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{{short description|20th and 21st-century Sri Lankan politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
|name = A. Chandranehru
|native_name = அ. சந்திரநேரு
|native_name_lang = ta
|honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
|image = A. Chandranehru.jpg
|imagesize =
|constituency_MP1 = [[Ampara Electoral District|Ampara District]]
|parliament1 = Sri Lankan
|majority1 =
|term_start1 = 2001
|term_end1 = 2004
|predecessor1 =
|successor1 =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1944|10|15|df=yes}}
|birth_place =
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2005|2|8|1944|10|15|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Colombo]], Sri Lanka
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party = [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]]
|otherparty = [[Tamil National Alliance]]
|spouse =
|partner =
|relations =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation = Merchant seaman
|profession =
|website =
|footnotes =
|blank1 = Ethnicity
|data1 = [[Sri Lankan Tamil]]
}}
'''Ariyanayagam Chandranehru''' ({{lang-ta|அரியநாயகம் சந்திரநேரு}}; 15 October 1944 – 8 February 2005) was a [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] merchant seaman, politician and Member of Parliament.

==Early life and family==
Chandranehru was born 15 October 1944.<ref>{{cite web|title=Directory of Members: Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru|url=http://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-past-members/viewMember/286|publisher=[[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]}}</ref> He was from [[Thirukkovil]] in south-eastern [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]].<ref name=SL130205>{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|authorlink1=D. B. S. Jeyaraj|title=Chandranehru: Patriotic son of the eastern soil|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20050213/issues.htm|work=[[The Sunday Leader]]|date=13 February 2005}}</ref> He was named after two leading [[Indian independence movement|Indian independence activists]] admired by his father – [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] and [[Jawaharlal Nehru]].<ref name=SL130205/>

Chandranehru was the son of K. A. W. Ariyanayagam (Arappor Ariyanayagam), one of the founders of the [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]] (Federal Party).<ref name=SL130205/> Ariyanayagam was a follower of the [[Gandhiyam]] way of life and took part in the non-violent [[civil rights]] protests by Tamils in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=SL130205/> Chandranehru took part in the [[satyagraha]]s of 1956 and 1961.<ref name=SL130205/> However, he, like many young Tamils, became disillusioned with non-violent protests and began to support [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|militant]] armed struggle.<ref name=SL130205/>

Chandranehru's family were protestant Christians and his brother Ruban was a Methodist pastor.<ref name=SL130205/> Chandranehru's son [[C. Chandrakanthan|Chandrakanthan]] is a former Member of Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chandrakanthan sworn in as TNA national list parliamentarian|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=19732|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=27 September 2006}}</ref>

==Career==
Chandranehru joined the public service, working at the fisheries department in [[Kalpitiya]].<ref name=SL130205/> He then started working as a [[Second Officer (nautical)|second officer]] on a Maldivian ship.<ref name=SL130205/> After six years he became [[Sea captain|captain]] of a ship.<ref name=SL130205/> In the mid 1980s, when he returned home for a holiday, he was arrested under the [[Prevention of Terrorism Act (Sri Lanka)|Prevention of Terrorism Act]] and detained at Boosa prison for more than a year.<ref name=SL130205/> This increased his support for achieving a [[Tamil Eelam|separate Tamil state]] through armed struggle.<ref name=SL130205/> In the late 1990s he gave up shipping, returned home to Thirukkovil and became a businessman, buying several shops.<ref name=SL130205/>

Chandranehru contested the [[2001 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2001 parliamentary election]] as one of the [[Tamil National Alliance]]'s (TNA) candidates in [[Ampara Electoral District|Ampara District]]. He was elected and entered [[Sri Lankan Parliament|Parliament]].<ref name=pe01>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf |title=General Election 2001 Preferences |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015155/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf |archivedate=2010-03-04 }}</ref> He failed to get re-elected at the [[2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2004 parliamentary election]] after coming second amongst the TNA candidates.<ref name=pe04>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015514/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-03-04 |title=General Election 2004 Preferences |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}</ref> Chandranehru and others founded NESOHR (North East Secretariat on Human Rights) on 9 July 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nehru, a fearless Human Rights campaigner- NESOHR|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14244|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=13 February 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=HR Group meets to finalize Charter|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=12576|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=1 August 2004}}</ref>

