16 Facts About Waithilingam Duraiswamy

Sir Waithilingam Duraiswamy was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and speaker of the State Council of Ceylon.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was the son of Ayampillai Waithilingam, an engineer from Malaya.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was educated at Jaffna College and Jaffna Central College.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy had four sons and four daughters.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy contested the 1921 Legislative Council election as a candidate in Northern Province and was elected to the Legislative Council.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy contested the 1924 Legislative Council election as a candidate in Northern Province West and was re-elected unopposed.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy 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 Waithilingam Duraiswamy did not contest the ensuing by-elections.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy did however contest the 1936 State Council election as a candidate in Kayts and was elected to the State Council unopposed.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was elected Speaker of the State Council on 17 March 1936.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy held this position until the State Council was replaced in 1947.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was knighted by King George VI in London in the 1937 Coronation Honours.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy contested in Kayts at the 1947 election but failed to get elected to the new Parliament after coming fourth.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was one of the founders of the Hindu Board of Education and served as its president in 1923.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was a founder and president of the Tamil Union.

Waithilingam Duraiswamy was president of the Vivekananda Society and a leading member of the Saiva Paripalana Sabhai.