imported>Neils51 at 21:36, 31 August 2021

2021-08-31T21:36:22Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
|name = K. P. Ratnam
|native_name = கா. பொ. இரத்தினம்
|native_name_lang = ta
|honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
|image = K P Ratnam.jpg
|imagesize =
|constituency_MP1 = [[Kilinochchi Electoral District|Kilinochchi]]
|parliament1 = Ceylonese
|majority1 =
|term_start1 = 1965
|term_end1 = 1970
|predecessor1 = [[A. Sivasunderam]]
|successor1 = [[V. Anandasangaree]]
|constituency_MP2 = [[Kayts Electoral District|Kayts]]
|parliament2 = Ceylonese
|majority2 =
|term_start2 = 1970
|term_end2 = 1983
|predecessor2 = [[V. Navaratnam]]
|successor2 =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|03|10|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Velanai]], [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|12|20|1914|03|10|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka]]
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party = [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]]
|otherparty = [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]
|spouse =
|partner =
|relations =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater = [[University of London]]<br />[[University of Madras]]
|occupation =
|profession = Academic
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Kaarthigesar Ponnambalam Ratnam''' ({{lang-ta|கார்த்திகேசு பொன்னம்பலம் இரத்தினம்}}; 10 March 1914 – 20 December 2010) was a [[Sri Lankan Tamil people|Sri Lankan Tamil]] academic, politician and [[Member of Parliament]].

==Early life and family==
Ratnam was born on 10 March 1914 in [[Velanai]] on the island of [[Kayts]] in northern [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]].<ref name=Arumugam>{{cite book|last=Arumugam|first=S.|title=Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon|url=http://www.noolaham.org/wiki/index.php?title=Dictionary_of_Biography_of_the_Tamils_of_Ceylon|year=1997|page=164|author-link=S. Arumugam}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Directory of Past Members: Ratnam, Kathigesar Ponnambalam|url=http://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-past-members/viewMember/2608|publisher=[[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]}}</ref> He was educated at Velanai Anglo-Vernacular School and [[Union College, Tellippalai]].<ref name=Sangam>{{cite web|last1=Sri Kantha|first1=Sachi|author-link1=Sachi Sri Kantha|title=Tamil Pundit Kartigesu Ponnambalam Ratnam (1914-2010)|url=http://sangam.org/2011/01/KP_Ratnam.php?uid=4190|publisher=Ilankai Tamil Sangam|date=3 January 2011}}</ref> He excelled in [[Tamil language]] and [[Tamil literature]] at school.<ref name=Arumugam/> He became a [[Pandit|pundit]] in 1933 and [[vidvan]] in 1942.<ref name=Arumugam/>

Ratnam was awarded [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] ([[Honours degree|Hons]]) degree from the [[University of London]] in 1945.<ref name=Arumugam/><ref name=TN221210>{{cite news|title=Veteran Tamil scholar, politician Kaa. Po. Ratnam passes away|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33262|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=22 December 2010}}</ref> He later received a Bachelor of Oriental Languages degree and [[Master of Arts|MA]] (1952) degree from the [[University of Madras]].<ref name=Arumugam/><ref name=TN221210/>

Ratnam married Sinthamany, daughter of P. Vaitilingam.<ref name=Arumugam/> They had a son - S. Nimalan.<ref name=Arumugam/>

==Career==
Ratnam joined the teaching profession and served as headmaster of the Moolai Senior Secondary School between 1934 and 1940.<ref name=Sangam/> He became assistant master at Kopay Teacher Training College in 1941.<ref name=Arumugam/> In 1942 he was appointed Inspector of Schools.<ref name=Sangam/> Between 1943 and 1956 he was a lecturer in Tamil at Maharagama Training College.<ref name=Sangam/> Later he spent eight years as a research officer in the Official Languages Department in [[Colombo]].<ref name=Arumugam/><ref name=TN221210/> He was a visiting lecturer at Navalar Hall, Colombo from 1958 to 1963.<ref name=Sangam/> He then joined the [[University of Malaya]] in 1964 as lecturer in Indian Studies.<ref name=Arumugam/>

After retirement Ratnam entered politics.<ref name=Arumugam/> He stood as the [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]] (Federal Party)'s candidate in [[Kilinochchi Electoral District|Kilinochchi]] at the [[1965 Ceylonese parliamentary election|1965 parliamentary election]]. He won the election and entered [[Parliament of Ceylon|Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1965%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF |title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965 |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713003440/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1965%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF |archive-date=2015-07-13 }}</ref> He stood ITAK's candidate in [[Kayts Electoral District|Kayts]] at the [[1970 Ceylonese parliamentary election|1970 parliamentary election]]. He won the election and re-entered Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1970%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209231958/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1970%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-12-09 |title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970 |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}</ref>

