April 1971 JVP Uprising: Not To Make The Same Mistakes | by Laksiri Fernando

( April 3, 2013, Sydney, Sri Lanka Guardian) It was still eylon! "#e $%& 'adres were supposed to atta'k all possible poli'e stations si(ultaneously on ) April ni*#t in a bid to tri**er a +re,olution- but t#e i(patient (e(bers in .ellawaya (ade t#e atta'k a day be/ore unintentionally alertin* t#e poli'e and t#e *o,ern(ent! &er#aps t#ey re'ei,ed t#e wron* instru'tions about t#e date! "#ose days unlike today, t#e ar(ed /or'es were so s(all and t#e poli'e was t#e (ain bastion o/ t#e State! apturin* power in t#at /as#ion by 'apturin* poli'e stations #owe,er was i(possible by any i(a*ination! 0ore pertinent 1uestion was w#at t#ey would #a,e done in 'ase t#ey #ad (ana*ed to 'apture power!

"#e insurre'tion by its ,ery nature was to 'apture state power in /airly a de(o'rati' 'ountry at least at t#at ti(e! It was not a spontaneous rebellion by t#e yout# /a'in* une(ploy(ent or any su'# #ards#ips! It was a planned insurre'tion by t#e $%&, workin* as an under*round insurre'tionary party, o/ 'ourse a//e'ted by and utili2in* ,arious so'io3 e'ono(i' issues!

I was an Assistant Le'turer in 4'ono(i's at t#e %idyodaya 5ni,ersity at t#at ti(e, a pro(inent stron*#old o/ t#e $%&! April )t# was a 0onday and w#en I went /or (y le'tures in t#e (ornin* not e,en #al/ o/ t#e students were attendin*! All t#e pro(inent $%& a'ti,ists were absent! "#e w#ole a(pus appeared deserted! As I belon*ed to a breakaway *roup /ro( t#e LSS& at t#at ti(e and 1uite aware o/ t#e $%& a'ti,ities, it was not a se'ret /or us t#at t#e $%& (i*#t atta'k t#e *o,ern(ent at any ti(e but e6a't date was not known! It was on 7adio eylon /or t#e (idday news t#at t#e .ellawaya atta'k was announ'ed! "#ere was a stern warnin* /ro( t#e poli'e not to *et in,ol,ed in any sub,ersi,e a'ti,ities! onte6t It was less t#an a year a*o in 0ay 1890 t#at t#e $%& supported t#e 5nited Front (5F) *o,ern(ent led by Siri(a,o :andaranaike-s SLF& and assisted by t#e two (ain le/t parties, t#e LSS& and t#e &, to 'o(e into power! .#et#er it was (erely a ta'ti' to /irst support and t#en atta'k or w#et#er t#ey a'tually *ot disillusioned wit#in a year is a 1uestion o/ spe'ulation! It 'ould be bot#! .#ile une(ploy(ent, in'ludin* *raduate une(ploy(ent, was e6'eedin*ly #i*# wit#out a proper plan or solution a/ter t#e ele'tion, t#e state repression also was #i*# e,en 'urtailin* any le/twin* or yout# a'ti,ity in t#e 'ountry! "#e le/t parties were ;ubilant o/ t#eir ser,i'e to t#e *o,ern(ent, ot#erwise 'alled a +bour*eoisie re*i(e!$ust a year later, t#ere/ore, t#e $%& atte(pted to 'apture state power t#rou*# e6tra3 parlia(entary (eans but (iserably /ailed wit#out popular support to t#e purported re,olution! o(pared to t#e pre,ious radi'al or ,iolent politi'al e,ents in t#e 'ountry, t#e uprisin* and its suppression were e6traordinarily /ero'ious on bot# sides and 'reated a '#ain o/ ,iolent politi'al 'y'les o/ w#i'# Sri Lanka #as not yet been in a position to re'o,er! Alt#ou*# t#e (a;or insurre'tionary e,ents lasted only /or t#ree weeks in April, it took nearly t#ree (ore (ont#s to 'o(pletely eradi'ate t#e rebellion outposts in t#e ;un*les and re(ote ,illa*es! "#e o//i'ial deat# toll was 1,200 but uno//i'ial /i*ures reliably esti(ated it to be around <3),000! "#e insurre'tion by its ,ery nature was to 'apture state power in /airly a de(o'rati' 'ountry at least at t#at ti(e! It was not a spontaneous rebellion by t#e yout# /a'in* une(ploy(ent or any su'# #ards#ips! It was a planned insurre'tion by t#e $%&, workin* as an under*round insurre'tionary party, o/ 'ourse a//e'ted by and utili2in* ,arious so'io3e'ono(i' issues! I/ not /or t#ose so'io3e'ono(i' *rie,an'es lar*e nu(bers o/ yout# would not #a,e ;oined t#e (o,e(ent! In addition, t#e $%& 'onsidered t#e une(ployed rural yout# and uni,ersity students as its politi'al support base or ,an*uard! "#is t#eory resonated so(e o/ t#e =ew Le/t ideas o/ >erbert 0ar'use or $ean &aul Sartre w#o sou*#t new ,an*uards /or 'onte(porary so'ial re,olutions! =o serious atte(pts #owe,er were (ade to appeal to t#e ot#er se'tions o/ t#e so'iety! "#ere was no serious trade union win* under t#e $%& unlike today! "rade union stru**les were 'onsidered kanda koppa satan to (ean +stru**les /or t#e porrid*e bowl!- In t#at sense it was a le/twin* ad,enture! Insurre'tion ?urin* t#e insurre'tion, alto*et#er o,er 90 poli'e stations were atta'ked and <0 o/ t#e( were

