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List of Sri Lankan Tamils

(Redirected from List of prominent Sri Lanka 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.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Sri Lanka

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Academics

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Activists

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Actors and directors

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

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Other athletes and sports people

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Authors, writers, poets and artists

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Business people

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  • 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

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  • 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

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Tamil historical figures who ruled the Sinhalese kingdom

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Journalists and broadcasters

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Lawyers and judges

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Militants and rebels

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Military

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  • 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

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Religious figures

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Australia

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Activists

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Business people

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  • 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

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

Sportspeople

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Canada

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Academics

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Actors and directors

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Athletes and sports people

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Authors, writers, poets and musicians

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Business people

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

Politicians

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India

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Actors and directors

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Authors, writers, poets and artists

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

Politicians

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Athletes

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Malaysia

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Academics

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Athletes and sports people

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Authors, writers, poets and artists

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  • 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

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  • 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

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Politicians

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Singapore

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Academics

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  • 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

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Civil servants

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Politicians

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United Kingdom

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Academics

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Activists

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Actors/actresses

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

Athletes and sports people

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Comedians

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Musicians and singers

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  • 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

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Politicians

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United States

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Academics

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Authors, writers, poets and artists

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Business people

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Musicians and singers

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Politicians

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Appreciations:He died seeing the Jaffna library burn". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 1 June 1997. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "37 years on - remembering the burning of the Jaffna Public Library". Tamil Guardian. 31 May 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Ananda K. Coomaraswamy: From Geology to philosophia perennis
  4. ^ Kunarasa, K. The Jaffna Dynasty, pp.82-84
  5. ^ Gnanaprakasar, S. A critical history of Jaffna, pp.113-117
  6. ^ Abeysinghe, T. Jaffna Under the Portuguese, pp.58-63
  7. ^ Gnanaprakasar, S. A critical history of Jaffna, pp.153-172
  8. ^ Army, Sri Lanka (October 1999). Sri Lanka Army, "50 YEARS ON" - 1949-1999 (1st ed.). Colombo: Sri Lanka Army. ISBN 955-8089-02-8.
  9. ^ Film Collection – National Film Board of Canada – Blood and Water
  10. ^ "Sivarasa Wins!". Archived from the original on 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
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