View source for V. Anandasangaree

{{Short description|Sri Lankan Tamil politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Tamil name|Veerasingham|Anandasangaree}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
| name                = V. Anandasangaree
| honorific-suffix    = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
| image               = 
| office              = Leader, [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]
| term_start          = 2002
| term_end            = 
| predecessor         = [[M. Sivasithamparam]]
| successor           = 
| office2             = President, [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]
| term_start2         = 2002
| term_end2           = 
| predecessor2        = 
| successor2          = [[M. Sivasithamparam]]
| constituency_MP3    = [[Kilinochchi Electoral District|Kilinochchi]]
| parliament3         = Ceylonese
| majority3           = 
| predecessor3        = [[K. P. Ratnam]], [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi|ITAK]]
| successor3          = 
| term_start3         = 1970
| term_end3           = 1983
| constituency_MP4    = [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]]
| parliament4         = Sri Lankan
| majority4           = 
| predecessor4        = 
| successor4          = 
| term_start4         = 2000
| term_end4           = 2004
| birth_name          = Veerasingham Anandasangaree
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1933|6|15}}
| birth_place         = [[Point Pedro]], [[British Ceylon]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| citizenship         = 
| nationality         = [[Sri Lanka]]n
| party               = [[Tamil United Liberation Front]] (since 1972)
| otherparty          = [[Lanka Sama Samaja Party]] (1955–1966)<br/>[[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]] (1966–1972)
| spouse              = 
| partner             = 
| relations           = 
| children            = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = [[Hartley College]]<br />[[Zahira College, Colombo|Zahira College]]
| occupation          = 
| profession          = Lawyer, teacher
| blank1              = 
| data1               = 
| signature           = 
| footnotes           = 
}}
'''Veerasingham Anandasangaree''' ({{langx|ta|வீரசிங்கம் ஆனந்தசங்கரி}}; born 15 June 1933) is a [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] politician, former [[Member of Parliament]] and leader of the [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]. He is commonly known as '''Sangaree'''.<ref>D.B.S. Jeyaraj. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120707012042/http://transcurrents.com/tc/2008/06/post_1.html "Last TULF Leader Standing: Sangaree at Seventy Five."]}} TransCurrents.com. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.</ref> A vocal critic of violence committed by all sides, Sangaree is a supporter of [[federalism]] similar to that of India as a solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict.<ref>{{cite news|title=Only a federal solution in Sri Lanka: Anandasangaree|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/02/25/stories/2005022506371200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310235445/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/02/25/stories/2005022506371200.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=10 March 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=25 February 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Reddy|first=B. Muralidhar|title=Anandasangaree for a political solution within united Sri Lanka|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/13/stories/2007091359551400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070916213756/http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/13/stories/2007091359551400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 September 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 September 2007}}</ref>

==Early life==
Sangaree was born 15 June 1933 in [[Point Pedro]] to Sangarapillai Veerasingham, the principal of Sri Somaskanda College [[Puttur, Sri Lanka|Puttur]], and Ratnamma from [[Thumpalai]] near Point Pedro. He grew up in [[Achchuveli]]. He had six brothers and two sisters. He was educated at Sri Somaskanda College Puttur, Christian College Atchuvely Achchuveli, [[Hartley College]] and [[Zahira College, Colombo]]. Between 1953 and 1959 he taught at [[Jaffna Hindu College]], Poonakari M.M.V., Christ the King College [[Ja-Ela]] and Sri Kotalawelapura G.T.M.S. [[Ratmalana]]. He later studied at [[Colombo Law College]]. After graduation in 1967 he joined the legal profession, becoming an [[attorney at law]].

Sangaree's elder brother Rajasangaree, chairman of Chavakachcheri Citizens’ Committee, was murdered by the pro-Indian [[Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front]] on 26 October 1987 after Rajasangaree complained about abuses being committed by the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]]. Sangaree's younger brother Ganeshasangaree was murdered by the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] on 10 February 1988 after Ganeshasangaree criticised the Tigers in public. When two of Ganeshasangaree's sons complained about their father's killing they were taken away by the Tigers and never seen again. [[G. Yogasangari]], the son of Sangaree's brother Ganeshasangaree, was an EPRLF Member of Parliament. Yogasangaree, EPRLF leader [[K. Pathmanabha]] and others were assassinated by the Tigers on 19 June 1990 in [[Kodambakkam, Chennai|Kodambakkam]], India. Sayanuja, the daughter of Sangaree's brother Parathasangaree, was killed in the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|Tavistock Square bus bombing]] on 7 July 2005. Sangaree's son, [[Gary Anandasangaree|Gary]], is a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament.

