Jaffna College Explained

Jaffna College
Native Name:	யாழ்ப்பாணக் கல்லூரி
City:	Vaddukoddai, Jaffna District
Country:	Sri Lanka
Coordinates:	9.7292°N 79.9484°W
Schooltype:	1AB
Type:	Private
Religion:	Christianity
Denomination:	Anglicanism
Founded:	1871
District:	Valikaamam Education Zone
Authority:	Board of Directors of Jaffna College^[1]
Schoolnumber:	1011032
Principal:	Rushira Kulasingham
Gender:	Co-educational
Language:	Tamil, English
Roll:	1,998

Jaffna College is a private school in Vaddukoddai, Sri Lanka.^[2] It was founded in 1871 as a successor to the Batticotta Seminary which had been established by American missionaries.

History

See also: American Ceylon Mission and Batticotta Seminary.

In 1816 American missionaries founded the American Ceylon Mission in Jaffna. The ACM established missions in other parts of the Jaffna peninsula including one in Vaddukoddai. The ACM established numerous schools on the peninsula, the first school being the Common Free School (Union College) in Tellippalai. In 1823 the Batticotta Seminary was established in Vaddukoddai to educate the brightest boys on the peninsula. The seminary was intended to convert the boys to Christianity, but most boys retained their Hindu faith. As a consequence, the seminary was closed around 1855.

Alumni of the Batticotta Seminary and other local Christians led a campaign to re-open the seminary and in 1871 Jaffna College was opened on the former seminary site.

Evelyn Rutnam Institute for Inter-Cultural Studies

The Evelyn Rutnam Institute for Inter-Cultural Studies is located in Jaffna and established in the memory of Evelyn Wijeyaratne Rutnam, the late wife of late Dr. James T. Rutnam.^[3] Dr. Rutnam had a huge collection of books and research articles by his contacts and collection from university dons. researchers, leading legal figures and businessmen. Learned personnel always visited him there for consultation and made use of his library.^[3] Later on Dr. Rutnam has given his collection of books to Jaffna College in Vaddukoddai and established a building in Jaffna to store books for research purposes.^[3] It was named the Evelyn Rutnam Institute and remains under the American Missionaries as a testimony to James Rutnam's love of research and learning, and encouragement to young students.^[3]

Big Match

JC play St. Patrick's College, Jaffna in an annual cricket match known as the Battle of the Golds.^[4] The first match took place in 1917.^[5]

Notable alumni

• Allen Abraham – Academic and astronomer.^[6]
• D. J. Ambalavanar – Church of South India Bishop of Jaffna.
• S. Arasaratnam – Professor of History.
• K. Arulanandan – Professor of Engineering.
• A. Arulpiragasam – Commissioner of Elections.
• Y. Balaretnarajah – Chief of the Defence Staff of Sri Lanka.^[7]
• K. Balasingam – Member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.
• V. Balasubramaniam – Businessman.
• J. V. Chelliah – Vice principal of Jaffna College.
• R. C. S. Cooke – Senior Assistant Commissioner for Co-operative Development.
• Valentine Daniel – Academic and anthropologist.^{[8] [9]}
• Waithilingam Duraiswamy – Speaker of the State Council of Ceylon.^[10]
• A. Gnanathasan – Deputy Solicitor General of Sri Lanka, President's Counsel^[11]
• A. Gunanayagam – Senior Deputy Auditor General.
• R. J. Gunaratnam – Chairman of Ceyma Silk Industries.
• K. Indrapala – Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka.
• D. B. S. Jeyaraj – Journalist.^[12]
• B. H. S. Jayewardene – Editor of the Ceylon Daily News.^[13]
• S. Jebanesan – Church of South India Bishop of Jaffna.^[14]
• Silan Kadirgamar – Academic and historian.^{[15] [16] [17] [18]}
• S. R. Kanaganayagam – Member of the Senate.
• K. Kandiah – Lecturer at Cavendish Laboratory, instruments specialist at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment.
• M. Kulasekaram – Vice principal of Royal College, Colombo.
• A. V. Kulasingham – Editor of the Ceylon Daily News and Hindu Organ.
• S. Kulendran – Church of South India Bishop of Jaffna.
• V. C. Manicam – Auditor General.
• A. T. Moorthy – Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.^[19]
• P. Nagalingam – Member of the Senate.
• S. I. Navaratnam – President of the British Medical Association (Ceylon).
• S. Pathmanathan – Chancellor of the University of Jaffna.^{[20] [21]}
• Handy Perinpanayagam – Independence activist.
• S. A. Raheem – Member of Parliament for Mannar, High Commissioner.^{[22] [23]}
• V. Ramaswamy – Crown proctor, Chairman of Anuradhapura Urban Council.
• E. V. Ratnam – Surgeon, Member of Colombo Municipal Council.
• J. M. Sabaratnam – Additional Government Agent.
• Joseph Sarvananthan – Church of Ceylon Archdeacon of Jaffna.
• K. Sittambalam – Director of Finance of General Treasury.
• S. Sivanayagam – Editor of Saturday Review, Tamil Nation and Hot Spring.^{[24] [25]}
• P. Sriskandarajah – Judge, Supreme Court of Ceylon.
• Rajini Thiranagama – Academic and human rights activist.^[12]
• K. Thurairatnam – Member of Parliament for Point Pedro.^[26]
• A. Vaidialingam – Founding member of the United Socialist Party.
• R. T. Vignaraja – High Court Judge.^[27]

See also

• List of schools in Northern Province, Sri Lanka

External links

• Book: Arumugam, S.. Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. 1997.

