19 Facts About Edmund Samarakkody

Edmund Peter Samarakkody was a Ceylonese lawyer, trade unionist, politician and Member of Parliament.

Edmund Samarakkody was educated at S Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.

Edmund Samarakkody became a proctor of the Supreme Court in 1936 and started practicing law in Badulla.

Edmund Samarakkody then worked at the Mount Lavinia bar for over four decades.

Edmund Samarakkody became involved in anti-imperialist nationalistic politics in the early 1930s when he joined the Colombo South Youth League, an affiliate of the All Ceylon Youth Congress.

Edmund Samarakkody was one of the founding members of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party in December 1935 and was elected to its executive committee.

Edmund Samarakkody took a leading role in militant leftist action, including the strikes at Vavasseur Coconut Mill and the Colombo Commercial Company Fertiliser Works in 1937, the latter for which he and Goonewardene were arrested.

The four LSSP leaders, aided by sympathetic prison guards, escaped from Bogambara on 7 April 1942 and whilst de Silva, Gunawardena and Perera fled to India Edmund Samarakkody went into hiding in Ceylon.

De Silva, Philip Gunawardena, Perera and Edmund Samarakkody were prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to six months in prison.

Edmund Samarakkody lost his civic rights and his license to practice law was suspended for two years.

Edmund Samarakkody stood as the LSSP candidate in Dehiowita at the 1952 parliamentary election.

Edmund Samarakkody stood as the LSSP candidate in Kesbewa at the March 1960 parliamentary election but failed to get re-elected.

Edmund Samarakkody stood as the LSSP candidate in Bulathsinhala at the July 1960 parliamentary election.

Edmund Samarakkody led a group of LSSP members opposed the proposition.

Fernando and Edmund Samarakkody's action proved controversial within the LSSP as they had in effect supported the capitalist UNP which would go on to win the 1965 parliamentary election.

Edmund Samarakkody stood as the LSSP candidate in Bulathsinhala at the 1965 parliamentary election but failed to get re-elected.

Edmund Samarakkody fell out with LSSP leader Tampoe and in 1968 left the party, together with Fernando, and founded the Revolutionary Sama Samaja Party.

Edmund Samarakkody was a member of Dehiwela-Mt Lavinia Urban Council and served as its chairman.

Edmund Samarakkody died on 4 January 1992 at Colombo General Hospital.