| Honorific-Prefix: | Honourable |
| S. A. Tharmalingam | |
| Native Name: | ச. அ. தர்மலிங்கம் |
| Native Name Lang: | ta |
| Honorific-Suffix: | MMC |
| Order1: | 8th |
| Office1: | Mayor of Jaffna |
| Term Start1: | 28 May 1962 |
| Term End1: | 4 April 1963 |
| Predecessor1: | M. Jacob |
| Successor1: | P. M. Yoon |
| Birth Date: | 23 March 1908 |
| Party: | Tamil Eelam Liberation Front |
| Profession: | Physician |
| Blank1: | Ethnicity |
| Data1: | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Sanmugam Appacuddy Tharmalingam (Tamil: சண்முகம் அப்பாக்குட்டி தர்மலிங்கம்|translit=Caṇmukam Appākkuṭṭi Tarmaliṅkam; born 23 March 1908, date of death unknown) was a Sri Lankan Tamil physician, politician and Mayor of Jaffna.
Tharmalingam was born on 23 March 1908.[1] [2] He was the son of Sanmugam Appacuddy.[2] [3] Tharmalingam was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna.[2]
Tharmalingam married Sundaravalli, daughter of Saravanamuthu from Kaddudai, in 1941.[2] [4] They had four daughters - Tharmambal, Tharmavalli, Tharmasothy and Tharmarani.[2] Tharmalingam was the paternal uncle of Jaffna MP V. Yogeswaran.[2] [3]
After qualifying as a doctor in 1933 Tharmalingam worked as a Government Medical Officer in Anagoda, Kolonne, Kurunegala, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Rakwana.[2] He became private practitioner after retiring from government service in 1950/51.[2] [4]
Tharmalingam was one of the founding members of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party) and later Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).[5] Tharmalingam was elected to Jaffna Municipal Council, serving as the city's mayor between 1962 and 1963.[2] [6] In 1982 several members of TULF, including Tharmalingam, who opposed the party's decision to support the government's proposals for District Development Councils left TULF formed a ginger group called Tamil Eelam Liberation Front (TELF).[7] [8] [9] Tharmalingam was president of TELF whilst Kovai Mahesan, former editor of the Suthanthiran, was its secretary.[10]
In June 1983 several cities in Sri Lanka witnessed violence against Tamils.[10] On 30 June 1983 Tharmalingam and Mahesan sent telegrams to several foreign embassies in Colombo complaining of violence against Tamils in Trincomalee and foreign intervention "to stop genocide of Tamils".[10] The following day TELF staged a hartal in Jaffna against the violence in Trincomalee.[10] Following a train bombing Tharmalingam and Mahesan were arrested and detained in Jaffna using emergency regulations and taken to Colombo.[9] [10] Tharmalingam was held at the Youthful Offenders Building at Welikada Prison.[11] On 25 July 1983 the Black July anti-Tamil riots spread to Welikada's Chapel Ward and around 35 Tamil prisoners were massacred by Sinhalese prisoners, aided and abetted by Sinhalese prison officers.[12] [13] [14] Two days later armed Sinhalese prisoners broke into the Youth Ward and started attacking Tamil prisoners.[14] Tharmalingam survived the massacre and was amongst the survivors airlifted to Batticaloa prison.[11] The prisoners found out that a maximum security prison was being built in Homagama and, fearing a recurrence of the events at Welikada, they resolved to escape.[14] On 27 September 1983 41 Tamil prisoners broke out of prison.[12] [13] [15] Tharmalingam, who was too old to escape, remained behind and was eventually released in November 1983.[11] [16] [17] [18]
Tharmalingam migrated to England in 1984.[2] [4]
. Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. 1997. 229. S. Arumugam.
. Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. 1997. 246. S. Arumugam.