G. G. Ponnambalam

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Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam (8 November 1902 – 9 December 1977), known as G.G. Ponnambalam, was a Tamil politician in Ceylon, and then after independence, in Sri Lanka. He founded the first Tamil political party, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Ponnambalam stood for the principle of minority representation.

1 Personal history
2 Political philosophy
3 Political history
4 External links

[edit] Personal history

G.G. Ponnambalam’s parents were both from the northernmost part of the island, Jaffna District, his father Gangesar was a Postmaster from Alvai North, Point Pedro, and his mother was from Navali, Manippai. He received his undergraduate education at St. Joseph's College, Colombo, and proceeded on to Cambridge with an academic scholarship. There he passed the Natural Science Tripos and was also called to the Bar.

He was an outstanding criminal defense attorney. In the famous Ranjani taxi cab murder case, the first finger print case in Ceylon, he thoroughly demolished the testimony of Scotland Yard's Inspector Godsell on cross-examination.

After his last (1956) term in parliament, he migrated to Malaysia and practiced law there until his death on 9 December 1977.

The Sri Lankan Government honored him by issuing a commemoration postage stamp on 22 May 1986.

[edit] Political philosophy

Ponnambalam and his colleagues stood for the principle of minority representation of the Tamils. They believed that without it the minority Tamils would become second class citizens. For the opposing viewpoint see Solomon Bandaranaike. Ponnambalam asked for a 50% representation of Tamils in parliament even though the Tamils only constituted 20% of Sri Lanka. This was immediately rejected and rebuked by the British Governor General as a "mockery of democracy”.^{[citation needed]}