Early 1988: Conspiracies Galore
By Rajan Hoole -January 3, 2014
Rajan Hoole
The Year 1988: The Red Moon Over Sri Lanka And The Dawn Of New Wisdom – Part 2
In the absence of constraining loyalties or principles, particularly within the UNP, politics by early 1988 had become very volatile. India had enforced the Accord after recently threatening the Sri Lankan Government with logistical support for its erstwhile protege, the LTTE, with which she was now (in 1988) locked in conflict. Assignment Colombo (AC), the book written by J.N. Dixit, who was then Indian High Commissioner, while whitewashing India’s record during that period, gives us valuable insights into the political atmosphere in the South. At the time the Accord was signed, it would have been quite logical for Premadasa and Athulathmudali to encourage the JVP and other extremist elements to launch violent demonstrations against it for their own ends. But Dixit’s charge that Athulathmudali supplied arms to the JVP (AC, p.209), has so far not been supported by evidence.
Way back in mid-July 1985 Mrs. Bandaranaike had warned Dixit that Jayewardene was not serious about coming to terms with the Tamils and about the negative approach of Premadasa and Athulathmudali. Judging by her own actions in 1987, it seems that they were all in the race for the high ground of Sinhalese chauvinism. Privately, Athulathmudali confided to Dixit that the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam pact of 1957 if implemented would have solved the problem. When India was pressing for further concessions to the Tamils in the run up to the Accord, Athulathmudali had asked Dixit whether he could have confidential discussions with Rajiv Gandhi. By so doing Athulathmudali hoped to steal a march on his rival Gamini Dissanayake who, along with N. Ram of the Hindu and Dixit, was a key player behind the Accord. This was not encouraged (p.126).
To be continued..
*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
