imported>Kanags at 04:30, 17 May 2025

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{{short description|Sri Lankan politician}}

{{use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable|Hon.]]
| name = M. K. Shivajilingam
| native_name = ம. க. சிவாஜிலிங்கம்
| native_name_lang = ta
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Member of Provincial Council|MPC]]
| image = CPA IMG 1848 (15072988096).jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = International Day of the Disappeared protest in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka on 30 August 2014
| constituency_MP = [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]]
| parliament = Sri Lankan
| majority =
| term_start1 = 2001
| term_end1 = 2010
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| office2 = Member of the [[Northern Provincial Council]] for [[Jaffna District]]
| term_start2 = 2013
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 = Member of [[Valvettithurai Urban Council]]
| term_start3 = 2025
| term_end3 =
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Valvettithurai
| birth_name =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| citizenship =
| nationality =
| party = [[Tamil National Party (Sri Lanka)|Tamil National Party]] (TNP)
| otherparty = [[TNPF]]
| spouse =
| partner =
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession = Politician
| website =
| footnotes =
| Valvettithurai Urban Council =
}}
'''Mahalingam Kanagalingam Shivajilingam''' ({{langx|ta|மகாலிங்கம் கனகலிங்கம் சிவாஜிலிங்கம்}}) is a [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] politician, provincial councillor and former Member of Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|title=Directory of Past Members: M. K. Shivajilingam|url=http://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-past-members/viewMember/313|publisher=[[Parliament of Sri Lanka]]}}</ref>

==Early life and family==
Shivajilingam is from [[Valvettithurai]] in northern Sri Lanka.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ramachandra|first1=Mrinalini|title=Sri Lankan Tamil MP Sivajilingam ordered to "quit India', may seek "political asylum" in Chennai|url=http://transcurrents.com/tc/2008/12/post_130.html|publisher=transcurrents.com|date=11 December 2008|access-date=19 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051525/http://transcurrents.com/tc/2008/12/post_130.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=SO260715>{{cite news|last1=Krishnaswamy|first1=P.|title=Sivajilingam takes on MR|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2015/07/26/new24.asp|work=[[Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka)]]|date=26 July 2015|access-date=19 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728235215/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2015/07/26/new24.asp|archive-date=28 July 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He is a distant relative of [[V. Prabhakaran]], leader of the [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|militant]] [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]].<ref name=SO260715/><ref>{{cite news|title=Prabhakaran's Distant Relative to Contest Against Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lankan Polls|url=http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/prabhakarans-distant-relative-to-contest-against-mahinda-rajapaksa-in-sri-lankan-polls-782865|work=[[NDTV]]|agency=[[Press Trust of India]]|date=19 July 2015}}</ref>

==Career==
Shivajilingam is a member of [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization]] (TELO).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Subramanian|first1=Nirupama|last2=Radhakrishnan|first2=R. K.|title=In Prabakaran’s birthplace, a different kind of hero|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-prabakarans-birthplace-a-different-kind-of-hero/article4017175.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=20 October 2012}}</ref> He served as chairman of [[Valvettithurai Urban Council]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Jaffna fisherman protest sea ban|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?artid=5873&catid=13|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=19 March 2001}}</ref>

On 20 October 2001 the [[All Ceylon Tamil Congress]], [[Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front]], TELO and [[Tamil United Liberation Front]] formed the [[Tamil National Alliance]] (TNA).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|author-link1=|title=Tamil National Alliance enters critical third phase - 1|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/opinion1/6933.html|work=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404042520/http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/opinion1/6933.html|archive-date=4 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tamil parties sign MOU|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=6400|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=20 October 2001}}</ref> Shivajilingam was one of the TNA's candidates in [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] at the [[2001 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2001 parliamentary election]]. He was elected and entered [[Parliament of Sri Lanka|Parliament]].<ref name=pe01>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015155/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2001GE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-03-04 |title=General Election 2001 Preferences |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}</ref> He was re-elected at the [[2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2004 parliamentary election]].<ref name=pe04>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015514/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-03-04 |title=General Election 2004 Preferences |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}</ref>

