Waithilingam Duraiswamy | |
---|---|
வைத்திலிங்கம் துரைசுவாமி | |
3rd Speaker of the State Council of Ceylon | |
In office 17 March 1936 – 4 July 1947 | |
Preceded by | Forester Augustus Obeysekera |
Member of the
Legislative Council of Ceylon for Northern Province | |
In office 1921–1924 | |
Member of the
Legislative Council of Ceylon for Northern Province West | |
In office 1924–1930 | |
Member of the
State Council of Ceylon for Kayts | |
In office 1936–1947 | |
Preceded by | Nevins Selvadurai |
Personal details | |
Born | Velanaitivu, Ceylon | 8 June 1874
Died | 12 April 1966 | (aged 91)
Alma mater |
Jaffna College Jaffna Central College University of Calcutta Ceylon Law College |
Profession | Lawyer |
Ethnicity | Ceylon Tamil |
Sir Waithilingam Duraiswamy ( Tamil: வைத்திலிங்கம் துரைசுவாமி; 8 June 1874 – 12 April 1966) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and speaker of the State Council of Ceylon.
Duraiswamy was born on 8 June 1874 in Velanaitivu, an island in the north of Ceylon. [1] [2] He was the son of Ayampillai Waithilingam, an engineer from Malaya. [2] He was educated at Jaffna College and Jaffna Central College. [1] After school he joined University of Calcutta, from where he graduated with a double honours degree. [1] He then qualified as an advocate from the Ceylon Law College. [1]
Duraiswamy was married to Rasammah from Maathakal, Jaffna. Duraiswamy had four sons ( Yogendra, Rajendra, Mahendra and Devendra) and four daughters (Maheswari, Nadeswari, Parameswari and Bhuvaneswari).
After qualifying Duraiswamy worked as an advocate, becoming a crown advocate and leader of the Jaffna Bar. [1] [3]
Duraiswamy contested the 1921 Legislative Council election as a candidate in Northern Province and was elected to the Legislative Council. [1] [4] He contested the 1924 Legislative Council election as a candidate in Northern Province West and was re-elected unopposed. [1] [3] [5] He was a leading member of the Jaffna Youth Congress which advocated the boycott of the 1931 State Council elections. The boycott ended in 1934 but Duraiswamy did not contest the ensuing by-elections. He did however contest the 1936 State Council election as a candidate in Kayts and was elected to the State Council unopposed. [1] [3] [6] Duraiswamy was elected Speaker of the State Council on 17 March 1936. [1] [3] [7] He held this position until the State Council was replaced in 1947. [3] [8] Duraiswamy was knighted by King George VI in London in the 1937 Coronation Honours. [9]
Duraiswamy contested in Kayts at the 1947 election but failed to get elected to the new Parliament after coming fourth. [3] [10] A wave of Tamil nationalism represented by the Tamil Congress had swept away the old guard of the legislature at the 1947 elections. [11]
Duraiswamy was one of the founders of the Hindu Board of Education and served as its president in 1923. [2] [3] He helped establish more than 150 Hindu schools. [12] He was a founder and president of the Tamil Union. [3] He was also president of the Vivekananda Society and a leading member of the Saiva Paripalana Sabhai. [3] [13]
Duraiswamy died on 12 April 1966. [1] A commorative postage stamp in honour of Duraiswamy was issued on 14 June 1982. [1] [3]
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