Rajaratnam Sivachandran
”’Rajaratnam Sivachandran”’ (born 1943), commonly known as R. Sivachandran or Prof. R. Sivachandran, is a retired Sri Lankan academic, geographer, and political advocate. He served as a professor of geography at the University of Jaffna, where he held leadership roles including Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Head of the Geography Department, and Head of the Department of Sociology. Sivachandran is also known for his political involvement as a Central Committee member of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), promoting federalism and Tamil rights in Sri Lanka. He serves as an advisory member of the Noolaham Foundation.
Early Life and Education
Rajaratnam Sivachandran was born in 1943 in Velanai, a town in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka, to parents Dr. Rajaratnam and Rukmani. He received his early education at Velanai Central College, Jaffna Vaideswaren Vidyalayam, Senguntha Hindu College, and Jaffna College.
Sivachandran graduated from the University of Ceylon Peradeniya and the University of Madras, obtaining a B.A. Honours (Ceylon) and an M.A. (Research) (Ceylon).
Academic Career
Sivachandran had a distinguished career at the University of Jaffna, where he taught geography and contributed to academic administration. He served for 50 years as a lecturer in geography at the University of Peradeniya, University of Kelaniya, and University of Jaffna. After working at the University of Peradeniya and the University of Kelaniya, he joined the University of Jaffna as a senior lecturer in 1980 and became a Professor of Geography in 1998. He held various positions, including Head of the Geography Department, Acting Head of the Department of Sociology, Coordinator of Extra-mural Studies, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts (2004–2007). He was also an initiator of the Media Resource and Training Centre at the University of Jaffna.
In 2013, he was honored by the Faculty of Arts during its 50th anniversary celebration for his contributions as a former Dean. Beyond teaching, he collaborated on cultural initiatives, such as organizing digital screenings of cinema at the university campus with filmmaker Jesurasa in later years. He also participated in environmental assessments, including post-tsunami evaluations in Sri Lanka in 2005. Sivachandran retired from the University of Jaffna and continues to reside in Jaffna.
Sivachandran contributed to academic publications as editor (1996) of ”Chinthanai” (The Journal of the Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna), editorial advisor (1992) to ”Markam” (Journal of Marga Institute Colombo), and consultant (Vol. 05) to ”Jaffna Geographer” (The Journal of the Geographical Society, University of Jaffna).
He has held various honorary positions, including President of the University Teacher’s Association (1998–2000), Senior Member of SLRC, Zonal Chairman of the Lions Club of Jaffna (2009), and Consultant to the Jaffna Environmental Protection Society, Irrigation Department, and Kachcheri, Jaffna.
Political Involvement
As a member of the Central Committee of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), a major Tamil political party, Sivachandran advocated for devolutionary federalism to address Tamil aspirations in Sri Lanka’s North and East provinces, which he described as the historical homeland of Tamil-speaking people. He emphasized the role of the Tamil diaspora in investment rather than direct political involvement.
Personal Life
Rajaratnam Sivachandran is married to Saroja Sivachandran, a women’s rights advocate and director of the Centre for Women and Development in Jaffna. They have two children: Yalini Aravinthan (née Sivachandran), a dentist and owner of YA Smiles Dental Clinic in Canada, and Sivachandran Bharathi, a lead software engineer at Giesecke+Devrient. He maintains an active presence on social media, including a Facebook profile and a YouTube channel.
https://noolaham.foundation/wiki/index.php/Prof._Sivachandran_Rajaratnam
https://grokipedia.com/page/r_sivachandran – Grokipedia entry on R. Sivachandran, covering biography, career, and early life. https://www.noolahamfoundation.org/wiki/index.php/Prof._Sivachandran_Rajaratnam – Noolaham Foundation profile, detailing birth, education, academic roles, and advisory positions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Sivachandran – Wikipedia page on R. Sivachandran, including career milestones, editorial roles, and university positions. https://www.eco.jfn.ac.lk/index.php/about-us – University of Jaffna Department of Economics history, mentioning his role as Head of Department. https://solaham.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/professor-rajaratnam-sivachandran – Blog post on his background, education, and family origins. https://www.arts.jfn.ac.lk/dean – University of Jaffna Faculty of Arts dean list, confirming his tenure as Dean. https://www.parliament.lk/uploads/documents/paperspresented/1741955964069573.pdf – University of Jaffna Annual Report (PDF), providing institutional context and achievements.