Ambika Samuel

Hon. Ambika Samuel MP
අම්භිකා සැමුවෙල්
Member of Parliament for Badulla District
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 November 2024
Personal details
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Political party	National People's Power
Other political affiliations	Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna

Ambika Samuel is a Sri Lankan politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament following the results of the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. ^{[1] [2] [3]} She became popular in social media for her bold stance and activism against tea estate owners by joining politics. ^{[4] [5]} Ambika is the first woman hailing from the plantation community to be elected to the Sri Lankan parliament through a major political party. ^[6]

Biography

She hailed from a typical family background that had faced the brunt of poverty, and her family, similar to other families living in hill country, faced constraints to gain access to basic essential needs for their survival and to continue with the livelihoods. ^[7] Her parents have been tea plantation workers for a long time. ^[8]

She pursued her primary education at the Haputhale Tamil Primary School. She pursued her GCE Advanced Level in political science and she also took a firm interest in Marxism. ^[8] She pursued her higher education at the Haputhale Central College. After completing her higher education, she plied her trade by engaging in social activism with the aim of serving her community. ^[7]

Career

She joined politics with the intention of becoming a representative of the people and to stand up for the oppressed Malayaga Tamil community (Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka) against the influential tea estate owners who were holding significant power and authority in handling and managing affairs related to tea production and tea plucking. ^{[5] [7]}

However, her political journey faced jeopardy and significant disruptions in early stages due to the intervention of certain influential tea estate owners who had been continuing to suppress and oppress the marginalized community of Malayaga Tamil society and estate workers. ^[8] The tea estate owners and politicians from the Central Province notably from Thondaman political family held onto significant power and control at their disposal on the tea industry, and the Malayaga Tamil community, whose livelihoods were mostly dependent upon the tea estates, had been hampered by the manipulation of the tea industry by major market players. ^{[7] [6]}

She received extensive training under Malayagam 200 project. She was appointed to the Divisional Executive Council and she later received appointment letter to join the Haputhale Constituency Executive Council. She was also appointed to serve in the Haputhale District Executive Committee. ^[7] She also worked for the Education Cooperative Society. ^[8]

She was nominated as one of the candidates by National People's Power for the 2024 November General Elections, and she contested the 2024 parliamentary election from the Badulla Electoral District. ^{[4] [9]} It also marked a milestone moment in the political landscape as it became the first instance where a major political party had fielded a candidate emerging from the Malayaga estate workers background who had been barred from demonstrating their democratic rights. ^{[8] [10]} She won the parliamentary seat by gaining 58,201 votes under the Preferential voting system at the 2024 parliamentary election in order to become a member of parliament. ^{[11] [12] [13] [14]} She eventually became the first Tamil woman from Badulla Electoral District to be elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. ^{[15] [16]} During the process, Ambika became the first Malayaha Tamil woman to secure a seat in a parliamentary election in Sri Lankan political history. ^[8]

References

1. "முதல் தடவையாக இரு மலையகத் தமிழ்ப்பெண்கள் பாராளுமன்றத்துக்கு தெரிவு". Virakesari.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
2. "Badulla District preferential vote results released". adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
3. "Newly elected MPs: Badulla". Times Online. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
4. Pushpika, Damith (2024-10-20). "மலையக அரசியல்வாதிகளுடன் போட்டி போடுவதில் எனக்கு எந்தப் பயமும் இல்லை". வாரமஞ்சரி. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
5. "21 female lawmakers secure place in national political history". Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
6. "Plantation youth and women poised for political change: Newly elected MP Ambika Samuel". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
7. "மலையக மக்களின் விடிவுக்காக பாடுபடுவதே எனது குறிக்ேகாள்". www.thinakaran.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
8. "Ambika Samuel doubles Malayaha representation in Sri Lanka's parliament". EconomyNext. 2024-11-19. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
9. "மூத்த தமிழ் எழுத்தாளர்கள் பலரும் ஜனாதிபதிக்கு ஆதரவு தெரிவிப்பு". www.thinakaran.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
10. Srinivasan, Meera (2024-11-16). "Sri Lanka parliamentary election: How the NPP won over country's ethnic minorities". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2024-11-20.
11. "Badulla Preferential votes announced". Newswire. 2024-11-15. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
12. "List of candidates and preferential votes in Sri Lanka 2024 election". EconomyNext. 2024-11-15. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
13. "பதுளையில் வெற்றி பெற்ற நபர்கள்!". tamil.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
14. "අම්බිකා හා සෙල්වරාජ්ට වතුකරයෙන් මැතිසබයට ජනවරම | Divaina". divaina.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
15. "பதுளை மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற தேர்தல் வரலாற்றில் முதன்முறையாக தமிழ் பெண் தெரிவு". Tamil News. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
16. "பதுளை மாவட்டத்தில் இரு தமிழ் பிரதிநிதிகள் பாராளுமன்றுக்கு தெரிவு". Virakesari.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.