View source for William de Silva

{{Short description|Sri Lankan politician}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix         = [[The Honourable|Hon.]] 
| name                     = William de Silva
| honorific-suffix         = 
| image                    = P. H. William de Silva.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| constituency_MP1         = [[Ambalangoda-Balapitiya Electoral District|Ambalangoda-Balapitiya]]
| parliament1              = Ceylon
| term_start1              = 1947
| term_end1                = 1960
| predecessor1             = seat created
| successor1               = seat abolished
| constituency_MP2         =  [[Ambalangoda Electoral District|Ambalangoda]]
| parliament2              = Ceylon
| term_start2              = March 1960
| term_end2                = June 1960
| predecessor2             = seat created
| successor2               = [[Patrick de Silva Kularatne]]
| constituency_MP3         =  [[Devinuwara Electoral District|Devinuwara]]
| parliament3              = Ceylon
| term_start3              = 1965
| term_end3                = 1969
| predecessor3             = [[P. P. Wickremasuriya]]
| successor3               = [[Ronnie de Mel]]
| birth_name               = Peduru Hewage William de Silva 
| birth_date               = {{Birth date|df=yes|1908|12|08}}
| birth_place              = 
| death_date               = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1988|07|30|1908|12|08}}
| death_place              = 
| nationality              = Sri Lankan
| party                    = [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]] <br> [[Lanka Sama Samaja Party]]
| occupation               = Politician
| otherparty               = 
| spouse                   = 
| partner                  = 
| relations                = 
| children                 = 
| residence                =
| alma_mater               = [[Ananda College]] <br> [[University College, Colombo]] <br> [[University College, Oxford]]
| profession               = 
| religion                 =
| rank                     = 
| branch                   = 
| unit                     = 
| allegiance               = 
| serviceyears             =           
| signature                =
| website                  =
| footnotes                =
}}

'''Peduru Hewage William de Silva''' (8 December 1908 – 30 July 1988) was a 20th-century [[Marxist]]/[[Trotskyist]] Sri Lankan politician.<ref name="marxist">[http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/s/i.htm Glossary of People:  de Silva, P.H. William (1908–1988)], [http://www.marxists.org/ Marxists Internet Archive].</ref>

P. H. William de Silva was born at [[Kahatapitiya]] in [[Batapola]], [[Ambalangoda]], Ceylon, to a wealthy land-owning family.<ref name="island">W. T. A. Leslie Fernando, [https://www.island.lk/2009/07/22/features1.html William de Silva revolutionised Industry and fisheries], Features, ''[https://www.island.lk/ The Island Online]'', Sri Lanka, 2009.</ref> 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]].<ref name="marxist" />

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).<ref>[http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/01/16/fea20.asp Comrade, William: Silent William], Unforgettable Personalities, ''[http://www.dailynews.lk/ Daily News]'', Sri Lanka.</ref> During [[World War II]], he was an anti-war movement leader and was imprisoned in [[Bogambara Prison]] and [[Badulla Prison]] in Sri Lanka (1943–1945). 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 and [[Philip Gunawardena]] founded the [[Mahajana Eksath Peramuna]]. He was [[Political minister|Cabinet Minister]] of Industries and Fisheries in [[Solomon Bandaranaike|S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike]]'s [[SLFP]]-MEP coalition government (1956–1959).<ref>W.T.A. Leslie Fernando, [https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2009/10/18/imp07.asp Achievements of 1956–59 MEP regime and conflicts within], ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20010706030231/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/ Sunday Observer]'', Sri Lanka.</ref><ref>K. T. Rajasingham, [https://www.lankalibrary.com/pol/swrd.htm Sri Lanka: The Untold Story — Assassination of Bandaranaike], ''[[Asia Times Online]]''. [https://www.lankalibrary.com/ WWW Virtual Library — Sri Lanka].</ref> 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.<!---the reference states age 80 however if you check the dates cited in the reference it is only 79---><ref name="island" />

== See also ==
* [[List of Sri Lankan non-career diplomats]]
* [[Sri Lankan independence activist|List of Sri Lankan independence activists]]
* [[List of University of Oxford people in public life overseas]]
* [[List of alumni of University College, Oxford]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{LSSP}}
{{Members of 1st Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of 2nd Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of 3rd Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of 4th Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of 6th Parliament of Ceylon}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Silva, William}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1988 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Ceylon University College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Richmond College, Galle]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Fisheries ministers of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:High commissioners of Sri Lanka to Canada]]
[[Category:Industries ministers of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Lanka Sama Samaja Party politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 3rd Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 4th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:Members of the 6th Parliament of Ceylon]]
[[Category:People from British Ceylon]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of British Ceylon]]
[[Category:Sinhalese trade unionists]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan independence activists]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan prisoners and detainees]]