COLOMBO – Veteran Sri Lankan Tamil leader Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, who dedicated his political life to pursuing a just solution to Sri Lanka’s Tamil question, passed away in Colombo late on Sunday (June 30). He was 91.
He had reportedly been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo at the time of his death.
Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and sitting MP from the eastern Trincomalee district, was the Leader of the Opposition between 2015 and 2018.
A parliamentarian for nearly half a century, continuously from 2001 till his death in 2024, Sampanthan was a bold and relentless voice in the House. Since the end of the civil war in 2009, he tirelessly demanded equal rights for Tamils, within a ‘united, undivided, indivisible’ country.
Trained as a lawyer, he based his arguments for a political solution on Sri Lanka’s constitutional history and the many promises that the southern Sinhalese establishment made in the past but failed to keep.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran took to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to express their condolences on the veteran politician’s passing.
“We announce with deep regret the passing of Hon. R Sampanthan, Leader of the TNA and MP for Trincomalee a little while ago. Funeral arrangements will be notified later,” Sumanthiran announced via the TNA media unit.
“My deepest condolences on the passing of TNA Leader R. Sampanthan. He was an old friend and colleague and we shared many a day discussing various issues. His demise is a loss to Sri Lanka political fraternity and may his family & friends overcome this sad loss,” the SLPP leader posted on ‘X’.
Former Army Commander Fonseka expressing his condolences said Sampanthan’s loss would be greatly felt.
-ENCL
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.