eit#er 'aptured or /or'ed to abandon /or se'urity reasons! A/ter assessin* t#e se'urity situation, w#en t#e ar(y (o,ed in, t#e re,olution #owe,er /ailed! "#e 1891 insurre'tion did not produ'e anyt#in* tan*ibly positi,e! It le/t only a le*a'y! It #owe,er 'reated a 'ulture o/ politi'al ,iolen'e t#at #as been t#e bane o/ t#e 'ountry sin'e t#en! It is ar*uable w#et#er it was t#e out'o(e o/ a (a;or (ali'e underneat# or t#e@a 'ause /or t#e subse1uent e,ents!

"# e /ailed insurre'tionA A $%& suspe't arrested by t#e ar(ed /or'es! &i6 'ourtesy t#e $%& It is ar*ued t#at t#e L""4 not only was in/luen'ed but took t#e e6'use or t#e e6a(ple /ro( t#e $%& insurre'tion! "#is is one ar*u(ent o/ t#e study by Ga(ini Sa(aranayake, titled B&oliti'al %iolen'e in Sri Lanka, 1891318C9!D "#e pro(ul*ation o/ t#e 1892 onstitution was 'o(pletely unrelated to t#e e,ent! "#e standardi2ation o/ uni,ersity ad(issions in 1892 'ould be 'onsidered a distorted out'o(e o/ t#e insurre'tion, w#i'# on t#e ot#er #and 'reated *rie,an'es on t#e part o/ t#e "a(il yout#! "#e 1891 insurre'tion was solely by t#e Sin#ala rural yout#! Ene i(pa't o/ t#e insurre'tion was t#e de3le*iti(a'y o/ t#e in'u(bent +'enter le/t 5F*o,ern(ent t#at slowly 'reated 'onditions /or t#e (ore +'onser,ati,e 5=&- to take o,er t#e 'ountry in 1899! Er are we (i6in* up all t#e le/twin* ter(inolo*y to interpret t#e politi'al #istory o/ t#e 'ountry upside downF $ud*in* by t#e /a'ts t#at t#e $%& itsel/ supported t#e 5F to 'o(e to power at t#e 1890 ele'tions, and laun'#ed t#e insurre'tion wit#in a year, it is not unreasonable to 'on'lude t#at t#e ob;e'ti,e result o/ t#e insurre'tion was t#e stren*t#enin* o/ t#e opposition in t#e 'ountry w#et#er it was ri*#twin* or not! "#e $%&, t#e party t#at laun'#ed t#e insurre'tion did not draw its lessons /or posterity! "#ey (ade bi**er (istake in 18C93C8! Enly *enuine ad(issions o/ +error- 'a(e /ro( so(e leaders w#o le/t t#e (o,e(ent /or ,arious reasons! Alt#ou*# t#e nu(ber o/ t#e +deserters- was

