M. Balasundaram | |
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மு. பாலசுந்தரம் | |
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Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Kopay | |
In office 1960–1965 | |
Preceded by | C. Vanniasingam |
Succeeded by | S. Kathiravelupillai |
Personal details | |
Born | 7 April 1903 |
Died | 15 December 1965 | (aged 62)
Alma mater | Ceylon University College Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
Profession | Lawyer |
Ethnicity | Ceylon Tamil |
Murugesu Balasundaram (Tamil: முருகேசு பாலசுந்தரம்; 7 April 1903 – 15 December 1965) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament.
Balasundaram was born on 7 April 1903.[1] He was the son of Reverend K. S. Murugesu, a Methodist clergyman.[1] He was educated at Kilner College, Jaffna and Royal College, Colombo.[1] After school Balasundaram joined the Ceylon University College, graduating in 1923 with a B.Sc. degree.[1][2] He received a scholarship to study at Trinity Hall, Cambridge from where he graduated with a B.A. degree.[1]
Balasundaram married Sinnammah, daughter of Sinnathamby.[1] They had four sons (Gnanasanmugan, Yogasundaram, Balakrishnan and Sivanandasundaram) and two daughters (Somasundaravalli and Yogeswari).[1]
After returning to Ceylon Balasundaram worked as journalist for a brief period before joining the legal profession as an advocate.[1]
Balasundaram was one of the founding members of the Jaffna Youth Congress in 1924.[3] He stood as the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi's (Federal Party) candidate in Kopay at the March 1960 parliamentary election. He won the election and entered Parliament.[4] He was re-elected at the July 1960 parliamentary election.[5] He stood as an independent candidate in Kopay at 1965 parliamentary election but was defeated by the ITAK candidate S. Kathiravelupillai.[6]
Balasundaram died on 15 December 1965.[1]