Sarran Teelucksingh
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2 August 1889
Sarran Teelucksingh | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Council for Caroni | |
| In office 1925–1946 | |
| President of the Sanatan Dharma Association | |
| In office 1932–1951 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ramsaran Lionel Teelucksingh 2 August 1889 |
| Died | 8 March 1952 (aged 62) Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Resting place | Saint Andrew's Anglican Church Cemetery, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Party | Trinidad Labour Party (1934-d.) |
| Other political affiliations | Trinidad Workingmen’s Association (till 1934) East Indian National Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Popatia Rosalind Peertamsingh Ramkumari Olivia Harracksingh |
| Parents |
|
The Hon. Ramsaran Lionel "Sarran" Teelucksingh OBE JP (2 August 1889 – 8 March 1952) was a Trinidad and Tobago businessman and politician. The first Indo-Trinidadian elected to the Legislative Council, Teelucksingh represented the county of Caroni from 1925 until 1946 and was active in the leadership of the Trinidad Workingmen's Association (TWA), Trinidad Labour Party (TLP), and the East Indian National Congress (EINC).
Sarran Teelucksingh was 2 August 1889 in California, Caroni County, Trinidad and Tobago into a Kshatriya Hindu Indo-Trinidadian family to Teeluck Singh and Jumni Christine Teelucksingh (née Ramdialsingh).[1]
Teelucksingh was a businessman and pioneer of the cinema industry in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1920s and 30s. Using a cinema operated out of a tent, he was able to screen movies in remote villages whose residents would not have otherwise had access.[1]
Around 1921 Teelucksingh partnered with Reverend Charles David Lalla to launch The East Indian Patriot,[fn 1] a magazine aimed at the Indo-Trinidadian community, which also served to promote Teelucksingh's political career.[2]: 106–134 In 1925 he was appointed Vice-President of the TWA.[3]: 41
Teelucksingh served as president of the EINC[2]: 151 and, according to historian Kelvin Singh, "converted [it] into an electoral machine". After the establishment of the Sanatan Dharma Board of Control in the early 1930s, Teelucksingh created a rival Hindu group, the Sanatan Dharma Association of Trinidad with Teelucksingh as its president. He justified his leadership as an Anglican Christian of a Hindu group "since the Hindu religion was that of his forefathers".[4]
Electoral career
1925 elections
In 1925, the Legislative Council was expanded from 21 to 25 members, including seven elected members. Voting was limited to literate men who were 21 or older, and came with property and income requirements. Property and income requirements for candidates were higher than those for voters. The elections took place on 7 February 1925. Only 5.9% of the population were eligible to vote.[5]: 126–127
Teelucksingh contested the County Caroni seat in Central Trinidad against E.A. Robinson, a white planter, and won 491 votes to Robinson's 235.[3]: 180 A third candidate, A. Bharat Gobin, also entered the race but withdrew from the race under pressure from the EINC which was concerned that the presence of two Indo-Trinidadian candidates would split the Indian vote.[3]: 75
Later elections
The 1928 and 1933 elections were rematches between Teelucksingh and Robinson. Teelucksingh won both elections. In 1938 Teelucksingh defeated Clarence Abidh, a fellow Christian Indo-Trinidadian, to win a fourth term on the Legislative Council.[3]: 180
1946 election
The general elections in 1946 were the first to feature universal suffrage.[6] Teelucksingh competed against Clarence Abidh of the Trades Union Congress and Socialist Party and Simbhoonath Capildeo who ran under the banner of the United Front.[3] Teelucksingh, who expressed concern about the challenge of campaigning to an enlarged electorate,[6] lost the election, receiving 2,117 votes to Abidh's tally of 7,321 votes and Capildeo's 5,692.[3]