si*ni/i'ant, t#e i(pa't re(ained in'onse1uential! 4,en t#ere 'an be doubts w#et#er t#ey #a,e drawn t#e 'orre't lessons ;ud*in* by t#e type o/ politi's or a'ti,ities t#at so(e o/ t#e( #a,e been in,ol,ed in later! "#ere was so(e te(porary ad(iration o/ t#e bra,ery o/ t#ose w#o were in,ol,ed in t#e insurre'tion by lo'al and international 'o((entators! So(e o/ t#e lo'al ad(irers 'a(e /ro( une6pe'ted 1uarters like Ian Goonetileke or Go#an ?e,ananda! 5ndoubtedly, t#e insurre'tionists were bra,e to (ean t#at t#ey risked t#eir li,es or /uture /or a +'ause t#at t#ey belie,ed in!- "#at was (ostly at an indi,idual le,el and so(e o/ t#e leaders in,ol,ed apparently pro,ed to be so(e o/ t#e best brains in t#e 'ountry! "#ey 'ould #a,e done a better ser,i'e to t#e so'iety or /or so'ial '#an*e i/ t#ey were not lured to ,iolen'e in t#at instan'e! Interpretations "#ere were a plet#ora o/ literature or t#eories t#at atte(pted to understand and e6plain t#e e,ent and its 'auses! >AI Goonetileke-s :iblio*rap#y on t#e sub;e't do'u(ents al(ost all t#e initial studies 'ondu'ted on t#e insurre'tion! "#e (ost popular t#eories were in t#e sp#ere o/ so'iolo*y or politi'al so'iolo*y t#at in /a't ar*ued /or ,alid so'io3e'ono(i' and ot#er reasons w#i'# supposedly led t#e leaders to lead t#e insurre'tion or t#e supporters to ;oin t#e rebellion! "#ere were around 1H,000 w#o were supposed to #a,e /ollowed t#e (o,e(ent dire'tly and indire'tly! "#e population e6plosion, dys/un'tional edu'ation, sta*nation in t#e e'ono(y, rural po,erty and (ore pre'isely t#e une(ploy(ent and *raduate une(ploy(ent were #i*#li*#ted as t#e salient so'io3e'ono(i' /a'tors be#ind t#e uprisin*! All t#ese undoubtedly were ob;e'ti,ely ,eri/iable /a'tors t#at re(ained (ore or less on t#e sa(e le,el or /ero'ity t#rou*#out t#e years o/ 18H0s or 1890s! .#y t#en t#e insurre'tion took pla'e in April 1891 was t#e 1uestion! "#ere were se,eral politi'al s'ientists w#o went sli*#tly deeper into in,esti*ate t#e politi'al 'ir'u(stan'es o/ t#e insurre'tion and t#e ideolo*y o/ t#e $%&, but soon 'on,eniently /ell ba'k into t#e so'io3e'ono(i' e6planations and (ore or less 'on'luded t#at t#ere #ad been so(et#in* wron* in t#e so'iety t#at led to t#e insurre'tion! "#ere #ad always been so(et#in* wron* wit# t#e e6istin* so'iety no doubt! "#e le/t parities in t#e 'ountry were in /a't were /or(ed e,en prior to independen'e to /i*#t a*ainst t#ese in;usti'es or ine1ualities! :ut to wa*e war a*ainst a *o,ern(ent t#at was ele'ted wit# t#eir own support on t#ose *rie,an'es or in;usti'es was 'o(pletely a di//erent (atter! It 'ould #a,e 'o(e, under t#e pre,ailin* 'ir'u(stan'es, eit#er /ro( +le/twin* idealis(- or /ro( +1uest /or power/or so(e reason! .#ile in t#e 'ase o/ t#e 1891 insurre'tion, t#e /irst possibility was undoubtedly pre,alent to a *reat e6tent, t#e se'ond strand o/ (oti,ation also 'annot be ruled out! It was t#is +sub;e'ti,e aspe't- o/ t#e insurre'tion and t#e (o,e(ent t#at (any o/ t#e initial t#eories and interpretations o/ t#e 1891 insurre'tion ne*le'ted or /ailed to *rasp! "#is sub;e'ti,ity o/ t#e $%& ideolo*y #as been abundantly 'lear t#erea/ter in t#eir se'ond /ailed atte(pt o/ insurre'tion in 18C93C8! "#e /rustration3a**ression t#eory and t#e t#eories based on t#e sa(e pre(ises #a,e /ailed to

