MP Shanakiyan has been appointed as the Parliamentary Group Leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK).
A letter from the party leadership informing of this appointment has been sent to the Speaker, Jagath Wickramaratne.
Shanakiyan is a qualified accountant who has worked in Australia and is highly proficient in English, Sinhala, and Tamil. A rare figure in contemporary Politician in the Sri Lankan politics, he distinguished himself by speaking out firmly against the policy of forced cremation imposed on Muslim victims during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning widespread respect across communities. He was also among the early political figures to support the Aragalaya protest movement against former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Articulate and principled, Shanakiyan has emerged as a credible human rights advocate. He has travelled extensively to engage with the Tamil diaspora and other minority communities across the globe, positioning himself as a bridge between Sri Lanka’s domestic political struggles and international minority and human rights discourse.
Shanakiyan Rasamanickam was born on 20 September 1990. He is the grandson of former Member of Parliament S. M. Rasamanickam. He received his education at Trinity College, Kandy.
Political Career:
Rasamanickam contested the 2015 parliamentary election as a candidate of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the Batticaloa District, though the alliance failed to secure any seats in that district. He later contested the 2020 parliamentary election under the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the Batticaloa District and was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was re-elected in 2024.