A Perspective |
- Prasad GUNEWARDENE |
Like Clowns in a Town in Mississippi:
JVP now fools the JVP...
Gone are the days of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) of Rohana
Wijeweera. So was the abrupt end of the JVP’s symphony of the melodius
‘Vimukthi Gee’. The JVP cadres of today are at crossroads. They ask for
themselves whether they are in the real JVP or in a party described by
the masses as ‘Janatha Vijja Peramuna’(a party that jokes the masses).
|
|
Rohana
Wijeweera |
Upatissa
Gamanayaka |
|
|
Somawansa
Amarasinghe |
Tilvin Silva |
But, the tragedy of the comedy is that leaders of today’s JVP yet
think the JVP is a smart political entity. To them, all things look
beautiful and rosy, when they measure issues from their own yardstick.
They are smart in a way, the masses say.
They would look forward to enter into partnerships beneficial to
them. They got into an Alliance many times.... Crept into two
Governments.... Accepted top cabinet portfolios... the Provincial
Councils which earlier looked poisonous, later became a medicine for
good health.
The JVP feel real in reaping such benefits. When reaping such
benefits, they are ignorant to the fact that they look like Clowns in
the small town called the “Dead Man’s Creek” in Mississippi, United
States.
The days of fooling the masses are now over. The JVP cannot anymore
attempt to dupe the masses with their socialist talk. The literate
society today understands that the present JVP is like a set of wolves
in sheep’s clothing. Hence, the JVP is which blind to the reality cannot
anymore sing its’ popular chorus to attract the masses.
Popular chorus
What was their popular chorus? Could you remember the lyrics? They
were- “The JVP is coming...It’s a peoples party...The JVP is stable...
The only party none could split... The JVP grows like a tree...It will
soon capture power “. That was sung during the time they managed to get
in sixteen Members into Parliament, thanks to the proportionate
representation introduced by late President JR Jayewardene.
The section of the masses at village level were greatly encouraged by
those lyrics at that time but, they never knew that it was being sung to
the rhythm of the beat of ‘gun fire’ of 1988/89. Sadly, the conduct of
today’s JVP does not require the masses to possess an excellent sense of
humour to crack into great laughter, to talk about it.
The JVP was a party that originated with violence as its’ theme.
They, then composed songs and music to the six eight beat of the ‘gun
fire’, without any part musical harmony, as usually seen in beautiful
music compositions of legendary musicians.
The message in those revolutionary songs was the armed struggle to
gain power. It was in that backdrop the JVP’s musical show-”Vimukthi
Gee” was born. From the audience at Ramakrishna Hall, witnessing the
event in the 1970s, I fathomed that in thought, word and deed, the
message delivered to the audience was to be impressed with the plan for
an armed struggle to ensure equality.
But the colourful “Vimukthi Gee” died a natural death.
Though the present JVP attempted to revive it, the newcomers’ could
not get that original quality of revolutionary songs and dance on stage.
During the days of that musical extravaganza, popular among the ‘Red
Bethren” of the JVP titled, ‘Vimukthi Gee’, it was the Tamils who came
to their rescue when they needed a venue to stage the show.
Where was it popularly staged in the early 1970s? How many of today’s
JVPers are aware of that? The then JVP leaders ran to the Trustees of
the Ramakrishna Hall at Wellawatte when they were deprived of getting
the Navarangahala.
Jaffna prison
To be frank, the founder JVP leaders were never racist in their
policies. Rohana Wijeweera who was imprisoned within the four walls of
the Jaffna Prison was well looked after by his Tamil colleagues over
there.
Then, who was the first to support the concept of a traditional Tamil
homeland of the Tamils? Was it not Wijeweera and his original JVP? Who
taught the armed struggle to the Tamil youth of that day? Did not the
Tamil youth who took to arms confess that they learnt the way to fight
from the JVP? These are a few recollections to refresh the memory of
today’s JVP leaders and their cadres.
The JVP from its’ inception brought fear to the minds of the masses.
Recalling the April 1971 insurgency, even the youth were in fear to grow
the beard as the JVP made the beard a trade mark of their armed
struggle. In that JVP, the beard was a tradition for the cadres to
follow.
As a young schoolboy, I could recollect that my mother put me to
sleep early saying that the JVP would come if I did not go to bed early.
To me at that time, gave the feeling that barbarians were coming in
search of people.
That was the fear psychosis that prevailed in the young minds at that
time. I do not know how many of today’s JVP cadres are aware of that
gruesome past of 1971 and again in 1988/89.
There has never been a political party in the annals of our history
that always hid behind the truth and the reality like the JVP. Seeing a
visible crack in the party to the visible eye, they pretend to be blind.