==Political career==
{{Tone|section|date=September 2024}}
Sangaree became interested in politics at an early age and in 1955 joined the [[Lanka Sama Samaja Party]], the leading leftist party in [[Ceylon]] at that time. He was the LSSP's candidate for Kotahena South Ward at the 1959 [[Colombo Municipal Council]] election against the incumbent mayor [[V. A. Sugathadasa]] but failed to get elected. He was persuaded to stand as the LSSP candidate in [[Kilinochchi Electoral District|Kilinochchi]] at the [[March 1960 Ceylonese parliamentary election|March 1960 parliamentary election]] even though he had no connection to the area. He lost.<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 stood again at the [[July 1960 Ceylonese parliamentary election|July 1960]] and [[1965 Ceylonese parliamentary election|1965]] parliamentary elections but was again defeated on each occasion.<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>

The [[Sri Lanka leftist parties|leftist parties of Ceylon]], who had in the past argued for parity between the [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] languages, abandoned their beliefs in the late 1960s. They allied themselves with the [[Communalism (South Asia)|communal]] [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]], who had made Sinhala the [[Sinhala Only Act|sole official language of Ceylon]], and opposed the reasonable use of Tamil proposed by the [[Dudley-Chelvanayakam Pact]] signed by the [[United National Party]] [[Prime Minister of Ceylon|Prime Minister]] [[Dudley Senanayake]]. The leftist parties adopted the racist slogan ''"Dudleyge bade masala vadai"'' - translation "there is masala vadai in Dudley's belly" ([[Vada (food)#Varieties|masala vadai]] is a Tamil delicacy). Sangaree, like many other Tamil leftists, became disillusioned with the leftist parties. Sangaree left the LSSP in 1966.

Sangaree was chairman of Karaichi Village Council between 1965 and 1968. He joined the [[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]] (ACTC) in May 1966. Karaichi Village Council was promoted town council in 1968. Sangaree was elected to Kilinochchi Town Council in 1968 and became its first chairman. Sangaree became the president of the ACTC's Youth Front in 1970. He stood as the ACTC candidate in Kilinochchi at the [[1970 Ceylonese parliamentary election|1970 parliamentary election]]. He won the election and entered [[Parliament of Ceylon|Parliament]].<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>

In 1972 the ACTC, [[Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi]] and others formed the [[Tamil United Front]] (later renamed [[Tamil United Liberation Front]]). Sangaree was the TULF's candidate for Kilinochchi at the [[1977 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|1977 parliamentary election]] which he won.<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> Sangaree 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, Sangaree forfeited his seat in Parliament on 22 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|access-date=23 July 2011|archive-date=17 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617063609/http://www.island.lk/2008/01/18/features11.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> His refusal to take the oath under the Sixth Amendment also barred him from practising as a lawyer.

Sangaree and his family, like many families of leading Tamil politicians, fled to [[Madras]] (now Chennai), [[Tamil Nadu]]. After the signing of the [[Indo-Sri Lanka Accord]] in 1987 Sangaree returned to Sri Lanka. He was one of the TULF's candidates in [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] at the [[1989 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|1989 parliamentary election]] but failed to get elected. He was elected senior vice president of the TULF in 1993. He was one of the TULF's candidates in [[Vanni Electoral District|Vanni District]] at the [[1994 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|1994 parliamentary election]] but again failed to get elected.

Sangaree was a TULF candidate for [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] at the [[2000 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2000 parliamentary election]]. He was elected and re-entered [[Sri Lankan Parliament|Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2000GE.PDF|title=General Election 2000 Preferences|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2013-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826002922/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2000GE.PDF|archive-date=2010-08-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2001 the TULF, ACTC, [[Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front]] and [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization]] formed the [[Tamil National Alliance]] (TNA). Sangaree was one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District at the [[2001 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2001 parliamentary election]]. He was re-elected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf|title=General Election 2001 Preferences|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|access-date=2015-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115735/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sangaree was elected leader and president of the TULF in June 2002 following the death of [[M. Sivasithamparam]].<ref>{{cite news|title=New TNA national list MP from Muttur east|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7115|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=23 June 2002}}</ref>

