Sri Lanka minister representing people of Indian origin passes away

Armugam Thondaman, a former lawmaker and minister who played a vital role in the Sri Lankan citizenship for the Indian-origin people working in the tea plantations here in mid 1980’s, died here on Tuesday. He was 56.

Thondaman, who was the leader of trade union and a political party, Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), died of a sudden heart attack, family sources said.

He succeeded as CWC leader from his Grandfather the founder of CWC, Saumyamurthi Thondaman.

The CWC represented the Tamil people of Indian origin in the central tea plantations in the island nation.

Thondaman was responsible for winning the Sri Lankan citizenship for the people of Indian origin working in the tea plantations in the mid 1980s.

Thondaman supported President Gotabaya Rajapakse in the presidential election held in November last year.

He was appointed the minister of livestock development in December.

He was sitting as a candidate in the election to appoint a new parliament. The election came to be postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The late CWC leader's last official engagement was to meet with the new Indian envoy in Colombo, Gopal Baglay.