Shivajilingam contested the [[2010 Sri Lankan presidential election|2010 presidential election]] as an [[Independent politician|independent]] candidate. He came ninth after securing 9,662 votes (0.09%).<ref name=pr10>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/presidential2010/AIVOT.html|title=PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – 2010 Official Results - All Island Final Result|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805152306/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/presidential2010/AIVOT.html|archive-date=2012-08-05}}</ref> In 2010 Shivajilingam left TELO and TNA. He subsequently formed the [[Tamil National Liberation Alliance]] (TNLA) with other dissident members of the TNA.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.colombopage.com/archive_10/Feb1266911405CH.html|title=New Tamil alliance in Sri Lanka says TNA betrayed Tamils|date=23 February 2010|publisher=Colombo Page}}</ref> Shivajilingam was one of the [[Left Liberation Front|LLF]]/TNLA alliance's candidates in Jaffna District at the [[2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2010 parliamentary election]] but the alliance failed to win any seats in Parliament.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2010/PDF/Mar/1643_7/1643_7(E).pdf |date=2 March 2010 |title=PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ACT, No. 1 OF 1981 Notice Under Section 24(1) GENERAL ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT |journal=[[The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka]] Extraordinary |volume=1643/07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101220555/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2010/PDF/Mar/1643_7/1643_7%28E%29.pdf |archive-date=1 November 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/parliamentary_elections/10Z.html|title=Parliamentary General Election - 2010 Jaffna District Final District Result|publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141101142058/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/parliamentary_elections/10Z.html|archive-date=2014-11-01}}</ref> In June 2011 TNLA was dissolved and Shivajilingam rejoined TELO and TNA.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34110|title=Sivajilingam, Sri Kantha decide to join TNA, restructure TELO|date=25 June 2011|publisher=[[Tamilnet]]}}</ref>

Shivajilingam contested the [[2011 Sri Lankan local government elections|2011 local government election]] as a TNA candidate and was elected to Valvettithurai Urban Council.<ref name=le11>{{Cite web |title=PREFERENCES |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/LGA%202011/2011.07.23/Jaffna/Valvetiturai%20UCpref.pdf |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He contested the [[2013 Sri Lankan provincial council election|2013 provincial council election]] as one of the TNA's candidates in [[Jaffna District]] and was elected to the [[Northern Provincial Council]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2013/PDF/Sep/1829_33/PG%201763%20%28E%29%20%20I-%201%20%20%28P.C%29.pdf|date=25 September 2013|title=PART I : SECTION (I) ó GENERAL Government Notifications PROVINCIAL COUNCILS ELECTIONS ACT, No. 2 OF 1988 Northern Province Provincial Council|journal=[[The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka]] Extraordinary|volume=1829/33|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228114115/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2013/PDF/Sep/1829_33/PG%201763%20%28E%29%20%20I-%201%20%20%28P.C%29.pdf|archive-date=28 December 2013}}</ref><ref name=DM260913>{{cite news|title=PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2013 ñ Results and preferential votes: Northern Province|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/infographics/36078-provincial-council-elections-2013--results-and-preferential-votes-northern-province.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]]|date=26 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116012528/http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/infographics/36078-provincial-council-elections-2013--results-and-preferential-votes-northern-province.html|archive-date=16 January 2014}}</ref> After the election he was appointed to assist the [[Chief Minister of the Northern Province|Chief Minister]] on employment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Division of Ministries of the Northern Provincial Council & Subjects for Councillors|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2013/10/Division_of_Ministries.pdf|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=11 October 2013}}</ref> He took his oath as provincial councillor in front of [[Justice of Peace]] Mayilerum Perumal at a beach side Hindu temple in [[Mullivaikkal]], a village on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka which was the scene of the final battle of the [[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]], on 14 October 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Balachandran|first1=P. K.|title=TNA member Sivajilingam breaks away, takes oaths at Mullivaikkal|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/TNA-member-Sivajilingam-breaks-away-takes-oaths-at-Mullivaikkal/2013/10/14/article1835163.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017234111/http://newindianexpress.com/world/TNA-member-Sivajilingam-breaks-away-takes-oaths-at-Mullivaikkal/2013/10/14/article1835163.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 October 2013|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|date=14 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=PLOTE members take oaths|url=http://www.ft.lk/article/201518/PLOTE-members-take-oaths|work=[[Daily FT]]|date=15 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Shivajilingam takes oaths in Mullivaikal|url=http://www.eyesrilanka.com/2013/10/14/shivajilingam-takes-oaths-in-mullivaikal/|work=Eye Sri Lanka|date=14 October 2013}}</ref>

Shivajilingam contested the [[2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2015 parliamentary election]] as part of an independent group in [[Kurunegala Electoral District|Kurunegala District]] but the group failed to win any seats in Parliament.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2015/PDF/Jul/1923_03/1923_03E.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923223757/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2015/PDF/Jul/1923_03/1923_03E.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 September 2015|date=13 July 2015|title=PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ACT, No. 1 OF 1981 Notice Under Section 24(1) GENERAL ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT|journal=[[The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka]] Extraordinary|volume=1923/03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ranil tops with over 500,000 votes in Colombo|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/83949/ranil-tops-with-over-500-000-votes-in-colombo|work=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]]|date=19 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Preferential Votes |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=political/preferential-votes-2 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150820025307/http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=political/preferential-votes-2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 August 2015 |work=[[Daily News (Sri Lanka)]] |date=19 August 2015 }}</ref>

