Tol Thirumavalavan

Thirumavalavan was the second son of Tholkappian (Ramasamy) and Periyammal, and was born in the village of Anganur in (Thirucirapalli)Perambalur District in Tamil Nadu, India. Thiruma date of birth August 17, 1962. His father had studied up to the eighth grade, while his mother remained uneducated. Thiruma has a sister and three brothers, but Thirumavalvan was the only member of his family who went on to higher education after completion of his schooling. He initially studied chemistry, and went on to do a masters degree in Criminology, before studying law at Madras Law College. He then began working in the government's Forensic Department as a scientific assistant.

Thirumavalavan began growing interested in politics in 1982, when he was still a student, in reaction to reports from refugees of Sri Lankan military atrocities against Tamils in Sri Lanka. He began holding rallies and organised boycotts and conferences to support the Sri Lankan Tamil cause. He ran for president of the Students Wing of Madras Law College, but failed to be elected. This, he alleged, was due to his being a Dalit. The incident led to his meeting and becoming acquainted with politicians from the DMK, a major political party in Tamil Nadu.