Peri Sundaram (July 23, 1890 – February 4, 1957), born Periannan Sundaram, was a Ceylonese lawyer, trade unionist and politician. He was the first Minister of Labour Industries and Commerce in the

State Council of Ceylon The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time. It ...

and Deputy President of the

Senate of Ceylon The Senate was the upper chamber of the Parliament of Ceylon, parliament of Dominion of Ceylon, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1947 by the Soulbury Commission. The Senate was appointed and indirectly elected rather than directly elected. It ...

. Educated at Trinity College, Kandy and at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, he entered the Ceylon Law College. Thereafter he went on to the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

graduating with an MA and LLB. At Cambridge, he was the President of the Cambridge Indian Majlis and committee member of the

Cambridge Union Society The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a historic Debate, debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. The society was founded in 1815 making it the ...

. In 1916 he became a barrister and thereafter on his return he became an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. He was a lecturer and acting principal of the Ceylon Law College and served as examiner in law to the

Ceylon Civil Service The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, was the premier civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule and in the immediate post-independence period. Established in 1833, it functioned as part of th ...

. He became a founding member of the Ceylon National Congress in 1919, and was elected to the first State Council from the Hatton electorate uncontested in 1931. In the State Council, he served as first Minister of Labor Industries and Commerce from 1931 to 1936. In 1939 he formed the first trade union in the country, Workers Welfare League and served as its founder secretary. He was also the first secretary of the Ceylon Workers’ Federation. In 1939 he co-founded the

Ceylon Indian Congress The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) (; ''Lanka Kamkaru Kongrasaya'') is a political party in Sri Lanka that has traditionally represented Sri Lanka Tamils (Indian origin), Sri Lankan Tamils of Indian origin working in the plantation sector of th ...

which became the Ceylon Workers Congress of which he became president. In 1940, he became president of the Ceylon Indian Congress Labour Union, the largest trade union in the country. In 1947 he was appointed to the Senate of Ceylon and made its Deputy President.

References

1890 births 1957 deaths Academic staff of Sri Lanka Law College Alumni of Ceylon Law College Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia Alumni of Trinity College, Kandy Alumni of the University of Cambridge Ceylonese advocates Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka Sri Lankan lawyers Tamil politicians Indian Tamil trade unionists of Sri Lanka Industries ministers of Sri Lanka Labour ministers of Sri Lanka Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon Members of the Senate of Ceylon Members of the 1st State Council of Ceylon {{CentralLK-politician-stub