Dilrook Kannangara

First they ran with Molotov Cocktails, then locally made handguns (ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”galkatasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢), then with a bell and now with a spittoon (ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”padikkamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢). Whatever symbol they identify with, their old habits of disruption, destruction, subversion and extremism have not changed. During 2004-2005 a section of the JVP identified with the popular nationalist cause. This gave them an unprecedented 39 seats at the expense of useful politicians. Even with 39 seats JVP didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t do anything productive for the nation and itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s people. JVP MPs and their family members drew salaries as MPs and assistants to MPs for full six years. Most of them doubled their body weight doing absolutely nothing. Good examples are Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath, Lal Kantha and Somawansa Amarasinghe. Now they are about to be flushed into political bewilderedness by the voters. But the JVP never accepted the votersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ verdict. Whenever people rejected it, it would cause destruction on the people one way or the other and try to grab power through these intimidation methods.

The little good of the JVP can be wholly attributed to itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s former propaganda leader ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Wimal Weerawansa ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” who built the JVP from ramshackle beginnings. A sane section of the JVP finally left the doomed party and joined with a political force that has a future. This made the residue totally useless like an empty husk. Now the JVP is slowly but surely relaunching itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s disruptive work.

Widely Seen Impact of the JVP

JVP terrorists launched two bloody insurgencies. They killed tens of thousands of civilians, family members of armed forces personnel, elected politicians and religious leaders. Ultimately they killed themselves. All in all, the country lost close to a hundred thousand lives just to satisfy vampiric JVP leadersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ unquenchable thirst for blood. Damage to property was in billions of rupees. Power stations, transportation systems, public properties and private properties were attacked and destroyed. In doing so JVP leaders got some twisted sense of satisfaction. LTTE type curfews (ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”harthalsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢) were launched to disrupt the economy. Where there were no industrial disputes, JVP agitators launched strike action. ChildrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s education was sabotaged. Even the LTTE did not commit such despicable crimes against childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s education. Ultimately the coward who functioned as the outfitƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s leader was caught hiding in a castle, living a life of luxury while preaching socialism. Another coward was caught based on information provided by the former. Yet another coward escaped to Tamil Nadu by a fishing boat. Then he, like most escaped LTTE terrorists, sought refuge in the UK. To this date he remains a UK citizen and is dead scared to contest an election! ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s no surprise that JVPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s then deputy leaderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s brother in law was serving in the LTTE and was eliminated in 1991.

However, these are only the widely visible work of the JVP. How about its indirect impact on the society?

Indirect impact of the JVP

JVP had a huge indirect impact on the society, obviously a bad one. Due to itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s relentless struggle to grab political power by foul means, nationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s education system suffered. Still tertiary education in the south is crippled time to time by JVP activities. Lost hours of student study time would run into millions. Huge and costly delays were caused in producing graduates affecting the national economy. University studentsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ other important tasks in life including employment, marriage, family, etc. were also affected by JVP violence. A generation lost itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s youth thanks to JVP violence. Some chose to leave the country altogether.

Vital economic reforms were put off due to JVP agitations. Taxpayers are forced to pay for JVPersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ inefficiency as a result. It is common knowledge that JVP trade union leaders avoid doing work but get well paid. JVP hijacked the trade union movement by deceit. Trade unions were turned into political and subversive unions to be used as tools to disrupt the economy. By disrupting the economy JVP intimidated the general public forcing them to accept JVPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s terms.

After winning the war, Sri Lanka is set to make vast economic strides. JVP is hell bent on disrupting it. In this context, JVP leaders find it unbearable the fact that people are getting ready to throw out the JVP MPs from parliament. Their fear is not unfounded. Since JVP survives on poverty, any action to alleviate poverty is seen by the JVP as a threat to its survival.

Unseen impact of the JVP

JVP subversives had further bad influence on the society. Popularity of communism and socialism died in the 1970s for good reasons. Political parties that promoted this dogma ended up in the political rubbish bin. However, JVP jumped into the occasion. Due to this people were prevented from gaining the full benefits of the open economic system. Thankfully JVP had no popularity among the Tamils and Muslims. But some Sinhalese were fooled by JVP dogma. Due to this reason a lesser percentage of Sinhalese businessmen emerged. JVP again exploited this opportunity to cause disruptions to businesses.

Now the JVP is after poverty stricken upcountry Tamils. This can have a serious impact on the tea industry. Government should take timely action to stop JVP infiltration into the plantations. Else it will establish a foothold there disrupting economic activity and making millions of lives miserable.

Today the JVP has tied itself to the defeated General. JVP has found a new dictator to replace itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s old dictator Rohana Wijeweera in the defeated General. Both hailed from Ambalangoda; one went to Russia while the other went to the USA for a dose of ideological injections. Both tried to take the law into their dirty hands and ended up in trouble. JVP parliamentarians see no other future for them. Most of them will end up unemployed after getting kicked out of parliament. JVPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s attempts to fool the UNP and piggyback on it failed badly. This parasite behaviour of the JVP elevated it beyond its reach at earlier elections. UNP has learnt a lesson from the SLFPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s predicament in 2004.

Rapid development in Hambantota will destroy JVPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s powerbase. JVP won a parliamentary seat in Hambantota in 1994 and then started itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s political journey winning many seats. JVP managed to win controlling power in a number of Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Hambantota district and still holds a few. With development, these subversives will lose their control.

JVP economic policies collapsed in the 1980s and early 1990s around the world. The Soviet Union spectacularly collapsed and China changed itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s economic policy to a capitalist one albeit with name sake communism. There is no need for any other nation to cling on to these bankrupt policies anymore. Communism and extreme socialism as advocated by the JVP is all about keeping the poor in a prolonged state of poverty whereas the dream of the poor is to get rich. JVP does not have a national policy for anything else. Its external friends have changed recently forcing the JVP to adopt their strategies accordingly. China has deserted the JVP while Norway and the USA have come to its rescue.

JVP must leave this spittoon (padikkama) politics for itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s own good. The sooner it leaves, the better. Grassroots level JVP activists must eject itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s old fashioned voter-fearing former terrorist leader. He should be replaced by a modern, hands-on leader who understands the minds of the people. Until then JVP will not rise from the spittoon (padikkama) they are in. Call it a trophy for political expediency but everybody knows it is a spittoon!

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