Soon after its formation the TNA began to make a more pro-[[Tamil Tiger]] stance, recognising the Tigers as the sole representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils. This caused a split within the TULF. Some members of the TULF, led by its president Sangaree, were opposed to the Tigers. A long legal battle ensued for control of the TULF. Sangaree refused to allow the TNA to use the TULF name during the [[2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2004 parliamentary election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=11340|title=Objection against TNA using HOUSE symbol rejected|date=28 February 2004|publisher=[[TamilNet]]|access-date=28 February 2010}}</ref> This caused the members of TULF who wished to remain with the TNA, led by [[R. Sampanthan]], to resurrect the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi political party. The TNA contested the 2004 parliamentary election under the [[Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi|ITAK]] symbol. The legal battle over the control of TULF meant that the TULF and Sangaree had to contest the 2004 parliamentary election as an [[Independent (politician)|independent group]]. The group failed to win any seats.

Sangaree eventually won full control of the TULF but most of its leading members had already left the party and it had lost most of its political support. Sangaree had been a vocal critic of the government sponsored paramilitary groups. Following the dismal showing of the rump TULF in elections, Sangaree abandoned his beliefs and joined forces with two paramilitary groups ([[People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam]] and [[Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front]] (Padmanaba wing)) to form the Democratic Tamil National Alliance. This new alliance contested provincial and local elections but with little success though Sangaree was elected to [[Jaffna Municipal Council]] at the [[2009 Sri Lankan local government elections|2009 local elections]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remdiyas gets highest number of preferential votes in JMC election |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29967 |date=9 August 2009 |publisher=[[TamilNet]] |access-date=19 August 2009}}</ref> Sangaree did another volte-face in 2011, joining force with the TNA to contest the [[2011 Sri Lankan local government elections|2011 local elections]]. Due to old age and irrelevance of his brand of politics, Sangaree's activities had remained dormant since then.

==UNESCO award==
Sangaree was awarded the 2006 [[UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize|UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence]].<ref>{{cite web|title=V. Anandasangaree, winner of the 2006 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence|url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=34669&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|date=12 September 2006}}</ref><ref name=msp-2009>{{cite web|title=UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence (2009)|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001858/185859e.pdf|publisher=UNESCO|year=2009}}</ref> The UNESCO statement said "As an indefatigable advocate of democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, he has contributed to raising awareness of the Tamil cause in a spirit of dialogue, while seeking to promote non-violent solutions to Sri Lanka and opposing terrorism".<ref>{{cite news|title=Anandasangaree wins UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/14/stories/2006091408891200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313142317/http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/14/stories/2006091408891200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 March 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=14 September 2006}}</ref> Sangaree collected his $100,000 prize at a ceremony held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, on 16 November 2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=D. B. S. Jeyaraj|author-link=|title=* Home Anandasangaree honoured as UNESCO Laureate in France|url=http://transcurrents.com/tamiliana/archives/227|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012210729/http://transcurrents.com/tamiliana/archives/227|url-status=usurped|archive-date=12 October 2007|publisher=Transcurrents|date=18 November 2006}}</ref>

==References==
* {{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|pages=7–8}}
* {{cite news|last=D. B. S. Jeyaraj|author-link=|title=Last TULF Leader standing: Sangaree at 75|url=http://www.nation.lk/2008/06/15/newsfe2.htm|newspaper=The Nation, Sri Lanka|date=15 June 2008}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official|anandasangary.com}}
*{{cite news|title=Tamil leader Anandasangaree wants Indian model of devolution in Sri Lanka|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/Tamil-leader-Anandasangaree-wants-Indian-model-of-devolution-in-Sri-Lanka/article11057289.ece|date=4 October 2014|via=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]]|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}
*{{cite news|title=LTTE prevents TULF Prez from campaigning in Jaffna|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/ltte-prevents-tulf-prez-from-campaigning-in-jaffna/story-g9A2DxFB76SgQ0eo6MqvUI.html|date=March 26, 2004|author=P. K. Balachandran|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]}}

{{Members of 7th Parliament of Ceylon}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anandasangaree, V.}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:All Ceylon Tamil Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of Hartley College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Zahira College, Colombo]]
[[Category:Faculty of Jaffna Hindu College]]
[[Category:Lanka Sama Samaja Party politicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Local authority councillors of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 7th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 11th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Hindus]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil people]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan lawyers]]
[[Category:Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan teachers]]
[[Category:Tamil National Alliance politicians]]
[[Category:Tamil United Liberation Front politicians]]
[[Category:People of the Sri Lankan civil war]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force]]