SIR PONNAMBALAM ARUNACHALAM (1853-1924) Source:island.lk On the 98th Death Anniversary which falls on January 9, 2022 Compiled by Sega Nagendra and Suresh Murugaser, great grandchildren of Sir P. Arunachalam FAMILY Ponnambalam Arunachalam was the youngest Son of Gate Mudaliyar A. Ponnambalam. He was born on September 14, 1853, to a highly respected and a well-educated professional family originally from Manipay, Jaffna. Gate Mudaliyar Arumuganathapillai Coomaraswamy, his maternal grandfather, was the Tamil representative of the first Legislative Council established in 1834, following the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron report of 1832. Colebrooke, coming from England, which was agitating for reform of the electoral system, was surprised at the autocratic powers exercised by the Governor of Ceylon since 1802. He effected a reduction of those powers by setting up an Executive and Legislative Council. Sir Muttu Coomaraswamy, who was Arunachalam’s mother’s brother, had been a friend of Lord Houghton, Palmerston and Disraeli, in ...

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