His Militancy Had No Match : The Life & Work Of Upali Cooray

His Militancy Had No Match : The Life & Work Of Upali Cooray : Edited By Wilfred Silva

“His Militancy Had No Match: Upali Cooray (1939—2009)“ is an influential political tribute written by Wilfred Silva (alongside Redley Silva) honoring the life, radical activism, and legacy of the prominent Sri Lankan Marxist, lawyer, and human rights advocate Upali Cooray

• • Breaking with the LSSP (1964): Upali Cooray was originally a member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He famously left the party in 1964 when its leadership chose to enter a coalition government with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)—a move he and other radical leftists viewed as a betrayal of revolutionary Marxist principles and a demobilization of trade union militancy. 
  • Anti-Racist and Marxist Organizing in Britain: After moving to the UK, Cooray became a central figure in mobilizing anti-racist movements and conducting Marxist education classes. Wilfred Silva’s account recalls their highly dedicated, day-and-night organizing work in Britain, which included fundraising, building solidarity networks, and studying the works of Leon Trotsky and Ernest Mandel. 
  • Legal Prowess and “Class Arrogance”: As a sharp and powerful lawyer, Cooray used his deep legal knowledge to fearlessly confront authority. Silva vividly recounts instances—such as being interrogated by British police at Dover—where Cooray turned the tables on authorities by demanding to know their legal jurisdiction and political biases, utilizing what his comrades affectionately called his “class arrogance” against the state. 
  • Human Rights Advocacy: Throughout his life, Cooray remained a dedicated defender of the democratic and human rights of working-class people, working across international borders to connect Sri Lankan leftist struggles with broader global solidarity movements.