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{{Short description|20th-century Sri Lankan Tamil teacher and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
|name = M. Alalasundaram
|native_name = மு. ஆலாலசுந்தரம்
|native_name_lang = ta
|honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
|image =
|imagesize =
|constituency_MP1 = [[Kopay Electoral District|Kopay]]
|parliament1 = Sri Lankan
|majority1 =
|term_start1 = 1981
|term_end1 = 1984
|predecessor1 = [[S. Kathiravelupillai]]
|successor1 =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date = {{Death date|1985|09|02|df=yes}}
|death_place = Kalliyankadu, [[Nallur (Jaffna)|Nallur]], [[Sri Lanka]]
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party = [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]]
|otherparty = [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]
|spouse =
|partner =
|relations =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession = Teacher
|religion =
|website =
|footnotes =
|blank1 = Ethnicity
|data1 = [[Sri Lankan Tamil people|Sri Lankan Tamil]]
}}
'''Arumugam Murugesu Alalasundaram''' ({{lang-ta|முருகேசு ஆலாலசுந்தரம்}}) was a [[Sri Lankan Tamil people|Sri Lankan Tamil]] teacher, politician and [[Member of Parliament]].

==Early life==
Alalasundaram was from Nayanmarkaddu near [[Nallur (Jaffna)|Nallur]] 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=2|author-link=S. Arumugam}}</ref> He studied in [[Madras]] and after graduation became a teacher.<ref name=Arumugam/>

==Career==
Alalasundaram stood as the [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]]'s (Federal Party) candidate in [[Kilinochchi Electoral District|Kilinochchi]] at the [[1970 Ceylonese parliamentary election|1970 parliamentary election]] but was defeated by the [[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]] (ACTC) candidate [[V. Anandasangaree]].<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, ACTC, [[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>

In March 1981 [[S. Kathiravelupillai]], the TULF MP for [[Kopay Electoral District|Kopay]], died and Alalasundaram was nominated by the TULF as his replacement. Alalasundaram entered [[Parliament of Sri Lanka|Parliament]] after being sworn in on 23 July 1981.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DB16Df06.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020622185747/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DB16Df06.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2002-06-22|chapter=Chapter 27: Horsewhip Amirthalingham}}</ref> Alalasundaram 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 murdered by [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] mobs. After three months of absence, Alalasundaram forfeited his seat in Parliament on 5 January 1984.<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>

Many leading Tamil politicians fled to Madras but Alalasundaram was one of the few who remained in Sri Lanka. He stayed at his house near Nallur documenting the growing violence.<ref name=TT>{{cite journal|title=Two TULF former MPs killed - thousands protest|journal=[[Tamil Times]]|date=September 1985|volume=IV|issue=11|page=6|url=http://noolaham.net/project/32/3142/3142.pdf|issn=0266-4488}}</ref> On 22 February 1983 Alalasundaram was shot and injured after a heated argument with three or four pro-LTTE youths at his house.<ref>{{cite journal|title=TULF MP Shot and Injured|journal=[[Tamil Times]]|date=March 1983|volume=II|issue=5|page=9|url=http://noolaham.net/project/32/3114/3114.pdf}}</ref>

===Assassination===
On the night of 2/3 September 1985 two men went to the house of Alalasundaram at Kalliyankadu, Nallur and kidnapped him at gun point.<ref name=Rajasingham>{{cite book|last=Rajasingham|first=K. T.|title=Sri Lanka: The Untold Story|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DC30Df04.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020407114337/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DC30Df04.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2002-04-07|chapter=Chapter 33: India shows its hand}}</ref> They took Alalasundaram in a car and drove to [[Uduvil]] where [[V. Dharmalingam]], former MP for [[Manipay Electoral District|Manipay]], was attending a wedding. The men then kidnapped Dharmalingam as well.<ref name=Rajasingham/> The next day Alalasundaram's body was found in a scrub jungle near his home at Kalliyankadu with bullet wounds in the chest and arm.<ref name=TT/><ref name=Rajasingham/> Dharmalingam's body was found at a cemetery in [[Thavady]], [[Manipay]], with a bullet wound in the forehead.<ref name=TT/><ref name=Rajasingham/>