On 14 May 1972 the ITAK, [[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]], [[Ceylon Workers' Congress]], Eelath Thamilar Otrumai Munnani and All Ceylon Tamil Conference formed the [[Tamil United Front]], later renamed [[Tamil United Liberation Front]] (TULF).<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Ross|editor1-first=Russell R.|editor2-last=Savada|editor2-first=Andrea Matles|title=Sri Lanka : A Country Study|date=1990|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|page=51|url=http://cdn.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/sr/srilankacountrys00ross/srilankacountrys00ross.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Chattopadhyaya|first1=Haraprasad|title=Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations|date=1994|publisher=M. D. Publications|isbn=81-85880-52-2|page=33|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MRU6QKPBTFQC}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Amarasinghe|first1=Samanga|title=Independence to Referendum|date=2011|publisher=Lulu Enterprises|isbn=978-1-105-01908-1|page=188|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iV6AAwAAQBAJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DA19Df06.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020213084644/http://atimes.com/ind-pak/DA19Df06.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2002-02-13|chapter=Chapter 23: Srimavo's constitutional promiscuity}}</ref> On 21 May 1976 Ratnam was delivering leaflets along with other leading Tamil politicians ([[A. Amirthalingam]], [[V. N. Navaratnam]], [[M. Sivasithamparam]] and [[K. Thurairatnam]]) when they were all arrested on government orders.<ref name=SL090602>{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|author-link1=D. B. S. Jeyaraj|title=Life and times of Sivasithamparam|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20020609/issues.htm|work=[[The Sunday Leader]]|date=9 June 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Rajasingham |first1=K. T. |title=Amirthalingham Era – A book review |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2005/08/26/amirthalingham-era-%E2%80%93-book-review |work=[[Asian Tribune]] |date=26 August 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327120243/http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2005/08/26/amirthalingham-era-%E2%80%93-book-review |archive-date=27 March 2016 }}</ref> Sivasithamparam was released but the others were taken to Colombo and tried for [[sedition]].<ref name=SL090602/> All the defendants were acquitted on 10 February 1977 after a famous trial at bar case in which around 70 leading Tamil lawyers, including S. J. V. Chelvanayakam and [[G. G. Ponnambalam]], acted for the defence.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sumanthiran|first1=M. A.|author-link1=M. A. Sumanthiran|title=13A: To be or not ...|url=http://www.ceylontoday.lk/78-15546-news-detail-13a-to-be-or-not-.html|work=[[Ceylon Today]]|date=28 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329181215/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/78-15546-news-detail-13a-to-be-or-not-.html|archive-date=29 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DA26Df04.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020213090010/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DA26Df04.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2002-02-13|chapter=Chapter 24: Tamil militancy - a manifestation}}</ref>

Ratnam was the TULF's candidate in Kayts at the [[1977 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|1977 parliamentary election]] and was re-elected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717002624/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-17 |title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977 |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}</ref> Ratnam and all other TULF MPs boycotted Parliament from the middle of 1983 for a number of reasons: they were under pressure from [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|Sri Lankan Tamil militants]] not to stay in Parliament beyond their normal six-year term; the Sixth Amendment to the [[Constitution of Sri Lanka]] required them to swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a [[Tamil Eelam|separate state]]; and the [[Black July]] riots in which up to 3,000 Tamils were killed by [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] mobs. After three months of absence, Ratnam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 October 1983.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wickramasinghe|first=Wimal|title=Saga of crossovers, expulsions and resignations etc. Referendum for {{sic|exten|tion|nolink=y}} of Parliament|url=http://www.island.lk/2008/01/18/features11.html|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=18 January 2008}}</ref>

==Later life==
Ratnam was president of Colombo Tamil Sangam (1958–61), Ulaka Tamil Marai Kallakam and editor of the ''Tamil World'' (1965).<ref name=Arumugam/><ref name=Sangam/> He was also a vice-president of the TULF.<ref name=Arumugam/> He represented the All Ceylon Tamil Writers’ Association at the Asian Writers’ Conference held in 1957 in New Delhi; attended the 25th International Congress of Orientalists held in Moscow in 1960; and the 26th Congress of Orientalists held in New Delhi in 1964.<ref name=Sangam/> He has written more than 12 books and contributed numerous articles on literary and cultural topics.<ref name=Sangam/>

Ratnam moved to [[India]] in 1985.<ref name=TN221210/> He returned to [[Sri Lanka]] in 2003 and lived with his children in [[Wellawatte]], [[Colombo]].<ref name=TN221210/> He died on 20 December 2010 at his home in Colonbo.<ref name=TN221210/><ref>{{cite news|title=Obituaries|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/12/21/main_Obituaries.asp|newspaper=[[Daily News (Sri Lanka)]]|date=21 December 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225025128/http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/12/21/main_Obituaries.asp|archive-date=25 December 2010}}</ref>

==Works==
* ''Thavaram Illai'' (1948)
* ''Ilankayil Inpath Tamil'' (1956)
* ''Nootandugalil Tamil'' (1961)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Members of 6th Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of 7th Parliament of Ceylon}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratnam, K. P.}}
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Malaya]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of London]]
[[Category:Alumni of Union College, Tellippalai]]
[[Category:Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the 6th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 7th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:People from Northern Province, Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:People of British Ceylon]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Hindus]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil academics]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil teachers]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil writers]]
[[Category:Tamil United Liberation Front politicians]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]

K. P. Ratnam - Revision history

imported>Neils51 at 21:36, 31 August 2021