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{{Short description|20th-century Sri Lankan Tamil politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
|name = V. Dharmalingam
|native_name = வி. தர்மலிங்கம் <br /> විශ්වනාදර් ධර්මලිංගම්
|native_name_lang = ta
|honorific-suffix =
|image = V. Dharmalingam.jpg
|imagesize =
|constituency_MP1 = [[Uduvil Electoral District|Uduvil]] / [[Manipay Electoral District|Manipay]]
|parliament1 = Ceylonese
|majority1 =
|term_start1 = 1960
|term_end1 = 1983
|predecessor1 =
|successor1 =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|02|05|df=yes}}
|birth_place =
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|09|02|1918|02|05|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Thavady]], [[Sri Lanka]]
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party = [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]]
|otherparty = [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]
|spouse =
|partner =
|relations =
|children = D. Siddhartan
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession =
|website =
|footnotes =
|blank1 = Ethnicity
|data1 = [[Sri Lankan Tamil people|Sri Lankan Tamil]]
}}
'''Visvanathan Dharmalingam''' ({{lang-ta|விஸ்வநாதர் தர்மலிங்கம்}}; 5 February 1918 – 2 September 1985) was a [[Sri Lankan Tamil people|Sri Lankan Tamil]] politician and [[Member of Parliament]].

==Early life and family==
Dharmalingam was born on 5 February 1918.<ref>{{cite web|title=Directory of Past Members: Dharmalingam, Viswanathar|url=http://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-past-members/viewMember/2190|publisher=[[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]}}</ref><ref name=Sanagam241010>{{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> He was educated at [[Skandavarodaya College]], [[Chunnakam]], and [[St Patrick's College, Jaffna]].<ref name=Sanagam241010/> He later entered [[Ceylon Law College]] but gave up his legal studies to enter politics.<ref name=Sanagam241010/>

Dharmalingam's son [[D. Siddarthan|Siddhartan]] is the leader of the [[People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam]] (POLTE), pro-government paramilitary group and political party.<ref name=Sanagam241010/><ref name=Rajasingham33>{{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>

==Career==
Dharmalingam was elected to Uduvil Village Council in 1944, later becoming its chairman.<ref name=Sanagam241010/><ref name=Rajasingham33/> Although a leftist he joined the [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]] (Federal Party).<ref name=Sanagam241010/><ref name=Rajasingham33/> He stood as the ITAK candidate in [[Uduvil Electoral District|Uduvil]] at the [[March 1960 Ceylonese parliamentary election|March 1960 parliamentary election]]. He won the election and entered [[Parliament of Ceylon|Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1960_03_19%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1960-03-19|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2013-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712194326/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1960_03_19%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-07-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was re-elected at the [[July 1960 Ceylonese parliamentary election|July 1960]], [[1965 Ceylonese parliamentary election|March 1965]] and [[1970 Ceylonese parliamentary election|May 1970]] parliamentary elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1960_07_20%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1960-07-20|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2013-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115611/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1960_07_20%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}</ref><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|access-date=2013-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713003440/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1965%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2015-07-13|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1970%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2010-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209231958/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1970%20GENERAL%20ELECTION.PDF|archive-date=2009-12-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Dharmalingam played a leading role in the 1961 satyagraha campaign organised by ITAK.<ref name=Sangam2>{{cite web|last1=Sri Kantha|first1=Sachi|author-link1=Sachi Sri Kantha|title=Satyagraha of February 1961 in Eelam|url=http://sangam.org/2011/02/Satyagraha_1961.php?uid=4252|publisher=Ilankai Tamil Sangam|date=20 February 2011}}</ref> Early on the morning of 20 February 1961 a group of 55 to 75 persons staged a satyagraha at the Jaffna [[Kachcheri]] in [[Old Park]].<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj>{{cite web|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|author-link1=|title=Satyagraha receives "Baptism of fire" on first day|url=http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/2012|publisher=dbsjeyaraj.com|date=6 March 2011}}</ref> Among them were ITAK MPs [[A. Amirthalingam]], [[S. J. V. Chelvanayakam]], Dharmalingam, [[V. A. Kandiah]], [[E. M. V. Naganathan]], [[V. N. Navaratnam]] and [[K. Thurairatnam]].<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> A large group of policemen arrived in riot gear, wearing helmets and carrying batons and shields.<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> The police started removing the protesters by lifting and carrying them away.<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> Those who resisted were dragged away.<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> Later, as [[Government Agent (Sri Lanka)|Government Agent]] [[M. Srikantha]] and Superintendent of Police Richard Arndt tried to leave Old Park in a jeep the protesters blocked their way.<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> The police reacted with brutality, beating he protesters with batons and pulled them out bodily.<ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> Palaniyappan, a young man who had thrown himself in front of the jeep was pulled away by the police and beaten severely with batons.<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> Five ITAK MPs were amongst the protesters blocking the jeep. Kandiah was carried out and dumped on the ground, Dharmalingam and Thurairatnam were dragged out by their hands and legs whilst Amirthalingam and Naganathan were baton charged.<ref name=Sangam2/><ref name=dbsjeyaraj/> The police also baton charged a crowd of around 5,000 who had gathered to watch the satyagraha.<ref name=dbsjeyaraj/>

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> Dharmalingam was the TULF's candidate in Manipay (the new name of the Uduvil electoral district) 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|title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2013-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717002624/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF|archive-date=2011-07-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dharmalingam 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, Dharmalingam forfeited his seat in Parliament on 8 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>

===Assassination===
On the night of 2/3 September 1985 two men went to the house of [[M. Alalasundaram]], former MP for [[Kopay Electoral District|Kopay]], at Kalliyankadu, [[Nallur (Jaffna)|Nallur]] and kidnapped him at gun point.<ref name=Rajasingham33/> They took Alalasundaram in a car and drove to [[Uduvil]] where Dharmalingam was attending a wedding. The men then kidnapped Dharmalingam as well.<ref name=Rajasingham33/> 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=Rajasingham33/><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> Dharmalingam's body was found at a cemetery in [[Thavady]], [[Manipay]], with a bullet wound in the forehead.<ref name=Rajasingham33/><ref name=TT/>

No one claimed responsibility for the assassinations.<ref name=TT/> Dharmalingam's son Siddhartan, who is a member of the PLOTE militant group, blamed one of the members of [[Eelam National Liberation Front]] for the assassinations (PLOTE wasn't a member of ENLF).<ref name=Rajasingham33/> 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=Sanagam241010/><ref name=Rajasingham33/><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=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 the military 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|access-date=8 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831143059/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2014/08/31/sec100.pdf|archive-date=31 August 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</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><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|access-date=8 March 2015|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|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Members of the 4th Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of the 5th Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of the 6th Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of the 7th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dharmalingam, V.}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of St. Patrick's College, Jaffna]]
[[Category:Assassinated Sri Lankan politicians]]
[[Category:Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi politicians]]
[[Category:Local authority councillors of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 4th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 5th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[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:Sri Lankan Hindus]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan terrorism victims]]
[[Category:Tamil United Liberation Front politicians]]
[[Category:Terrorism deaths in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Research and Analysis Wing]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force]]

V. Dharmalingam - Revision history

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