Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan Kt CMG KC MLC |
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பொன்னம்பலம் இராமநாதன் | |
Solicitor-General of Ceylon | |
In office 1892–1906 |
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Preceded by | Charles Layard |
Succeeded by | James Cecil Walter Pereira |
Unofficial Member (Tamil) Legislative Council of Ceylon |
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In office 1879–1892 |
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Preceded by | Muthu Coomaraswamy |
Succeeded by | P. Coomaraswamy |
Unofficial Member (Educated Ceylonese) Legislative Council of Ceylon |
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In office 1911–1921 |
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Succeeded by | James Peiris |
Unofficial Member Legislative Council of Ceylon |
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In office 1921–1924 |
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Member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon for Northern Province North |
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In office 1924–1930 |
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Personal details | |
Born |
P. Ramanathan 16 April 1851 Colombo, Ceylon |
Died | 26 November 1930 Colombo, Ceylon |
(aged 79)
Alma mater | Presidency College, Madras |
Profession | Lawyer |
Ethnicity | Ceylon Tamil |
Ponnambalam Ramanathan (Tamil: பொன்னம்பலம் இராமநாதன், translit. Poṉṉampalam Irāmanātaṉ; 16 April 1851 – 26 November 1930) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Solicitor-General of Ceylon.
Ramanathan was born on 16 April 1851 at the home of his maternal grandfather A. Coomaraswamy on Sea Street, Colombo in south western Ceylon. He was the son of Gate Mudaliyar A. Ponnambalam, a leading government functionary, and Sellachi Ammai. He was the brother of P. Coomaraswamy and P. Arunachalam. Ramanathan had his early education at home before joining Royal Academy, Colombo in 1861. Ramanathan and his brother Coomaraswamy entered Presidency College, Madras in 1865. The brothers completed the Intermediate in Arts and started the degree course but, following "youthful excesses" by Coomaraswamy, both were recalled to Ceylon without completing the course.
Ramanathan married Sellachchi Ammal, daughter of Mudaliyar E. Nannithamby, in 1874 at Ward Place, Colombo. They had three sons (Mahesan, Rajendra and Vamadeven) and three daughters (Sivakolunthu, Rukmini). After being widowed Ramanathan married Australian R. L. Harrison (later known as Leelawathy). They had a daughter, Sivagamisundhari.
Returning to Ceylon, with the help of his maternal uncle Muthu Coomaraswamy Ramanathan became a law apprentice under Richard Morgan, Queen's Advocate of Ceylon. Ramanathan became an advocate of the Colombo bar in 1874. He was responsible for editing law reports for the previous 36 years and later served as editor of the official law reports (the Supreme Court Circular and the New Law Reports) for ten years. Ramanathan stopped practising law in 1886 to concentrate on politics and his interest religious studies and philosophy.