Corea attended the all-boys Anglican private school S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia in Colombo, Sri Lanka, graduating in 1889. He then attended Sri Lanka Law College (then Ceylon Law College), also in Colombo, and received admission to practice law upon the completion of his courses, exams, and apprenticeship in 1893.[citation needed]
Much of Corea's political activity occurred in and around the 1920s. During its formation in the late 1910s, Corea was elected a founder member of the Ceylon National Congress. In September 1922, he was elected as the Founding President of the Ceylon Labour Union. He was also on the Executive Board of the Ceylon Labour Party, upon its formation in 1928.[4] All of these parties and committees were or still are largely characterised by their promotion of Sri Lankan independence amidst British colonial rule in Ceylon, including what was colloquially called the "Ceylonisation" (i.e., localisation) of the public services. Corea shared many anti-colonial political views with his older brother, Charles Edgar Corea, who was a fellow lawyer, and often collaborated in political affairs.
Hēwisi Pūjā is a Sri Lankan form of a traditional Buddhist religious music, often performed at temples.[7] During British colonial rule in Ceylon, the beating of the Hēwisi drums at the Temple of the Tooth or Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sinhala: ශ්රී දළදා මාළිගාව) in Kandy, Sri Lanka was ordered to be stopped by a British Official who resided in the area under the pretence of public disturbance. In an act of civil disobedience against British administrative authority, Corea ordered the Diyawadana Nilame (office of the temple's chief lay custodian) to order the temple to resume the beating of the drums or that he would 'beat them himself'. Corea also allegedly sardonically informed the Official that he should change his residence before undermining longstanding cultural and religious traditions. Fearing a larger revolt, the order was revoked by the Official.[8]
Personal life and family
Corea remained in his hometown of Chilaw for most of his life. He was married twice, and had 13 children.[2]
His second marriage was to Vivienne Corea née Nissanka, from 1906 until his death in 1962. They had two sons, Sri Sangabo and Edward Charles Vickrema, and six daughters, Leila, Ratna, Rupa, Chandrani, Lihini, and Indira.
Death and Legacy
The statue of Corea
Corea died on 6 June 1962, at 91 years old. He is buried at the Chilaw Cemetery, in Chilaw, Sri Lanka.
Corea was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Sri Lanka by the President of Sri Lanka. The award is given to those who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the historical struggle or national interests of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka" or who are "considered to have played a major role in fighting for the freedom of the country". The title is equivalent to the modern Honorfic of Sri Lankabhimanya (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකාභිමාන්ය, Tamil: சிறீ லங்காபிமான்ய) it has been given to approximately 135 people in its history.
On 2 December 2008, the city of Chilaw paid tribute to Corea for his legal and political efforts in service of Sri Lankan independence by having a statue of him erected in his hometown. The statue was sculpted by Kalasoori Ariyawansa Weerakkody.[9]
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