The Southern Polity: The JVP And The SLFP

By Rajan Hoole -December 13, 2013

Rajan Hoole

The Indo-Lanka Accord and Sri Lanka’s Fault Lines: July 1987 – Part – 4

The UNP Government had handled the opposition with such cavalier disdain from 1977 that the SLFP and JVP were impatient to get at the UNP with any weapon that came to hand. They were quick to harp on the Indo-Lanka Accord as a gross betrayal of Sri Lankan sovereignty by the UNP Government. But this was again a purely opportunistic position. In its first statement following the violence of July 1983 the SLFP Central Committee had ‘appreciated the offer of assistance by the Indian Prime Minister’. In a document written by JVP leader Wijeweera titled ‘Our Solutions to Eelamism’ and widely circulated in early 1986, he had said, “The demand for Eelam could not be resolved except through the help of the Indian [Government]” (Thalakolawewe Chandrarathne, CDN 14.11.89). Until 1987 the JVP had been soft on India and had instead accused the Government of being subservient to American imperialism. But from late 1986 when it became evident that the Jayewardene Government was moving towards resolving the ethnic issue through a system of devolution of power with Indian help, the situation changed. The SLFP, JVP and the MEP led by Dinesh Gunawardene (son of Philip Gunawardene) smelt blood and came together in a purely opportunistic alliance.

On 28th July, the protesters against the Accord assembled at the Pettah Bo Tree junction, a focal point of the July 1983 violence. They included Mrs. Bandaranaike, Anura Bandaranaike and several other SLFP stalwarts along with Buddhist monks affiliated to the three parties mentioned. The latter included Ven. Sobitha and Ven. Ananda. The mood became violent as some of the monks called for a ‘fast unto death’ and for lives to be sacrificed in the course of the protest. Rioting broke out in Colombo which, this time, the Police and the Army suppressed effectively.

A police officer on duty gave an example of how the JVP used the cover provided by the SLFP and the Buddhist monks to provoke the Police into a general backlash against civilians and for other purposes. SSP M. Serpanchy, known to be a conscientious officer, was in charge of a police party in the Fort area. He was said to be a disciplinarian who did the mandatory night rounds prescribed for his rank, while many others did only on paper.                                                                     Read More

*From Rajan Hoole‘s “Sri Lanka: Arrogance of Power  - Myth, Decadence and Murder”. Thanks to Rajan for giving us permission to republish. To read earlier parts click here