Shivajilingam is considered a maverick in Sri Lankan Tamil politics and was for many years the only prominent Tamil politician to openly call for an independent international investigation into [[Alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War|alleged war crimes]] during the civil war.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hoole|first1=Ratnajeevan|author-link1=Ratnajeevan Hoole|title=Denial Of Asylum To Bandanage And Framing Of Sivajilingam|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/12/09/denial-of-asylum-to-bandanage-and-framing-of-sivajilingam/|work=[[The Sunday Leader]]|date=9 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Jeyaraj|first1=D. B. S.|author-link1=|title=Imperative Need to Support Tamil Moderates in the Struggle Against Extremists|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/65673/imperative-need-to-support-tamil-moderates-in-the-struggle-against-extremists|work=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]]|date=7 March 2015}}</ref> He has openly called for former [[President of Sri Lanka|President]] [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]] and former [[Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)|Army Commander]] [[Sarath Fonseka]] to be tried for war crimes at the [[International Criminal Court]].<ref name=SO260715/>

Shivajilingam claims that the [[Sri Lankan military]], the [[Eelam People's Democratic Party]] and the LTTE had tried to assassinate him on a number of occasions.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bell|first1=Stewart|title='The government made several attempts to kill me': Tamil MP wants probe of assassination claims by Sri Lankan army deserter in Canada|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/the-government-made-several-attempts-to-kill-me-tamil-mp-wants-probe-of-assassination-claims-by-sri-lankan-army-deserter-in-canada|work=[[National Post]]|date=5 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Prabhakaran wanted me dead |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Prabhakaran-wanted-me-dead-129903.html |access-date=11 December 2020}}</ref> In November 2012, during a Canadian refugee hearing, Captain Ravindra Watudura Bandanage of the [[Sri Lankan Army]] claimed that an army colonel had ordered him to place bomb at the home of Shivajilingam.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bell|first1=Stewart|title=Sri Lankan Army deserter gives 'rare' insider account of government forces torturing civilians|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/sri-lankan-army-deserter-gives-rare-insider-account-of-government-forces-torturing-civilians|work=[[National Post]]|date=29 November 2012}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Electoral history of M. K. Shivajilingam
! scope=col|Election
! scope=col|Constituency
! scope=col colspan="2"|Party
! scope=col colspan="2"|Alliance
! scope=col|Votes
! scope=col|Result
|-
| [[2001 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2001 parliamentary]]<ref name=pe01/> || [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization}};"| || [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization|TELO]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || [[Tamil National Alliance|TNA]] || align=right|{{Nts|17859}} || '''Elected'''
|-
| [[2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2004 parliamentary]]<ref name=pe04/> || [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] ||style="background:{{party color|Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization}};"| || [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization|TELO]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || [[Tamil National Alliance|TNA]] || align=right|{{Nts|42193}} || '''Elected'''
|-
| [[2010 Sri Lankan presidential election|2010 presidential]]<ref name=pr10/> || [[Sri Lanka]] || style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"| || [[Independent politician|Ind]] || || ||align=right|{{Nts|9662}} || Not elected
|-
| [[2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2010 parliamentary]] || [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] || || || style="background:{{party color|Left Liberation Front}};"| || [[Tamil National Liberation Alliance|TNLA]]/[[Left Liberation Front|LLF]] || align=right| || Not elected
|-
| [[2011 Sri Lankan local government elections|2011 local]]<ref name=le11/> || [[Valvettithurai Urban Council|Valvettithurai UC]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization}};"| || [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization|TELO]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || [[Tamil National Alliance|TNA]] || align=right|{{Nts|1165}} || '''Elected'''
|-
| [[2013 Sri Lankan provincial council elections|2013 provincial]]<ref name=DM260913/> || [[Jaffna District]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization}};"| || [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization|TELO]] || style="background:{{party color|Tamil National Alliance}};"| || [[Tamil National Alliance|TNA]] || align=right|{{Nts|22660}} || '''Elected'''
|-
| [[2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2015 parliamentary]] || [[Kurunegala Electoral District|Kurunegala District]] || style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"| || [[Independent politician|Ind]] || || || || Not elected
|-
| [[2019 Sri Lankan presidential election|2019 presidential]] || [[Sri Lanka]] || style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};"| || [[Independent politician|Ind]] || || ||align=right|{{Nts|12,256}} || Not elected
|-
| [[2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election|2020 parliamentary]] || [[Jaffna Electoral District|Jaffna District]] || | || TTK || style="background:{{party color|Tamil People's National Alliance}};"| || [[Tamil People's National Alliance|TPNA]] || || Not elected
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|position=left}}

{{Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}
{{Members of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shivajilingam, M. K.}}
[[Category:Candidates in the 2010 Sri Lankan presidential election]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Local authority councillors of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Members of the Northern Provincial Council]]
[[Category:People from Valvettithurai]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Hindus]]
[[Category:Tamil politicians]]
[[Category:Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization politicians]]
[[Category:Tamil National Alliance politicians]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

M. K. Shivajilingam - Revision history

imported>Kanags at 04:30, 17 May 2025