On the night of 7 February 2005 Chandranehru, along with several members of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE), were travelling from [[Polonnaruwa]] to [[Thirukkovil]] along the [[A11 highway (Sri Lanka)|Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa highway]] in a blue Toyota Dolphin van.<ref name=ST130205>{{cite news|last1=Kamalendran|first1=Chris|title=‘We have been hit by another tsunami’|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050213/news/17.html|work=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=13 February 2005}}</ref><ref name=BBC080205>{{cite news|title=Killing raises Sri Lanka war fear|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4245743.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|date=8 February 2005}}</ref><ref name=TN070205>{{cite news|title=Kousalyan killed in ambush|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14191|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=7 February 2005}}</ref> At around 7.45 pm, at Pillaiyaarady near Namalgama, 40 km north-west of Batticaloa and inside government controlled territory, their vehicle was overtaken by a white van, which had been following them, which then blocked the road.<ref name=ST130205/><ref name=BBC080205/><ref name=TN080205>{{cite news|title=Kousalyan's body released after 19-hour delay|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14197|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=8 February 2005}}</ref><ref name=SL200205>{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|authorlink1=D. B. S. Jeyaraj|title=Chandranehru: patriot of the east|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20050220/focus.htm|work=[[The Sunday Leader]]|date=20 February 2005}}</ref> Men dressed in military uniforms got out of the white van and ordered the occupants of Chandranehru's Dolphin van to get out.<ref name=TN080205/> The two police officers providing security for Chandranehru did not resist as the men were in military uniforms.<ref name=TN080205/> The men in military uniforms then started shooting at Chandranehru and his group. E. Kousalyan, the LTTE's political head for Batticaloa-Ampara District, and four other LTTE members (Nithimaran, Vinodhan, Kamalan and Kumanan) were killed.<ref name=BBC080205/><ref name=TN070205/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Warnakulasuriya|first1=Asanga|title=Former TULF member injured in ambush dies|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2005/02/09/securitylead.html|work=[[Daily News (Sri Lanka)]]|date=9 February 2005}}</ref> Chandranehru was seriously injured in the attack and was taken to hospital in [[Colombo National Hospital]] but the following day (8) he died of his injuries.<ref name=BBC080205/><ref name=TN070205/><ref>{{cite news|title=Wounded ex-TNA MP dies|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14194|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=8 February 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chandra Nehru succumbs to injuries|url=http://www.island.lk/2005/02/09/news18.html|work=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=9 February 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Lankan parliament in uproar amid Tamil MP protest|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Sri-Lankan-parliament-in-uproar-amid-Tamil-MP-protest/2005/02/09/1107890280748.html?from=moreStories|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=10 February 2005}}</ref> The attack took place close to several [[Sri Lanka Army]] camps including Namalgama, Ruwanpitiya, [[Welikanda]], [[Punanai]] and Kadwathmadu.<ref name=ST130205/><ref name=TN070205/><ref name=SL200205/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sambandan|first1=V. S.|title=Kousalyan's death rocks Parliament|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/02/10/stories/2005021001151100.htm|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=10 February 2005}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The assassination was blamed on the government backed [[Karuna Amman|Karuna]] paramilitary group and the Sri Lankan military.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jeyaraj|first=D. B. S.|title=Assassinating Tamil Parliamentarians: The unceasing waves|url=http://www.nation.lk/2008/03/16/newsfe1.htm|newspaper=[[The Nation (Sri Lanka)]]|date=16 March 2008|authorlink=D. B. S. Jeyaraj|access-date=20 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220083850/http://www.nation.lk/2008/03/16/newsfe1.htm|archive-date=20 February 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Tamil National Force, a [[Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal|TMVP]] (Karuna Group)/[[Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front|ENDLF]] front, claimed responsibility for the attack.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sambandan|first1=V. S.|title=Tamil National Force claims responsibility for Kousalyan's murder|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/02/11/stories/2005021114741500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117183209/http://www.thehindu.com/2005/02/11/stories/2005021114741500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 January 2016|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=11 February 2005}}</ref>

On 12 February 2005 the LTTE conferred the title [[Maamanithar]] (great human being) on Chandranehru.<ref name=SL200205/><ref>{{cite news|title=Pirapaharan honours slain TNA MP|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14239|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=12 February 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kamalendran|first=Chris|title=Army sentry points attacked in day of hartal, high drama|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050213/news/10.html|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=13 February 2005}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Electoral history of A. Chandranehru
! scope=col|Election
! scope=col|Constituency
! scope=col|Party
! scope=col|Votes
! scope=col|Result
|-
| [[2001 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2001 parliamentary]]<ref name=pe01/> || [[Ampara Electoral District|Ampara District]] || [[Tamil National Alliance|TNA]] || align=right|{{Nts|26282}} || '''Elected'''
|-
| [[2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2004 parliamentary]]<ref name=pe04/> || [[Ampara Electoral District|Ampara District]] || [[Tamil National Alliance|TNA]] || align=right|{{Nts|25572}} || Not elected
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandranehru, A.}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:Assassinated Sri Lankan politicians]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi politicians]]
[[Category:Maamanithar]]
[[Category:Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:People from Eastern Province, Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:People killed during the Sri Lankan Civil War]]
[[Category:People of British Ceylon]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Methodists]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil businesspeople]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan terrorism victims]]
[[Category:Tamil National Alliance politicians]]
[[Category:Tamil United Liberation Front politicians]]
[[Category:Terrorism deaths in Sri Lanka]]

A. Chandranehru - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 16:37, 20 April 2021