C. P. de Silva

Born in Randombe, Balapitiya to C. R. de Silva, a proctor with a civil practice in Balapitiya and Galle; and Obinamuni Adlin de Silva, he had three brothers and two sisters. His brother A. H. de Silva took over their father's practice and was elected to parliament along with another brother Merril de Silva. His sister Gladys married R. T. de Silva and the other sister Stella became a pediatrician. His brother Dr. L. B. de Silva was a researcher attached to the Medical Research Institute. He was a cousin of socialist politician and renowned lawyer Colvin R. de Silva. He was educated at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda and St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia, where he won the Gregory Scholarship, the Miller Award and became head boy. Thereafter he attended the Ceylon University College where he gained a B.Sc. in Mathematics (first Class) in 1933. He thereafter attended University of London for postgraduate studies. ==Civil service==

Having sat for the Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) entrance exam in the United Kingdom, de Silva was admitted in 1935 and on his return to the island was appointed as a cadet in the Jaffna Kachcheri. At aged 23, he was one of the youngest to gain admission to the CCS. Following his completion of training as a cadet, he was appointed as the Assistant Government Agent (AGA) in Puttalam. He was then selected by D. S. Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture to serve as AGA of the Polonnaruwa District in order to carry forward his agricultural projects in the district. In Polonnaruwa, de Silva served under Richard Aluvihare and played a major role in establishing the Minneriya Colonisation Scheme. Thereafter he was posted as Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, assisting Senanayake in his agricultural programs. He was then posted as Assistant Government Agent of the Anuradhapura District. In 1945 he was an Assistant Land Commissioner and in 1949 he was promoted to the post of Director of Land Development, under the then Minister of Agriculture, Dudley Senanayake, who was a contemporary at St Thomas' College, having been two years his senior. However, after a falling out with Dudley Senanayake, he was appointed Assistant Government Agent of the Kalutara District. He resigned shortly thereafter from the Civil Service and retired to his farm in Tabbowa in the Puttalam District becoming a gentleman farmer. ==Political career==

Sri Lanka Freedom Party Member of parliament C. P. de Silva was brought into active politics by Herbert Sri Nissanka, who was the secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He contested in the general elections in 1952 and was elected to parliament from Polonnaruwa from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party defeating the incumbent P. L. Bauddhasara. He became severely ill at a cabinet meeting on 25 August 1959 after consuming a glass of milk and was flown to the United Kingdom for medical treatment. During his absence Bandaranaike was assassinated on 26 September 1959 and Wijeyananda Dahanayake, who was the acting leader of the house was appointed as prime minister by the Governor General. De Silva returned to the island soon after and was appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Lands in the caretaker cabinet. On 12 December the Freedom Party met and elected De Silva as the new president of the party succeeding Bandaranaike. Thereafter the party executive committee authorized him to request the Governor General to remove Dahanayake and replace him with De Silva as the prime minister of the caretaker government. The Governor General acknowledged receipt of the request but did not act on it. Soon after De Silva resigned from his cabinet ministry. Minister of Power and Irrigation Sri Lanka Freedom Party selected Bandaranaike's widow, Sirima Bandaranaike as the party leader for the 1960 July general elections. The party won the election and formed a government, with Sirima Bandaranaike becoming the first woman prime minister in the world. C. P. de Silva was appointed the Minister of Power and Irrigation, and leader of the house, once again serving as the senior member of the cabinet until he was surpassed by the Prime Minister's nephew, Felix Dias Bandaranaike who soon became the prominent figure in the government. C. P. de Silva was soon sidelined by the Bandaranaikes based on caste issues. He briefly served as Minister of Finance in 1962. He established two schools in Minneriya; Central College and the Polonnaruwa Royal Central College. Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party C. P. de Silva formed the Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party which in coalition with the United National Party (UNP) contested and won the general elections in 1965. He was appointed Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Power; and the Leader of the House in the new national government of Prime Minister Senanayake. During his tenure, he established the River Valleys Development Board to develop the Udawalawe Project and introduced the Mahaweli Development Authority Act in February 1970 initiating the Mahaweli Development programme. He contested from the Minneriya district from March 1960, and was re-elected in July 1960 and 1965. He lost his seat in the 1970 general elections to Ratna Deshapriya Senanayake, having been a member of parliament for 18 years. ==Death==

C. P. de Silva died on 9 October 1972. He was a lifelong bachelor. As per his last wishes, his ashes were dispersed in Minneriya. His brother Merril de Silva contested and won from Minneriya in the general elections in 1977. ==References==