Cannappen Velusingham Velupillai (14 September 1914 – 19 November 1984) was a Ceylonese trade unionist, politician and poet.[1][2][3]
Velupillai was born on 14 September 1914 inMadakumbura, the son of a relatively wealthyKangani family.[4][3] He received his education at theSt. Xavier's College, Nuwara Eliya, Hatton Methodist College (now Highlands College), andNalanda College, Colombo.
Velupillai joined the Plantation Trade Union Movement and was inspired byGandhism ideology and the Tagore school of thought. In 1943 whenRabindranath Tagore visited Ceylon, Velupillai met him and gave him a book of his poetry,Vismadgene, that he had dedicated to Tagore.[5]
At the1st parliamentary election, held on 16 September 1947, Velupillai contested theTalawakelle electorate, as theCeylon India Congress (CIC) candidate. He polled 10,645 votes (78.65% of the total vote), with the other three Tamil candidates equally sharing the remaining votes.[6][7] He was one of seven CIC candidates who were elected to that first parliament.[8] He contested theNuwara Eliya electorate in the1970 parliamentary election and came third afterGamini Dissanayake andT. William Fernando.
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