History of Sri Lanka/Alfred Duraiappah

Alfred Thambirajah Duraiappah (died 27 July 1975) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was a Member of Parliament (from 1960-1965) and mayor of Jaffna. He was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.

First political murder
Alfred Duraiappah was a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He became a Member of Parliament and mayor of Jaffna. He was murdered by the Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in July 1975. Duraiappah was killed on his way to a Hindu temple for prayers, although he himself was a Christian.

Duraiappah was approaching his car when he was shot dead by V. Prabkakhan's gang (LTTE) on a Friday evening on July 27, 1975. He was with two companions at the Ponnalai Varadaraja Perumal Temple.

His tenure and Jaffna prosperity
His term as the mayor of a neglected city. Roads and stadiums were built, and jobs were created. His period of office also saw benefits for Jaffna farmers, as the prices of agriculture grew, possibly because the government policies taking control at the time was beneficial.