The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I pay tribute to four former MPs we remember today, and extend condolences to their families. Among them is our beloved “Mavai Ayya,” the late Somasundaram Senathirajah.

¶ 02 Let me recall an incident etched in my mind. During the Ninth Parliament, we in ITAK/TNA met President Ranil Wickremesinghe several times in this complex. In one such meeting, when the President spoke in ways contrary to the aspirations of the Tamil people, Mavai Ayya, drawing on his experiences both as a young revolutionary and later as a party leader, firmly and forthrightly impressed upon him what our people’s political aspirations are. His resolute stance inspired us younger MPs. He would always state unequivocally: “We will not accept any solution that is not a political settlement enabling Tamil self-rule in a merged North and East.”

¶ 03 He served 25 years in Parliament—20 years as an MP for Jaffna District and five years as a National List MP—while drawing many youth to public life. As a National List MP, he devoted special attention to the Eastern Province, particularly Ampara, engaging with long-time associates from the 1980s and 1990s. Before entering Parliament, during Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s tenure, he and 41 others were held as political detainees for extended periods; on one occasion, after being left for dead following an attack, he later re-emerged to continue the struggle.

¶ 04 Mavai Ayya was very close to my family. During my grandfather C. M. Rasamanickam’s leadership of ITAK, Mavai worked in the party’s youth wing. After my grandfather’s passing, he remained very close to our family and to me personally, often visiting our home.

¶ 05 His loss is not only a loss to our party but to the country. He was respected even by leaders of the majority community, known island-wide, not as a regional figure. After the war, he worked with Hon. Sampanthan to create space for Tamils to speak of a lasting political solution and to live with dignity. I am grateful to speak today in his condolence debate and extend my deepest sympathies to his family and to all Tamils who revered him.