No one claimed responsibility for the assassinations.<ref name=TT/> Dharmalingam's son Siddhartan, who is a member of the [[People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam]] militant group, blamed one of the members of [[Eelam National Liberation Front]] for the assassinations (PLOTE wasn't a member of ENLF).<ref name=Rajasingham/> It is widely believed that the murders were carried out by [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization]] (TELO), an Indian backed militant group, on the orders of the [[Research and Analysis Wing]], the Indian intelligence agency.<ref name=Rajasingham/><ref>{{cite news|last=Ferdinando|first=Shamindra|title=Political killings: from S.W.R.D to DM|url=http://www.island.lk/2008/01/21/features1.html|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=21 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sri Kantha|first=Sachi|author-link1=Sachi Sri Kantha|title=Remembering Visvanather Dharmalingam|url=http://www.sangam.org/2010/10/Dharmalingam.php?uid=4103|publisher=Illankai Tamil Sangam|date=24 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sri Kantha|first=Sachi|author-link1=Sachi Sri Kantha|title=More on Visvanather Dharmalingam, Amirthalingam and RAW’s Invisible Hand|url=http://www.sangam.org/2010/11/More_V_Dharmalingam.php?uid=4131|publisher=Illankai Tamil Sangam|date=29 November 2010}}</ref> Alalasundaram was close to the TELO and a relative of its leader [[Sri Sabaratnam]].<ref name=TN160308>{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|author-link1=|title=Assassinating Tamil Parliamentarians: The unceasing waves|url=http://www.nation.lk/2008/03/16/newsfe1.htm|work=[[The Nation (Sri Lanka)]]|date=16 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220083850/http://www.nation.lk/2008/03/16/newsfe1.htm|archive-date=20 February 2014}}</ref> It is believed that TELO chose to murder Alalasundaram at the same time as Dharmalingam so as to avoid suspicion.<ref name=TN160308/> According to Siddhartan and K. T. Rajasingham the TELO assassins had been led by Bobby but others claim that it was Das.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ferdinando|first1=Shamindra|title=War on terror revisited - Part 144: High profile killings after Thimpu fiasco|url=http://pdfs.island.lk/defence/20130612_144.html|work=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=12 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bobby recruiting Tamil youths in Tamil Nadu for a para-milit|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/bobby-recruiting-tamil-youths-tamil-nadu-para-milit|work=[[Asian Tribune]]|date=2 September 2005}}</ref>

However, the [[Sri Lankan government]] and other [[Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism|Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists]] have repeatedly blamed the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE) for the assassinations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Atrocities by LTTE terrorists|url=http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2014/08/31/sec100.pdf|work=[[Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka)]]|date=31 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831143059/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2014/08/31/sec100.pdf|archive-date=31 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The trail of terror|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090524/News/sundaytimesnews_27.html|work=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=24 May 2009}}</ref> As recently as 2013 the [[Sri Lankan military]] was blaming the LTTE for the assassinations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tamil Politicians - Priests - Public Officials and Academics killed by the LTTE|url=http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Tamil_Politicians_Priests_Public_Officials_and_Academics_killed_by_the_LTTE_20131103_01|publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)]]|date=11 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404210628/http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Tamil_Politicians_Priests_Public_Officials_and_Academics_killed_by_the_LTTE_20131103_01|archive-date=4 April 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alalasundaram, M.}}
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:Assassinated Sri Lankan politicians]]
[[Category:Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:People from Northern Province, Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil teachers]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan terrorism victims]]
[[Category:Tamil United Liberation Front politicians]]
[[Category:Terrorism deaths in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:Research and Analysis Wing]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force]]

M. Alalasundaram - Revision history

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