Ananthi Sasitharan

Ananthi Sasitharan (; born 10 September 1971 ) is a Sri Lankan Tamil activist, politician and provincial minister. She is the wife of Velayutham Sasitharan (alias Elilan), the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's political head for Trincomalee.

Early life and family Ananthi was born on 10 September 1971. Her parents were from Kankesanthurai and Chulipuram in northern Ceylon. Elilan disappeared after surrendering to the Sri Lankan military. She has also campaigned on behalf of families of others who disappeared during the civil war and war widows. She has met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp during their visits to Sri Lanka.

Ananthi contested the 2013 provincial council election as one of the Tamil National Alliance's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Northern Provincial Council. During the election campaign she was the target of several attacks. On 20 September 2013 a vehicle carrying Ananthi was attacked by men on a motorbike near Chunnakam. On 20 September 2013 a group of around 70 armed men in military uniform attacked Sasitharan's home in Chulipuram, injuring some of her supporters and an election monitor. On 21 September 2013, the day of the election, a fake edition of the pro-TNA newspaper Uthayan appeared, falsely claiming that Ananthi had defected to the governing United People's Freedom Alliance. This false story was repeated in pro-UPFA Dan TV and Asian Tribune website.

After the election Ananthi was appointed to assist the Chief Minister on the rehabilitation of war victims. She took her oath as provincial councillor in front of Chief Minister C. V. Vigneswaran at Veerasingam Hall on 11 October 2013.

After being elected Ananthi has taken her campaign abroad to Denmark, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and the USA.

Ananthi was sworn in as Minister of Women's Affairs, Rehabilitation, Social Services, Co-operatives, Food Supply and Distribution, Industries and Enterprise Promotion in front of Governor Reginald Cooray on 29 June 2017. She was given the additional portfolio of Trade and Commerce on 23 August 2017.