S. A. Tharmalingam

Tharmalingam was born on 23 March 1908.^[1][2] He was the son of Sanmugam Appacuddy.^[2][3] Tharmalingam was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna.^[2]

Tharmalingam married Sundaravalli, daughter of Saravanamuthu from Kaddudai, in 1941.^[2][4] They had four daughters - Tharmambal, Tharmavalli, Tharmasothy and Tharmarani.^[2] Tharmalingam was the paternal uncle of Jaffna MP V. Yogeswaran.^[2][3]

After qualifying as a doctor in 1933 Tharmalingam worked as a Government Medical Officer in Anagoda, Kolonne, Kurunegala, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Rakwana.^[2] He became private practitioner after retiring from government service in 1950/51.^[2][4]

Tharmalingam was one of the founding members of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party) and later Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).^[5] Tharmalingam was elected to Jaffna Municipal Council, serving as the city's mayor between 1962 and 1963.^[2][6] In 1982 several members of TULF, including Tharmalingam, who opposed the party's decision to support the government's proposals for District Development Councils left TULF formed a ginger group called Tamil Eelam Liberation Front (TELF).^[7][8][9] Tharmalingam was president of TELF whilst Kovai Mahesan, former editor of the Suthanthiran, was its secretary.^[10]

In June 1983 several cities in Sri Lanka witnessed violence against Tamils.^[10] On 30 June 1983 Tharmalingam and Mahesan sent telegrams to several foreign embassies in Colombo complaining of violence against Tamils in Trincomalee and foreign intervention "to stop genocide of Tamils".^[10] The following day TELF staged a hartal in Jaffna against the violence in Trincomalee.^[10] Following a train bombing Tharmalingam and Mahesan were arrested and detained in Jaffna using emergency regulations and taken to Colombo.^[9][10] Tharmalingam was held at the Youthful Offenders Building at Welikada Prison.^[11] On 25 July 1983 the Black July anti-Tamil riots spread to Welikada's Chapel Ward and around 35 Tamil prisoners were massacred by Sinhalese prisoners, aided and abetted by Sinhalese prison officers.^[12][13][14] Two days later armed Sinhalese prisoners broke into the Youth Ward and started attacking Tamil prisoners.^[14] Tharmalingam survived the massacre and was amongst the survivors airlifted to Batticaloa prison.^[11] The prisoners found out that a maximum security prison was being built in Homagama and, fearing a recurrence of the events at Welikada, they resolved to escape.^[14] On 27 September 1983 41 Tamil prisoners broke out of prison.^[12][13][15] Tharmalingam, who was too old to escape, remained behind and was eventually released in November 1983.^{[11][16][17][18]}

Tharmalingam migrated to England in 1984.^[2][4]