D. M. Swaminathan Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon.
D. M. Swaminathan
Native Name:தே. ம. சுவாமிநாதன்
Native Name Lang:ta
Office1:Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs
Term Start1:12 January 2015
Term End1:18 November 2019
Parliament2:Sri Lankan
Term Start2:2010
Term End2:2020
Order3:2nd
Office3:Governor of Western Province
Term Start3:11 July 1994
Term End3:1 December 1994
Predecessor3:Suppiah Sharvananda
Successor3:K. Vignarajah
Birth Name:Deva Manoharan Swaminathan
Birth Date:30 April 1945
Party:United National Party
Otherparty:United National Front for Good Governance
Spouse:Gayathri Swaminathan
(née Carthigesan)
Children:Shobana, Prakash
Alma Mater:Ceylon Law College
Profession:Lawyer
Residence:125 Rosmead Place,
Colombo 07, Sri Lanka.
Blank1:Ethnicity
Data1:Sri Lankan Tamil
Blank2:Religion
Data2:Hindu

Deva Manoharan Swaminathan (ta|தேவ மனோகரன் சுவாமிநாதன், si|දේවා මනෝහරන් ස්වාමිනාදන්; born 30 April 1945) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and ex cabinet minister.

Early life and family

Swaminathan was born on 30 April 1945.[1] He is the son of M. Swaminathan and Lalithambikai (daughter of S. Pararajasingam and grand daughter of P. Arunachalam).[2] He was educated at Royal College, Colombo.[2] After school he joined Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate of the Supreme Court.[2]

Career

After qualifying Swaminathan started practising law in Colombo, taking over the chambers of proctor Ratnakaram which were renamed D. M. Swaminathan Associates in 1971.[3]

Swaminathan was appointed Governor of Western Province in June 1994 after the controversial dismissal of Suppiah Sharvananda by President D. B. Wijetunga.[4] He was appointed chairman of the National Savings Bank in March 2002, serving until 2004.[5] [6]

Swaminathan was appointed as one of the United National Party's (UNP) National List MPs in the Sri Lankan Parliament following the 2010 parliamentary election.[7] [8] In October 2010 he was appointed to the Parliamentary Council which was established by the controversial 18th Amendment to make non-binding recommendations the president on the membership of various national commissions.[9] [10] [11] After the 2015 presidential election he was appointed Minister of Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Religious Affairs by newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena.[12] [13]

Swaminathan was re-appointed as a National List MP following the 2015 parliamentary election.[14] [15] He was appointed Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement on 24 August 2015.[16] [17] He was given the additional portfolio of Hindu Affairs on 4 September 2015.[18] [19] He was given the additional portfolio of Prison Reforms on 11 November 2015.[20] [21]

Swaminathan has been a member of the Rotary Club of Colombo since 1971.[22] He is a trustee of the Sri Ponnambala Vaneswara Temple at Sea Street in Kochchikade, Colombo which was founded by his great-great-grand father A. Ponnambalam.[23] He is one of the UNP's vice-chairmen.[24] [25] He was also treasurer of the UNP.[26] [27]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Directory of Members: D. M. Swaminathan. Parliament of Sri Lanka. 26 March 2018.
  2. Web site: Partner. D. M. Swaminathan Associates. 2015-01-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20140403114046/http://www.dmswaminathan-associates.com/web/index.php/our-people/lawyers/partner. 2014-04-03. dead.
  3. Web site: About Us. D. M. Swaminathan Associates. 2015-01-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304224629/http://dmswaminathan-associates.com/web/index.php/about-us. 2016-03-04. dead.
  4. A Shabby Abuse of Power. Tamil Times. 15 June 1994. XIII. 6. 3. 0266-4488.
  5. News: Swaminathan, NSB chairman. The Island (Sri Lanka). 21 March 2002.
  6. News: Sirimanna. Bandula. NSB-TFC share deal cannot be justified whatsoever, says former NSB chairman. The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 27 May 2012.
  7. News: National list MPs nominated: UPFA-17, UNP-09, DNA-02, and ITAK-01. TamilNet. 21 April 2010.
  8. News: The full National List. The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 25 April 2010. 12.
  9. News: Swaminathan, Aswer nominated to PAC. TamilNet. 1 October 2010.
  10. News: Speaker Gets Nominees For Parliamentary Council. The Sunday Leader. 1 October 2010.
  11. News: PC this week. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 3 October 2010.
  12. News: New Cabinet ministers sworn in. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 12 January 2015.
  13. News: New Cabinet takes oaths . . 12 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150118145912/http://www.nation.lk/edition/latest-top-stories/item/37306-new-cabinet-takes-oaths.html . 2015-01-18 .
  14. PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION — 2015 Declaration under Article 99A of the Constitution . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923223732/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2015/PDF/Aug/1928_25/1928_25%20E.pdf . dead . 23 September 2015 . 21 August 2015 . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 1928/25 .
  15. News: UNP national list. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 August 2015.
  16. PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & C., by the President . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923223738/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2015/PDF/Aug/1929_15/1929_15%20E.pdf . dead . 23 September 2015 . 26 August 2015 . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 1929/15 .
  17. News: Three ministers sworn in. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 24 August 2015.
  18. News: New Cabinet. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 4 September 2015.
  19. News: The new Cabinet . . 4 September 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150907020713/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-102824-news-detail-the-new-cabinet.html . 2015-09-07 .
  20. News: Sagala, Swaminathan sworn in as Ministers. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 11 November 2015.
  21. News: Santiago. Melanie. Update: Ministers Sagala Ratnayaka and Swaminathan given additional portfolios. News First. 11 November 2015.
  22. Web site: Members. Rotary Club of Colomb.
  23. News: Baratha Natya Arangetram. The Sunday Leader. 18 January 2004.
  24. News: Weragoda to be new UNP secy. The Island (Sri Lanka). 18 July 2004.
  25. News: Moramudali. Umesh. Ranil-Sajith powwow. Ceylon Today. 23 January 2013.
  26. News: Bandara . Kelum . Swaminathan to succeed Karunaratne as UNP treasurer . . 4 September 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130403050030/http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2007/09/04/front/08.asp . 2013-04-03 .
  27. News: Wickremasinghe appeals to dissidents to rejoin UNP. TamilNet. 6 December 2008.

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