate S.R. Kanaganayagam: A legal luminary well-known for sound interpretation, wit and humour". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 19 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Classified Ads" (PDF). Tamil Times. VIII (7): 22. June 1989. ISSN 0266-4488.

External links[]

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