Sri Lanka Sikhamani
Thamotharam Somasekaram
FRGS
37th Surveyor General of Sri Lanka
In office
1991–1992
Preceded byE. M. Perera
Succeeded byS. Berugoda
Personal details
Born(1934-09-22)22 September 1934
Died11 March 2010(2010-03-11) (aged 75)
Alma materJaffna Hindu College
University of Ceylon
Fitzwilliam College
Ohio State University
ProfessionSurveyor
EthnicitySri Lankan Tamil

Sri Lanka Sikhamani Thamotharam Somasekaram (22 September 1934 – 11 March 2010) was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil geographer and Surveyor General.

Early life and family

Somasekaram was born on 22 September 1934.[1] He was educated at the Jaffna Hindu College.[2][3] After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Colombo from where he graduated in 1956 with a BSc degree.[1][4][5]

Somasekaram married Sathanithi. They had three children (Damayanthi, Jayanthi and Arjun).[6][7]

Career

After university Somasekaram joined the Government Survey Department as an Assistant Superintendent of Surveys.[1][4] A year later he joined Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in 1958 to study the Part II course in geography, which he completed in 1959.[1] On returning to Ceylon he rejoined the Survey Department.[1][4] He became Superintendent of Surveys in 1967, Assistant Surveyor General in 1971 and Deputy Surveyor General in 1973.[1][4] The latter position made in head of the Institute of Surveying and Mapping.[4]

Somasekaram joined the Ohio State University in 1976 on a United Nations Fellowship, graduating with an MSc in Geodesy and Cartography.[1][4][5]

Somasekaram became Surveyor General in 1991.[1][8] He came up with the idea of the Sri Lankan Atlas and chaired the committee charged with creating it.[1][4] He was awarded the Sri Lanka Sikhamani title, a Sri Lankan national honour, in 1990 for this work.[1]

Somasekaram was president of the Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka (1985–87) and the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science.[1][4][9] In 1998 he was admitted as a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Jaffna.[1][4] He was vice-president of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka between 1985 and 1991 and a member of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics.[4]

Later life

Somasekaram wrote a number of books after retirement.[4] He died on 11 March 2010.[1][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Fitzwilliam Journal 2012" (PDF). Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Somasekaram, T. (23 March 2004). "Memorial for IPKF". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  3. ↑ Somasekaram, T. (6 April 2002). "Reconditioning the public service". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 22 December 2004.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Mahaarachchi, R. (16 May 2010). "Mapping the life of a fine man and outstanding Surveyor General". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  5. 1 2 "258th Commencement" (PDF). Ohio State University. Autumn 1976. p. 11.
  6. ↑ "Dr.T.Somasekaram former Surveyor General of Sri Lanka and Jaffna Hindu College Oldboy passed away". Tamil Sydney. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Obituaries". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010.
  8. ↑ "History". Department of Survey (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "About SISL". The Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
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