K. V. Nadarajah

Kanthapillai Velupillai Nadarajah (6 July 1905 – October 2000) was a leading Ceylon Tamil lawyer and Member of Parliament.

Hon.

Kanthapillai Velupillai Nadarajah
Member of the Ceylon Parliament
for Bandarawela
In office
1947–1952
Preceded byseat created
Succeeded byK. D. Sugathadasa
Personal details
Born(1905-07-06)6 July 1905
DiedOctober 2000
Political partyIndependent politician
Spouse(s)Gnanamany née Eliyatamby
ChildrenBala (son)
Alma materJaffna Central College
Parameshwara College
Ceylon University College
Professionlawyer, politician
EthnicityCeylon Tamil

Early life and family

Nadarajah was born on 6 July 1905.[1] He was the son of K. Velupillai and Atchikuddy.[1] Nadarajah was educated at Jaffna Central College and Parameshwara College, Jaffna.[1] After school he joined Ceylon University College.[1] He then entered Colombo Law College, qualifying as a proctor.

Nadarajah married Gnanamani, daughter of P. S. Eliyatamby.[1] They had a son (Bala).[1]

Career

Nadarajah started practising law in Badulla in 1930.[1] He continued practising in Uva Province for 54 years.[1]

Nadarajah was a member of Badulla Urban Council for more than ten years.[1] He contested the 1947 parliamentary election as an independent candidate in Bandarawela and was elected to Parliament.[2][3]

Nadarajah was president of the Badulla Saiva Paripalana Sangam and managing trustee of the Kathir-velauthar Swami Temple in Badulla.[1] He was the founder of first Tamil school in Uva and served as the manager of Badualla Saraswathi Minor and Maha Vidayalam for 30 years.[1]

Later life

Nadarajah's family home in Pingarawa was burnt to the ground during the Black July anti-Tamil riots of 1983.[3] Nadarajah fled to Colombo with assistance of J. C. T. Kotelawala, the former MP for Badulla.[3]

References
  1. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. pp. 109–110.
  2. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015.
  3. Abeyesekera, Kirthie (29 October 2000). "Former Badulla MP K.V. Nadarajah passes away". The Island (Sri Lanka).
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