Kindergarten
The JVP stands a cracked political party. Even a kindergarten child
would endorse that point. But, JVP’s General Secretary, Tilvin Silva
claims though some members have left, there’s no split in the JVP. Even
the self proclaimed ‘firebrand’ (in the absence of Wimal Weerawansa) K.D.
Lalkantha too stands by what Tilvin Silva says.
Tilvin claims that the JVP has enough members, with more to join on
the waiting list. Whom is Tilvin trying to fool is the question. If
there were more on the waiting list, he should first confess about the
recent humiliating defeat at the North Central and Sabaragamuwa
Provinces.
The JVP was reduced to near ashes in politics in those two provinces.
That is why I say, the JVP is blind to the truth and reality. Can it
anymore hoodwink the masses? Knowing they cannot, now the JVP is fooling
the JVP to keep the morale high.
For the JVP, it is difficult to bury the imposition of the foulest of
dehumanizing crimes committed on the people in the past. The name JVP,
was a frightening element to the mind, impressing the savagery of their
true policy.
Embracing democracy for name sake, dressed in sheep’s clothing would
never change the soul inside such clothes. As I said earlier, the wolf
has a bad reputation. The JVP like the wolf must ask themselves the
questions- ‘Who were we?’ and ‘What shall we be?’
Exodus continues
With the party experiencing cracks day by day as the exodus continues
and Wimal Weerawansa benefits, Tilvin maintains that all things are
under control. He claims that the true JVP membership cannot lead
luxurious lives according to party policies.
Haven’t the JVP membership lived in luxury earlier? How did JVP
leader, Somawansa Amarasinghe live for years in exile in London. Didn’t
Amarasinghe taste the Western food and the Wine in Kingdom of the
British Queen?
Is it the JVP policy that to live in luxury one must go into exile?
How does the JVP Parliamentarians who go overseas with other
Parliamentarians on Parliamentary Business live? Don’t they share the
same five star hotels and the sumptious luxurious food in such hotels?
The JVP is a party that claims there’s no room for freedom of
expression within other political parties. To view the truth, Tilvin
Silva must stand before the mirror. Silva must eat his own words as
those who have left the JVP claims there is lack of opportunity for
dissenting voices within the party.
Did not Wimal Weerawansa make that claim? Aren’t the grassroot
membership frustrated with the present JVP leadership, comrade Tilvin
Silva? Don’t they question the value of your assets then and now? Has
your assets decreased or increased during the past decade?
Have you declared your assets as a party General Secretary to the
party? Aren’t these issues lead to the belief of a mote or mite in the
eye? For the moment, let us forget the gold collected by your party
leadership in 1988/89 through robbery, plunder and murder. Because you
may not know who took control of such a large haul of gold robbed from
rural banks and the people.
Tilvin Silva is a character known to insult other political parties,
claiming such parties frequently experience internal squabbles,
infighting and haggling. Being the JVP General Secretary, could Tilvin
deny that all such ugly features are now being experienced by his party?
Silva must give a direct answer and not run round the mulberry bush as
he always does when a direct question is posed at him.
It is certain that Tilvin Silva will continue to run round the
mulberry bush to avoid that question. Silva continues to boast of the
pride of the falling JVP in a bid to prevent the exodus.
Having fooled the masses for years, now Somawansa, Tilvin and their
JVP are trying to fool the cadres at grassroot level.
The masses know that the JVP is a party which will believe that the
Lizard Monitor is the Iguana to fill their empty stomaches (Kanna ona
wunama Kabaragoya Thalagoya wenawalu). That was the game they played
with the Governments of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Idi Amin
The JVP in a foolish manner believes of a one party system for
governance in this changing world heading towards globalisation. Old
fashioned politics have no place in the changing trend of a democracy.
Tilvin Silva and his so called Comrades must realise that the single
party system does not represent the correct path towards the objective
of a stable system of governance to meet the aspirations of a
pluralistic society.
Sri Lanka is a country with her own identity and characteristics that
call for the establishment of democratic Governments. The people enjoy
the privilege and prerogative to determine their destiny.
The old fashioned policies of the JVP cannot dictate nor impose upon
styles of governance on the people. Those who believe in such myths are
Clowns.
The JVP is free to exercise such styles or practices within its’ fold
like the Clowns in a Town in Mississippi. More the JVP fools the JVP,
more the merrier, as its’ entertainment for the masses.
Clowns of the JVP breed are a species, blind to democracy. And they
blindly dance to the rhythm of the beat of “gun fire” as the Clowns who
performed in the Army of Idi Amin, and danced with arms in their hands
nearly four decades ago, the time the JVP was born in Sri Lanka.
The rise and fall of Idi Amin, the biggest Clown of Uganda is a
lesson for the JVP to learn. |