William de Silva

Peduru Hewage William de Silva (8 December 1908 – 30 July 1988) was a 20th-century Marxist/Trotskyist Sri Lankan politician.[1]

Hon. William de Silva
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Ambalangoda-Balapitiya
In office 1947–1960
Preceded by	seat created
Succeeded by	seat abolished
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Ambalangoda
In office March 1960 – June 1960
Preceded by	seat created
Succeeded by	Patrick de Silva Kularatne
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Devinuwara
In office 1965–1969
Preceded by	P. P. Wickremasuriya
Succeeded by	Ronnie de Mel
Personal details
Born	Peduru Hewage William de Silva (1908-12-08)8 December 1908
Died	30 July 1988(1988-07-30) (aged 79)
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Political party	Sri Lanka Freedom Party Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Other political affiliations	United People's Freedom Alliance
Alma mater	Ananda College, University College, Colombo, University of Oxford
Occupation	Politician

P. H. William de Silva was born at Kahatapitiya in Batapola, Ambalangoda, Ceylon, to a wealthy land-owning family.[2] He received his elementary education at Batapola Mixed School and secondary education at St John's College, Panadura, Richmond College, Galle, and Ananda College, Colombo. He studied for one year at the University College Colombo (now the University of Colombo) and then travelled to England for further studies at University College, Oxford.[1]

While in England, William de Silva joined the India League and a Marxist study group with other Ceylonese students in London. He then returned to Ceylon and joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP).[3] During World War II, he was an anti-war movement leader and was imprisoned in Bogambara Prison and Badulla Prison in Sri Lanka (1943–45). He became a Ceylonese Member of Parliament in 1947 and 1953. He was leader of the All-Ceylon Estate Workers Union and Vice-President of the All-Ceylon Congress of Samasamaja Youth Leagues. He separated from the LSSP in October 1953 and joined the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party (VLLSP). He was the founding leader of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna. He was Cabinet Minister of Industries and Fisheries in S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's SLFP-MEP coalition government (1956–59).[4][5] He became a member of parliament in 1960 and was Vice-President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. In 1970, he became the Ceylon High Commissioner to Canada.

De Silva died aged 79.[2]