Notes and References

1. https://www.colombotelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Document-B.pdf
2. Book: Schools Basic Data as at 01.10.2010. 2010. Northern Provincial Council. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110722145504/http://notice.np.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85:npc-schools-basic-data-as-on-01102010. 2011-07-22.
3. Web site: James T. Rutnam – a versatile servant . 2005-12-02 . The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd . 2011-02-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629044434/http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/12/02/fea03.htm . 2011-06-29 .
4. News: Fernando. Reemus. Formidable St. Patrick's meet unpredictable Jaffna College. The Island (Sri Lanka). 23 February 2012.
5. News: Cricket: St. Patrick's bat first against Jaffna College. The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 24 February 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20130413142523/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/sport-news/16215-cricket-st-patricks-bat-first-against-jaffna-college.html. 13 April 2013.
6. Book: Allen Abraham & the Halley's Comet. 1985. Jaffna College. 7.
7. Web site: Major General Y Balaretnarajah VSV USP ndc. https://archive.today/20130703021159/http://www.armouredcorps.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60:major-general-y-balaretnarajah-vsv-usp-ndc&catid=7:retired-senior-officers&Itemid=4. dead. 2013-07-03. Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.
8. News: Jaffna College celebrates two centennials. Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 14 November 2004. 8 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924120835/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2004/11/14/new25.html. 24 September 2015. live.
9. News: Kanagsabapathipillai. Dushiyanthini. Jaffna College: Celebrating Excellence. Ceylon Today. 2/225. 10 August 2013. 5. 8 August 2015. 17 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150817023127/http://ceylontoday.lk/e-paper.html. dead.
10. News: Mr. Speaker plays a vital role. The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 11 June 2006.
11. News: A. Gnanathasan takes Silk as President's Counsel . . 5 March 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090310043435/http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/03/05/news25.asp . 10 March 2009 .
12. News: Jeyaraj. D. B. S.. Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Indo-Lanka Accord. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 28 July 2012.
13. News: BHS passes away. The Island (Sri Lanka). 26 March 2008.
14. News: Thiruvarangan. Mahendran. Rev. Dr. S. Jebanesan – a versatile personality. Daily News (Sri Lanka). 5 April 2005. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090527085436/http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/04/05/fea05.htm. 27 May 2009.
15. News: Former History academic of Jaffna University passes away. TamilNet. 27 July 2015.
16. News: Ramakrishnan. T.. Sri Lankan historian Santasilan Kadirgamar passes away. The Hindu. 27 July 2015.
17. Web site: Jeyaraj. D. B. S.. Progressive Academic and Human Rights Activist Santasilan"Silan"Kadirgamar Passes away at 81. dbsjeyaraj.com. 27 July 2015.
18. News: Sivakumaran. K. S.. Souvenir to preserve. Daily News (Sri Lanka). 6 November 2013. 29 January 2020. https://archive.today/20150802003612/http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/souvenir-preserve. 2 August 2015. dead.
19. News: Farrell. Tom. Obituary: AT Moorthy. The Guardian. 19 May 2008.
20. Book: பத்மம் (Professor S. Pathmanathan Felicitation Volume) 2004. 2004. Kanagaratnam. V.. Rajagopal. S.. Pushparatnam. P.. 3 . Maheswaran. V.. Bavani Pathippakam.
21. Book: பேராசிரியர் விநாசித்தம்பி செல்வநாயகம் தமிழியல் ஆய்வு விருது: Professor S. Pathmanathan – A Profile. 2008. Professor V. Chelvanayakam Trust.
22. Web site: Sri Lanka Moor Family Genealogy: CASSIM, Muhammad – Family #206. Rootsweb.
23. Book: Sameer, Fazli. Muslim Personalities in Sri Lanka,then and now. 2009. 199.
24. News: Veteran journalist Sivanayagam passes away. TamilNet. 30 November 2010.
25. News: Ratnapragasam. S.. S. Sivanayagam – The Journalist. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 22 December 2010. 16 June 2013. https://archive.today/20130620014511/http://print2.dailymirror.lk/features/features/30564.html. 20 June 2013. dead.
26. Web site: Random Thoughts on K. Thurairatnam The Point Pedro Federalist. Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Sachi Sri Kantha. 10 August 2006.
27. News: ommunal interaction vital for nation building – H. C. Judge, Jaffna. Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 12 July 2009.