Victor Corea

Charles Edward Victor Seneviratne Corea
Freedom Fighter of Sri Lanka
Born	1871 Chilaw, Sri Lanka
Died	1962 Chilaw, Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Education	S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
Occupation	Advocate of the supreme court, member of the legislative council, founder member of the ceylon national congress and the chilaw association
Title	Advocate
Children	Carlton, Siddhartha, Norman, Eric, Sara, Edward Charles Vickrema, Sri Sangabo, Leila, Ratna, Rupa, Chandrani, Lihini, Indira
Parent(s)	Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea and Henrietta Seneviratne

Charles Edward Victor Seneviratne Corea was born in Chilaw, Sri Lanka on 29 January 1871 to Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea, a famous lawyer, and Henrietta Seneviratne. He was the youngest out of five children, three boys and two girls, Charles Edgar Corea, James Alfred Ernest Corea, Agnes Corea and Evangeline Corea. This family was acknowledged to be one of the wealthiest families in the whole of Ceylon. Victor's family was severely affected when Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea died in 1872, leaving five children of whom the youngest, Victor Corea, was only one year old. The five young children depended on their young, widowed 21-year-old mother to look after them. He attended the prestigious S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, where he excelled in his studies.

After leaving school, Victor Corea entered politics, like most of the men in the Corea family. His father also was in the legal profession, being a Proctor as well as his brother Charles Edgar Corea who was a very successful Proctor and a member of the legislative council. He became and Advocate of the Supreme Court and in September 1922 he was elected founder President of the Ceylon Labour Union which was led by A.E Goonesinha. During the 1920s he was active in the Ceylon Labour Party. He successfully abolished Poll Tax and after this he became one of the most popular men in Chilaw. He then contested a seat in 1924 for the legislative council, he ran against E.W Jayawardene and won comfortably. The Coreas and the Jayawardene family are related through marriage. Victor was elected a founder member of the Ceylon National Congress. According to the Asia Times, 'During the period 1915 to 1928, members of the Ceylon National Congress, in combination with various political groups, devoted their attention to reforming the political administrative structure of the island.

Their principal demands were related to the manner in which the electoral constituencies should take shape, the composition of the Legislative Council and extension of its powers and the composition and the role of the Executive Council and proposals regarding the franchise. Improvements of the local government administration and the "Ceylonization" of the public services were also presented, but received lesser emphasis.

In December 1919 the Ceylon National Congress adopted the following resolutions: "The congress declares that, for the better government of the island and the happiness and contentment of the people, and as a step towards the realisation of responsible government in Ceylon as an integral part of the British Empire, the constitution and administration of Ceylon should be immediately reformed in the following particulars, to wit: 'That the Legislative Council should consist of about 50 members, of whom at least four-fifths should be elected on the basis of a territorial electorate, upon a wide male franchise and a restricted female franchise, and the remaining one-fifth should consist of official members and of unofficial members to represent important minorities, and the council should elect its own speaker.'". Victor Corea's brother, Charles Edgar Corea was elected president of the Ceylon National Congress in 1924.