Split in JVP’s three-wheeler future

The inevitable happened. A major split in JVP imminent in near future.

To the students of Sri Lankan politics, this comes as no surprise. The surprise is why it not happened so far.

If a list of Sri Lankan political parties that depends least on principles were made JVP comes on top. Even its cousin three-wheelers LSSP and CP, though spineless and hapless, maintain some sort of principles. Not the JVP. All the support to JVP comes from the frustrated youth, for some reason cannot find a place in other political streams. Their blind support and acceptance of brainwashing done on them unquestioned has been the strength JVP always had.

Dilemma faced by JVP on maintaining multiple sets of principles has been observed even by some of their comrades of yesteryear, notably Victor Ivan and Kelly Senanayake.

Is JVP still a Marxist party? Nobody is sure. Effigies of Marx, Lenin and Engels still escort the decorative May Day rallies of JVP, but surely not many present day JVPers (or ‘jeppas’ as known at universities) might not even be able to name them. This, as well as the use of blod red coloured flags is purely for earning the support of similar socialist groups in international circles. That is how JVP gets money. Not many are aware that JVP is the largest NGO in Sri Lanka to sustain on foreign capital.

Is JVP a nationalist party? They like to imply so but we do not see the sheer commitment by JHU.  All the ‘nationalism’ of JVP (if there is  such thing) seems to come from Desha Hithaishees, among whom the propaganda sectary of JVP is a prominent figure. Apart from Weerawansa, nobody in JVP takes this ‘nationalist’ angle. The extremist Sinhalese camp has abandoned JVP long before. This niche vote would go to SLFP+JHU alliance in the next election, not to JVP.

Is JVP a socialist party? Hardly. How socialist one can be when the leaders stand shoulder to shoulder with dirty capitalist of the land? This was one issue echoed at the JVP polity bureau recently when Sunil Handunnetti challenged revealing his colleague Weerawansa’s links with the top businessmen. According to newspaper reports the issue led to Handunnetti’s house arrest by JVP and still remain unresolved.

Nandana Gunatilake, a former polity bureau member too continues his attack on JVP leadership.  Two weeks back he wrote one full page article in Sunday Divaina criticising JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. The pressure is accumulating there too.

The last straw anyway comes from Lalkantha, the unionist. He correctly identifies Pillayan as a threat in Eastern provincial pools. It is common sense that Pillayan+SLFP alliance will eat bulk of the JVP votes and JVP will end up in an embarrassing position, unless that could be prevents. Lalkantha’s attempt is to minimize that damage. Two logical reasons justify his stance. One cannot run with hare and hunt with dogs simultaneously. So if JVP to were contest independently, it has to take a different stand from that of Pillayan+SLFP alliance. The other reason relates to a more particle issue. You cannot campaign against armed rivals. So Lalkantha, just like any rational individual sees the need to disarm Pilliyan before the elections. Somawansa Amerasinghe, party leader seems to be in agreement. That was what he said publicly.

Funny thing is the impact of this on JVP Propaganda Secretary’s position. In their black and white world, Desha Hithaishees recognize anybody who opposes LTTE as their ally. They do not realize what bigger pain Pillayan can be. Neither they realize the danger in conducting elections when one contesting party is armed and others are not. All they see is their short term gain. So Weerawansa does not want to disarm Pillayan – opposing the view of his own party leader and comrade. He recently questioned the integrity of Somawansa and Lalkantha. This means even Weerawansa does no more trust his party leaderrship and colleagues.

Fractioning has been a common phenomenon among Sri Lankan left parties. That is how the old left segregated itself faster than amoebas and finally ended up as three wheelers. With their vote banks eaten up by the SLFP, and their inability to brainwash youth in this age of Internet, as they have done in past is drastically decreasing the numbers for JVP. The presence of young students, some of the obviously children of JVP leaders ay Youth Council Hall Maharagama few weeks back shows their weakness in attracting crowds anymore. The splits will ensure further reduction and the day we see JVP been subdued to another three wheeler party like LSSP and CP is not far. Be optimistic.

JVP ‘child soldiers’

In its shameless four decade history Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) the extremist and perhaps most chauvinistic political party in Sri Lanka had no principles at all in exploiting school children for its political purposes.

Even in the pre-1971 period JVP had a significant percentage of high school students in its cadre. (One of them was Sunanda Deshapriya, who later became a district leader in the 1971 insurgence.) The innocent but gullible students were shamelessly used by JVP leaders to do their dirty work varying from pasting posters and protesting to, in times of fighting, robbing and perhaps even killing.

In 1987-9 period JVP brought students to roads to shout slogans ‘Palamuva mavbima devanuva igenuma’ (Country first and education second) Little did these children know they were not doing anything for the country but unfortunately destroying their own future.

Image: The unrest in a school in Southern province recently was alleged to be planned by JVP

I remember how JVP henchmen tried to bait us when we were doing A/Ls. This was immediately prior to the 1987-9 insurrection and when JVP was more an underground party. We were not stupid to swallow their ‘Seeni Bola’. Understanding it was a fruitless task trying to brainwash us, they focused on some other victims. The difference is while most of us who did not listen to them doing well in our professions today, while some of those who listened to them are no more with us. It looks like some of my pro-JVP ex-classmates have just vanished to thin air.

Image:student unrest in a Southern school.How many of them were brainwashed by JVP?

JVPs ‘policies’ in exploiting school children in political work, that is if they have anything called policies, was not different from those of LTTE. They hardly worry about the means as long as those means justify the ends. Many other political parties, even extremist parties like JHU would think twice before engaging school children in their political work, but JVP has no shame at all doing it. To JVP they are the necessary sacrifices to be made in their way to the ‘Viplavaya’ – a goal that no rational individual sees ever materializing.

Image: LTTE using students in their political work, in this case throwing stones at an effigy of the President

In this backdrop that we see JVP is back to their old tactics. Significant participation of School children, some in their school uniforms was noted at the annual propaganda meeting of Samajavadi Shishya Sangamaya, the student wing of JVP last week. (Principals of several schools and parents have already condemned this act) According to Ministry of Education, it is prohibited for students to participate any other activity not related to their studies, let alone political activities for extremist parties.

Both in 1971 and 1989, hundreds and thousands of mothers and fathers lost their children, thanks to the day dreams of JVP terrorist leadership.

Do we want a repetition of the same?

Should we anymore tolerate, be it JVP or LTTE exploiting innocent children for their political activities?

Anura Bandaranaike was fooled by JVP, sister Sunethra says

Anura Bandaranaike helped to get the support of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in forming a government without being aware of the true nature of the JVP says Sunethra Bandaranaike.

The eldest sister of the former parliamentarian said that the move to get JVP support was an opportunist political step in order to gain power.

Sunethra Bandaranaike told BBC Sandeshaya that every politician is an opportunist when it comes to gain power.

His eldest sister says Mr. Bandaranaike was very disappointed on policies of Rajapaksa administration in which he was a member until last year.

In November 2007, Mr. Bandaranaike joined the opposition at the vote for government’s budget proposals.

He did not vote against the budget, says Sunethra Bandaranaike, to protest government’s war strategy and rising cost of living.

Full article is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2008/03/080316_anura_dead.shtml