Somasundaram Senathirajah (Tamil: சோமசுந்தரம் சேனாதிராஜா; Sinhala: මාවෙයි සේනාධිරාජා; 27 October 1942 – 29 January 2025), commonly known as Mavai Senathirajah, was a Sri Lankan politician who was a Member of Parliament. He was the leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) from 2014 to 2024, the main constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). He spent much of his political career advocating for Tamil nationalism.

Early life

Senathirajah was born in Maviddapuram, Jaffna on 27 October 1942.[1][2][3] He was educated at Veemangamam School and Nadeswara College.[2] After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya as an external student and graduated with a bachelor's degree.[2]

Senathirajah got involved in the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism movement at a young age and took part in the 1961 satyagraha.[2] He joined the youth wing of Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the Tamil Youth League, in 1962.[2] He was secretary of the Eela Thamil Elanger Eyakam (Eelam Tamil Youth Movement) from 1966 to 1969.[2] He was arrested on several occasions between 1969 and 1983 and spent seven years imprisoned at eight different prisons.[2] He became secretary of the Tamil Youth Front, the youth wing the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), in 1972.[2]

Career

Senathirajah was one of the ENDLF/EPRLF/TELO/TULF alliance's candidates in Jaffna District at the 1989 parliamentary election but failed to get elected after coming 13th amongst the alliance candidates.[4][5] However, he entered Parliament in 1989 when he was appointed a National List Member of Parliament for the TULF, replacing A. Amirthalingam who had been assassinated on 13 July 1989.[6] He re-entered Parliament in 1999 as a National List Member of Parliament for the TULF following the assassination of Neelan Tiruchelvam on 29 July 1999.[6][7]

Senathirajah was one of the TULF's candidates in Jaffna District at the 2000 parliamentary election. He was elected and re-entered Parliament after gaining 10,965 votes.[8] On 20 October 2001, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and TULF formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).[9][10] Senathirajah contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament after gaining a tally of 33,831 votes.[11] He was re-elected at the 2004, 2010 and 2015 parliamentary elections.[12][13][14][15][16] He garnered a tally of 38,783 votes in 2004 general election. However, he had a slightly underwhelming numbers during the 2010 election with a count of 20,501 votes.[3] He was subsequently successful in the 2015 parliamentary election after securing 58,782 votes. He contested the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, but he failed to secure a parliamentary seat despite accumulating 20,358 votes.[3]

In 2013, Senathirajah caused a stir when he requested TNA party members to nominate him as the chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Northern Provincial Council Elections.[17][18] India strongly opposed the planned attempt to nominate Mavai Senathirajah as the chief ministerial candidate by TNA party for the 2013 Northern Provincial Council Elections considering his past history of having formed deep rooted friendship with members of the LTTE.[19] Senathirajah's decision to step into the candidacy baffled Sampanthan as he initially planned to nominate C. V. Vigneswaran for the chief minister position for the 2013 Northern Provincial Council Elections.[20][21]

Senathirajah was general-secretary of ITAK before being elected leader of ITAK on 6 September 2014.[17][22] Senathirajah marched on his way to dethrone the longstanding leader R. Sampanthan, as the latter held onto the party leadership position of ITAK fron 2004 to 2014 for nearly a decade. During those years when Sampanthan held onto the leadership position of ITAK, Senathirajah continued to serve in as the general secretary of the party.[17] Soon after he was elected as the party leader of ITAK, he assured and guaranteed that he would be an hardliner by formulating a 15-point plan of action to take the party forward for a foreseeable future.[17]

Senathirajah was one of a trio of MPs (the other two being R. Sampanthan and M. A. Sumanthiran) who led the TNA.[23][24] On 7 October 2024, Senathirajah voluntarily stepped down as the party leader of ITAK, amidst to rifts amongst party members during the lead-up to the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election.[25]

Death

Senathirajah was hospitalized and was admitted to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital after an accident at his residence.[26][27] On 29 January 2025, he died after a brief illness caused by the accident.[28] He died at the age of 82.[29]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Mavai Senathirajah
Election Constituency Party Votes Result
1989 parliamentary[5] Jaffna District TULF 2,820 Not elected
2000 parliamentary[8] Jaffna District TULF 10,965 Elected
2001 parliamentary[11] Jaffna District TNA 33,831 Elected
2004 parliamentary[12] Jaffna District TNA 38,783 Elected
2010 parliamentary[13] Jaffna District TNA 20,501 Elected
2015 parliamentary[30] Jaffna District TNA 58,782 Elected

References

  1. ^ "Directory of Members: Mavai S. Senathirajah". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h de Silva, W. P. P.; Ferdinando, T. C. L. 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka (PDF). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 306. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "தமிழரசு கட்சியின் முன்னாள் தலைவர் மாவை சேனாதிராஜா காலமானார் - தமிழ்வின்". Tamilwin (in Tamil). Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009.
  5. ^ a b de Silva, W. P. P.; Ferdinando, T. C. L. 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka (PDF). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 182. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015.
  6. ^ a b Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (20 November 2005). "Terror unleashed on Tiger supporters in North-East". Transcurrents. Archived from the original on 10 November 2009.
  7. ^ "Senathirajah - new TULF MP". The Island (Sri Lanka). 15 August 1999. Archived from the original on 1 October 2008.
  8. ^ a b "General Election 2000 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2010.
  9. ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. "Tamil National Alliance enters critical third phase - 1". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 4 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Tamil parties sign MOU". TamilNet. 20 October 2001. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  11. ^ a b "General Election 2001 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
  12. ^ a b "General Election 2004 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
  13. ^ a b "Parliamentary General Election - 2010 Jaffna Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2010.
  14. ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ACT, No. 1 OF 1981" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1928/03. 19 August 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Ranil tops with over 500,000 votes in Colombo". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 19 August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Preferential Votes". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 19 August 2015. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015.
  17. ^ a b c d "Mavai elected as ITAK's new leader". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 7 September 2014. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  18. ^ "NORTHERN Province CHIEF MINISTERial CANDIDATE STAKES IN THE TNA - DBS Jeyaraj Column | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  19. ^ "India rejects Mavai Senadiraja". Hiru News. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  20. ^ "Tussle Over Senathirajah Or Wigneswaran Is TNA's Chief Minister Candidate". Colombo Telegraph. 11 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  21. ^ Srinivasan, Meera (30 January 2025). "Sri Lanka's senior Tamil politician and ITAK veteran Mavai Senathirajah no more". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  22. ^ "Mavai replaces Sampanthan as ITAK leader". Tamil Guardian. 6 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  23. ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (27 July 2013). "Wigneswaran, Senathirajah and the Facade of TNA Unity". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  24. ^ Gammanpila, Udaya (4 August 2013). "TNA's majoritism in minority politics". Ceylon Today. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014.
  25. ^ "தமிழரசுக்கட்சியின் தலைவர் பதவியில் இருந்து மாவை சேனாதிராஜா விலகல் | 30 January 2025". 8 October 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  26. ^ "Former MP Mavai Senathirajah passes away". Daily FT. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  27. ^ "Mavai Senathirajah hospitalised - Breaking News". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  28. ^ "Senior Tamil politician Mavai Senathirajah passes away". Tamil Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  29. ^ "Former ITAK MP Mavai Senathirajah passes away". Daily Mirror. Sri Lanka. 29 January 2025. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  30. ^ Jayakody, Pradeep (28 August 2015). "The Comparison of Preferential Votes in 2015 & 2010". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 30 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mavai_Senathirajah
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