Karuppiah Thondaiman Soumiyamoorthy. Ceylon. (1913 –1999)
Born in Thirupathoor of Pudukkottai District of Tamil Nadu in 1913, Saumiyamoorthy Thondaiman came to Ceylon in 1924 at the age of 11. His father had migrated to Ceylon as a kangany (Supervisor) and through hard work and enterprise; he became the owner of an estate. He became a planter and so did many members of his extended family. In 1940 he entered politics as Chairman of the Reception Committee of the Gampola Branch of the Ceylon Indian Congress. He led his people through thick and thin for nearly six decades.
The Ceylon Indian Congress led by Thondaiman secured 8 seats in the first Parliament out of a total of 101. Thondaiman was elected from the Nuwara Eliya seat. Upcountry Tamil votes influenced 12 other electorates in favour of the left parties. In 1950, the name of Ceylon Indian Congress was changed to Ceylon Workers Congress and it became a powerful force as it controlled a large and strong trade union. This was done as the nomenclature ‘Indian’ was misleading and mischievous. He was the elected member of the International labour organization of the United Nations the Post which he held till his death.
In 1960 and 1965 Thondaiman was appointed Member of Parliament to represent the stateless Tamils as they had been earlier disenfranchised. Constitutionally, it was possible to appoint members from unrepresented peoples. When the number of Tamils registered as citizens increased, their influence in elections was felt. In 1971, after 30 years, he again won an election through Tamil votes in Nuwara Eliya. In 1978 he was appointed as cabinet minister of Rural Industries. From then on, he invariably held a ministerial post till his death. He used his ministerial position to uplift the economic position of the estate people and to regain lost rights. In 1994 the CWC secured nine seats in Parliament and became a force to reckon with.
Thondaiman used his political and ministerial position to win back some of the rights of his oppressed people. They were successful in extracting their civic rights. Wages were also increased due to trade union action. Thondaiman succeeded because he was a master strategist and used his cabinet position to obtain concessions. He used the strength of the CWC trade unions to pressurize the government and estate employers. He used the Tamil vote bank in local, parliamentary and presidential elections. He used the voting power of the CWC in Parliament to influence the formation of governments. He came to be regarded as king maker, much to the chagrin of die-hard Sinhalese leaders. In 1988 the government passed an Act to grant citizenship to Upcountry Tamils, who had been rendered stateless, after their mass deportation under the infamous Srimavo-Shastri Pact.
Thondaiman died at the age of 86 in 1999, while he was still a cabinet minister. He was given a well-attended state funeral, perhaps the only Tamil to be given such a honors. Over a hundred thousand people attended his funeral. Saumiyamoorthy Thondaiman was a dynamic leader of the Upcountry Tamils and was invariably labelled an uncrowned king.
The Ceylon Indian Congress led by Thondaiman secured 8 seats in the first Parliament out of a total of 101. Thondaiman was elected from the Nuwara Eliya seat. Upcountry Tamil votes influenced 12 other electorates in favour of the left parties. In 1950, the name of Ceylon Indian Congress was changed to Ceylon Workers Congress and it became a powerful force as it controlled a large and strong trade union. This was done as the nomenclature ‘Indian’ was misleading and mischievous. He was the elected member of the International labour organization of the United Nations the Post which he held till his death.
In 1960 and 1965 Thondaiman was appointed Member of Parliament to represent the stateless Tamils as they had been earlier disenfranchised. Constitutionally, it was possible to appoint members from unrepresented peoples. When the number of Tamils registered as citizens increased, their influence in elections was felt. In 1971, after 30 years, he again won an election through Tamil votes in Nuwara Eliya. In 1978 he was appointed as cabinet minister of Rural Industries. From then on, he invariably held a ministerial post till his death. He used his ministerial position to uplift the economic position of the estate people and to regain lost rights. In 1994 the CWC secured nine seats in Parliament and became a force to reckon with.
Thondaiman used his political and ministerial position to win back some of the rights of his oppressed people. They were successful in extracting their civic rights. Wages were also increased due to trade union action. Thondaiman succeeded because he was a master strategist and used his cabinet position to obtain concessions. He used the strength of the CWC trade unions to pressurize the government and estate employers. He used the Tamil vote bank in local, parliamentary and presidential elections. He used the voting power of the CWC in Parliament to influence the formation of governments. He came to be regarded as king maker, much to the chagrin of die-hard Sinhalese leaders. In 1988 the government passed an Act to grant citizenship to Upcountry Tamils, who had been rendered stateless, after their mass deportation under the infamous Srimavo-Shastri Pact.
Thondaiman died at the age of 86 in 1999, while he was still a cabinet minister. He was given a well-attended state funeral, perhaps the only Tamil to be given such a honors. Over a hundred thousand people attended his funeral. Saumiyamoorthy Thondaiman was a dynamic leader of the Upcountry Tamils and was invariably labelled an uncrowned king.
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