Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal

Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal

1st Chief Minister of North Eastern Province
In office 10 December 1988 – 10 March 1990
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	None Direct rule from Colombo

Personal details
Born	Sri Lanka
Political party	Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
Residence	India
Alma mater	University of Jaffna

Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal is a politician from Sri Lanka. He was the 1st and only Chief minister of the North Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. He is the founder of Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (Varathar faction).

Varadaraja Perumal was born in Sri Lanka. His father, Annamalai was an Indian Tamil. He graduated from University of Jaffna in economics. After graduation, he worked in the same University as a lecturer. He was a student activist in Tamil United Liberation Front. In 1979, he co-founded Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF). Initially EPRLF was a radical outfit that had the People's Liberation Army as its military wing, and was headed by Douglas Devananda. He was arrested for his association with the outfit but he escaped from jail during 1983 Batticaloa Jailbreak, along with other inmates. In an attempt to end Sri Lankan civil war, the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was signed. Therefore, Northern and the Eastern provinces merged into the North Eastern Province. EPRLF and some other radical groups entered into mainstream politics and the elections were conducted for the newly created provincial council. EPRLF and its allies won the election with the help of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Perumal became chief minister on 10 December 1988.