Henry Peiris

Mahatelage Henry Peiris (2 May 1910 – 1959) was a Ceylonese Marxist politician[1][2] and a pioneer member of the country's socialist movement.[3]

Peiris was a Lanka Sama Samaja Party activist, a compatriot of Leslie Goonewardene and the editor/publisher of the underground Marxist newspaper, Samasamajaya.[4]

At the 1st parliamentary election, held on 16 September 1947, Peiris successfully ran as the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party candidate in the Pandura electorate, defeated his more credentialed opponent, Sir Susantha de Fonseka, (the United National Party candidate and the former deputy speaker of the State Council of Ceylon)[5][6] by 2,546 votes.[7][8]

Pieris contested the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952 but failed to retain his seat, losing to the United National Party candidate, D. C. W. Kannangara, by 3,856 votes.[9]

Peiris' son, Janadasa (1942 – 2013), was a National List Member of Parliament, Chairman of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.[3]

  1. ^ "Hon. Peiris, Mahatelage Henry, M.P." Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. ^ Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931-1972. Library, National State Assembly. 1972. p. 229.
  3. ^ a b "Death of ex-ANCL Chairman". Daily News. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. ^ Siriwardena, Regi (1992). Addressing the other: a three language study in power, personal relations, and second person pronouns. International Centre for Ethnic Studies. p. 64.
  5. ^ "The push-bike Parliamentarians of LSSP" (PDF). NewsLanka. No. 1255. 24 December 2015. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. ^ Perera, K. K. S. (27 July 2014). "Arresting the Rot…". The Island. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Prakasakayo, Tisara (1965). The Ceylon Historical Journal, Volumes 1-2. p. 153.
  9. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 October 2017.[permanent dead link]