Leslie Goonewardene

The Honourable
Leslie Goonewardene
The Honourable Leslie Goonewardene
ලෙස්ලි ගුනවර්ධන
	Goonewardene in the 1970s
General Secretary of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party
	In office; 18 December 1935 – 1977
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Colvin R. de Silva
Minister of Transport
	In office; 1970–1975
Prime Minister	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Preceded by	E. L. B. Hurulle
Succeeded by	K. B. Ratnayake
Minister of Communications
	In office; 1970–1977
Prime Minister	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Preceded by	Montague Jayawickrama
Succeeded by	Shelton Jayasinghe
Member of the Ceylonese Parliament; for Panadura
	In office; 1956–1977
Preceded by	D. C. W. Kannangara
Succeeded by	Neville Fernando
Personal details
Born	31 October 1909; Panadura, Ceylon
Died	11 April 1983 (aged 73); Colombo
Nationality	British Ceylonese (1909–1948); Ceylonese (1948–1972); Sri Lankan (1972–1983)
Political party	Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Other political; affiliations	Bolshevik–Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma
Spouse	Vivienne Goonewardene; (m. 1939)
Relations	Cholomondeley Goonewardene (cousin); Selestina Rodrigo (aunt); Thome Rodrigo;
Children	Kumundu; Ajit Surendra; Premilla;
Residence(s)	Pedris Road, Colombo; Westland House Panadura
Alma mater	St. John's College, Panadura; S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia; London School of Economics
Occupation	Independence activist; politician; statesman; philanthropist;
Ethnicity	Sinhalese
Signature

Leslie Simon Goonewardene (Sinhala: ලෙස්ලි සයිමන් ගුනවර්ධන, Tamil: லெஸ்லி சைமன் குணவர்தன; 31 October 1909 – 11 April 1983) was a prominent Sri Lankan statesman. He founded Sri Lanka's first political party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, in 1935, and served as its General-Secretary from 1935 to 1977. Goonewardene was a key figure in both the Indian independence movement and the Sri Lankan independence movement. He was designated as a National Hero of Sri Lanka for his leadership in the independence movement, and his efforts are celebrated each year on the Sri Lankan Independence Day.^{[citation needed]}

Born into an aristocratic Panaduran family, Goonewardene was brought up Methodist, educated in English-medium schools, and spoke Sinhala as well as English. Goonewardene was shaped by the widespread Marxist teachings of the time, notably conflicting with his own privilege, resulting in him pursuing the study of government from the London School of Economics. There, he was deeply influenced by the teachings of his professor, Harold Laski. Upon his return to Ceylon from London, Goonewardene founded the Lanka Sama Samaja Party in 1935. He rose to prominence leading the party through World War II, when it was key to the anti-war movement, culminating in its proscription and his escape from Ceylon to India.

In India, he founded the Bolshevik–Leninist Party of India, which was a revolutionary Trotskyist party, campaigning for independence and socialism in South Asia. He was a significant figure in the Quit India Movement alongside Mahatma Gandhi, leading to India's independence from Britain in 1947. In 1948, Ceylon followed. From the 1940s to 1960s, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party was Sri Lanka's main opposition party. Through this, Goonewardene attempted to reform the former British colony of Ceylon into a socialist republic by nationalising organisations in the banking, education, industry, media, and trade sectors. In the 1960s, the party led the United Front coalition, and through their election landslide brought the first female head of state to power. Whilst initially declining a cabinet position, by 1970 Goonewardene believed he could implement his views best through a coalition government and brought about the United Front government. Goonewardene's government was elected that year with an overwhelming majority, leading to his taking up senior cabinet roles. During this time, he was an active critic of the nationalist Sinhala Only Act.

Goonewardene remained a key figure in the Non-Aligned Movement and the Fourth International, past his retirement in 1977 and until his death in 1983. Despite being one of the largest landowners in Sri Lanka through inheritance, by his death he had pledged all of his wealth to charitable organisations. In the 1950s, he had also led the re-introduction of inheritance tax to Sri Lanka, despite the opposition of wealthy established parliamentarians.