List of Sri Lankan Tamils

This is a list of notable Tamils of Sri Lanka by their country of domicile or origin. All communities that speak (or spoke) Tamil and originally came from Sri Lanka are included. Tamils of Sri Lanka today are a trans-national minority and are found across the globe.

Sri Lanka

Academics

Activists

Actors and directors

Sri Lankan international and first class cricketers, umpires, and administrators

Other athletes and sports people

Authors, writers, poets and artists

Business people

  • Ken Balendra - Sri Lankan corporate leader and executive; holds and has held many corporate positions in Sri Lanka and the region
  • Chandran Rutnam - filmmaker and owner of Lionair
  • Suresh Joachim- is well known as the co-founder of WBBAS, No Poverty No Disease No War, World Peace Marathon and Suresh Joachim International Group Of Companies.

Diplomats

  • Yogendra Duraiswamy - first batch of Ceylon Overseas Service, 1949
  • Tamara Kunanayakam - Sri Lankan Ambassador to Cuba (2008-2009); Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva

Historical figures

Tamil historical figures who ruled the Sinhalese kingdom

Journalists and broadcasters

Lawyers and judges

Militants and rebels

Military

  • Air Vice Marshal P.B. Premachandra - former Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force
  • Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan - former Deputy Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Air Force and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence
  • Major General Y. Balaretnarajah, Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama, National Defence College, India, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps - Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Army (1992-1992)
  • Rear Admiral Rajan Kadiragamar, Royal Victorian Order, Royal Ceylon Navy - former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
  • Air Vice Marshal A. Kumaresan, Rana Sura Padakkama, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Psc (British Army), Sri Lanka Air Force - current Director of Planning, Sri Lanka Air Force
  • Major General Anton Muttukumaru, OBE, Efficiency Decoration; Aide-de-camp, Ceylon Light Infantry; first Ceylonese Commander of the Sri Lanka Army
  • Vice Admiral Travis Sinniah, Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya, Rana Wickrama Padakkama, Rana Sura Padakkama, Uttama Seva Padakkama, ndu - 21st Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, veteran of attack flotilla
  • Major General E. G. Thevanayagam, Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya - Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (1984–1986)
  • Major General Chelliah Thurairaja, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps - former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
  • Colonel David Rockwood, KStJ, ED, JP - Deputy Commandant of the Volunteer Force

Politicians

Religious figures

Australia

Activists

Business people

  • Maha Sinnathamby - property developer; the man behind Australia's largest real estate project; frequently listed in BRW's annual list of the 200 richest Australians

Singers

  • Kamahl (Kandiah Kamalesvaran) - singer
  • Dhee (Dheekshitha Venkadeshan) - singer

Canada

Academics

Actors and directors

Athletes and sports people

Authors, writers, poets and musicians

Business people

  • Roy Ratnavel - Business executive and the author of the book Prisoner #1056.

Politicians

India

Actors and directors

Authors, writers, poets and artists

  • V. Kanakasabhai - lawyer, historian and Dravidologist of Sri Lankan Tamil descent

Politicians

Athletes

Malaysia

Academics

Athletes and sports people

Authors, writers, poets and artists

  • Rani Manicka - writer
  • Manicasothy Saravanamuttu - editor of The Straits Echo in Malaya (1931–1941); credited with 'saving' Penang during Japanese invasion in 1941; author of The Sara Saga

Business people

  • Vijay Eswaran - Group MD; CEO of the QI Group of companies
  • Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam - executive chairman of Westport; ranked 29th in the 2007 Forbes Asia List of the 40 Richest Malaysians
  • Ananda Krishnan - Malaysia's richest man and 62nd Richest Man in the world according to the 2009 Forbes Billionaire List
  • Bastianpillai Paul Nicholas - the first non-British businessman who endeavoured to become one of the top bankers in the then Malaya

Civil servants

Politicians

Singapore

Academics

  • Philip Jeyaretnam - professor of law; member of Public Service Commission
  • Shan Ratnam - former Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the National University of Singapore

Authors, writers, poets and artists

Civil servants

Politicians

United Kingdom

Academics

Activists

Actors/actresses

  • Amara Karan, British actress, whose parents moved to the UK from Zambia for work.

Athletes and sports people

Comedians

Musicians and singers

  • Arjun - recording artist, born to a Tamil father
  • M.I.A. (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) - British rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer
  • Siva Kaneswaran - member of the English-Irish boy band The Wanted, born to a Tamil father
  • Ashan Pillai- British violist and professor

Journalists and broadcasters

Politicians

United States

Academics

Business people

Musicians and singers

Politicians

See also

References

  1. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy: From Geology to philosophia perennis
  2. Kunarasa, K. The Jaffna Dynasty, pp.82-84
  3. Gnanaprakasar, S. A critical history of Jaffna, pp.113-117
  4. Abeysinghe, T. Jaffna Under the Portuguese, pp.58-63
  5. Gnanaprakasar, S. A critical history of Jaffna, pp.153-172
  6. Army, Sri Lanka (October 1999). Sri Lanka Army, "50 YEARS ON" - 1949-1999 (1st ed.). Colombo: Sri Lanka Army. ISBN 955-8089-02-8.
  7. Film Collection – National Film Board of Canada – Blood and Water
    • "Sivarasa Wins!". Archived from the original on 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
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