The vociferous voice of minister Sajith Premadasa who states that he is ready to be the president of the country is sure to give members of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) goosebumps. This is because the socialist party was silenced and virtually destroyed by Sajith’s father, Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was at one time the head of state of this nation.
This is an era when people of this country are starved of seeing a leader with true capacity who can unite this divided nation. Just rewind the clock by 30 years and we would be able to recollect memories of a leader in the likes of JVP Leader Rohana Wijeweera who stood firm on promoting a socialist ideology; eventually at the cost of his life. Right now we hear of the JVP planning to field a candidate for the upcoming presidency and this writer thus sees it apt to analyze Wijeweera’s time with that of now where the Red Party is looking at the presidential elections in a competitive manner after 20 years! After Wijeweera in 1982, the only other JVPer to contest the presidency was Nandana Gunatilake who was nominated by the party for the elections in 1999. Neither Wijeweera nor Gunatilake could obtain 5% of the total votes that were cast at these elections in the respective years they contested.
- Sajith loves India while the JVP looks at the country’s closest neighbour with all suspicion
- Ranasinghe Premadasa was a leader with a vision and also was Wijeweera
Sajith’s name cropping up in the political scene to run for presidency has also attracted criticism by some politicians. Lawmaker S.B Dissanayake was heard telling the electronic media a few days ago that if Sajith is nominated for presidency it would help his opponents because they could recall the dark times the citizens experienced during that period of governance under his father as the country’s president and leader of the United National Party (UNP). Those who survived these horrendous times saw scores of youth-who had links with the JVP-being shot, killed and their bodies burnt.
Premadasa was a leader with a vision and also was Wijeweera. UNP Leader Premadasa reached the peak of his career at the wrong time. There was a war against terrorism raging in the north and the east of the country and the insurgency initiated by the JVP in the south made the country resemble a log that had been ablaze at either end. Premadasa was not an academic, but his adversary wearing that trademark beard, Wijewera, was educated at the Patrice Lumumba University in Russia. Both were solid orators, but Wijeweera knew he had an edge in pushing his ideology through, largely because his speeches could influence young adults.
The JVP’s second rebellion could be initiated because of the presence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) which was present in the island thanks to the Indo-Lanka Peace Pact which was signed by the then President of the country UNP Leader J.R Jayewardene and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Just like at present, the citizens of the country accused the government of dancing to the tune of India. Wijeweera’s criticism of government loyalists was severe. He openly told that politicians who betrayed the nation should not be protected and even asked the security establishment of the country-especially the Army-to stop protecting the VIPs and quit serving the forces. The JVP named JR Jayewardene as the main culprit and maintained that the Premadasa Government was installed by illegal means.
The Indian factor
Set aside the likes and dislikes for Wijeweera, the JVP Leader had a rock solid plan for the country in which some of the highlights were to take over assets of the nation that were owned by foreigners, end private monopoly, set up system of production that catered to the masses and take away the debt burden from the people. Wijeweera was also critical of the presence of the IPKF. And there were claims made by the party’s propaganda unit that the JVP had its own trained army which was also involved in ‘battles’ with the foreign forces who were deployed in the island to fight the LTTE.
Given the academic he was, Wijeweera saw that the Indian influence on Sri Lanka had a long history and grabbed the opportunity to educate people regarding this when he saw one. Once travelling to Ulapane on the Colombo -Badulla Road, he had told the driver of the car he was taken in that the ‘lion pillars’ constructed in most places in Sri Lanka was the result of the influence Emperor Asoka of India had on this island. Wijeweera had the ability to link the present with the past and also predict the future; all in political terms. Speaking on the topic of the ‘Lion pillars’ he had added that ‘behind every cultural issue there is a political ideology which is associated with it”.
Wijeweera was operating while in hiding, but he surfaced from the jungles of Kataragama when JVP member Lionel Bopage quit the party. He risked his life and went about on his motorbike attending to the matters of the party. People who associated with Wijeweera say that it was an experience travelling with this socialist icon. Once Wijeweera was driven by a slow and cautious driver and when arriving at the venue, the leader had said, “you guys gave me a real ‘Hemingway’ -punning on the Sinhala word ‘Hemin’ as in slow and roping in the name of the author Hemingway to spice up this coined Sinhala word. Don’t blame me for arriving late”.
The JVP insurgency was crushed by Premadasa and its leader Wijeweera was brutally killed and his remains were buried under the watchful eyes of government authorities. Records reveal that his assassination was masterminded by State Minister of Defence Ranjan Wijeratne who was then credited for the crushing the second uprising of the JVP.
At present the JVP is a long way from becoming the third political force of the country, despite the party taking to mainstream politics and entering the democratic process of engaging in politics. After Wijeweera and a few stopgap leaders, Somawansa Amarasinghe took over the reigns as leader and made the ‘bell’ ring on the JVP. After his demise Anura Kumara Dissanayake was promoted as the leader and he had continued to date.
Wijeweera had the ability to link the present with the past and also predict the future; all in political terms. Speaking on the topic of the ‘Lion pillars’ he had added that ‘behind every cultural issue there is a political ideology which is associated with it
But what’s sad about these JVP comrades is that they prefer not to reminisce their eventful past associated with Wijeweera. The present JVP hardly refers to Wijeweera. But the JVP continues to follow the socialist path of governing a nation; an ideology which they haven’t been able to sell to the masses. In the opposite camp they see the son of an old foe Sajith who is making a strong claim to be the next president of the country.
Sajith loves India while the JVP looks at the country’s closest neighbour with all suspicion. Sajith has delivered on the promises on providing houses to people thanks support coming from India. The present JVP is yet to present an election manifesto or a solid plan to raise this debt-ridden nation. The party harps on being capable of meeting the present-day challenges of a nation. But the shadows of socialism seem to haunt them forever.
Possibly they have read many times the letter written by Karl Marx’s wife Jeni to a friend by the name of Joseph Weidamier. In the letter she describes the pathetic state of the life of Marx and the terrible lack of finances to meet essential expenses. Still the JVP campaigns for socialism even in a modified form. Political critics say that Sajith likes the present representatives of the JVP and what he sees within the Red Party. And deep within, Sajith knows he has a lesser challenge compared to what his father had when the latter took on the JVP.