understand t#at /rustration or underlyin* so'io3e'ono(i' *rie,an'es t#e(sel,es would not auto(ati'ally lead to a**ression or rebellion wit#out inter(ediary /a'tors su'# as leaders#ip, ideolo*y and or*ani2ation! "#is is 'o((on to bot# le/twin* and ri*#twin* (o,e(ents! "ake t#e e6a(ple o/ :odu :ala Sena (::S) today! It is t#e leaders#ips, or*ani2ation and ideolo*y t#at insti*ate ,iolen'e! "#is is w#at I (ean by sub;e'ti,e /a'tors in t#is arti'le! %iolen'e is not in#erentI it is basi'ally 'onstru'ted, 'ulti,ated and tau*#t, eit#er by t#e so'iety or by politi'al (o,e(ents! In t#e 'ase o/ t#e $%&, its (aster(ind 7o#ana .i;eweera was instru(ental in brin*in* a parti'ular kind o/ ,iolent politi'al ideolo*y to t#is 'ountry! It was durin* #is studies at t#e Lu(u(ba 5ni,ersity in 0os'ow t#at #e a'1uired, in (y ,iew, a distorted ,ersion o/ 0ar6is( and re,olution, like w#at &ol &ot o/ a(bodia a'1uired in Fran'e! .i;eweera did not a'1uire #is t#eories /ro( t#e 7ussian re,olutionary literature but /ro( so(e 'onte(porary pseudo3 re,olutionary t#eories popular a(on* #is 'onte(poraries like Jassi( >an*a o/ Kan2ibar and #e Ali o/ Indonesia! Jassi( >an*a and t#e *roup led a +one day re,olution- in Kan2ibar in $anuary 18H< w#i'# was su''ess/ul and t#at was t#e (odel initially .i;eweera wanted to /ollow in Sri Lanka! "#e broad spe'tru( o/ t#e t#eory ar*ued t#at re,olutions are possible in di//erent ways! "#e workers and peasants are not ne'essary! .#at is needed is t#e 'ulti,ation o/ a 'o((itted 'adre or*ani2ation! Ar(ed stru**le and si(ultaneous uprisin* was t#e strate*y! 5ndoubtedly, t#e pre,ailin* e'ono(i' and so'ial *rie,an'es #elped t#e $%& to 'on,in'e 2,000 to 3,000 'adres to parti'ipate in t#e insurre'tion and o,er 10,000 yout# and ot#ers to #elp t#e(! "#e ideolo*y o/ t#e $%& at t#at ti(e was a 'o(bination o/ a type o/ so'ialis( and an e6tre(e /or( o/ nationalis(! "#e +Indian e6pansionis(- was one o/ t#eir /i,e lessons! "#e (ain t#rust o/ t#e ideolo*y was t#e ;usti/i'ation o/ ,iolen'e under di//erent prete6ts and reasons! "#ere were o/ 'ourse e6'esses on t#e part o/ t#e 'ounter3insur*en'y operations but t#ey were li(ited or (ild 'o(pared to (any ot#er situations in t#e 'onte(porary world or later e,ents in Sri Lanka! "#ere were no (ass *ra,es un'o,ered like in 0atale today related to t#e 1891 insurre'tion! "#e suppression o/ t#e 'o((unist insurre'tion in Indonesia in 18H) was also a 'ontrast! :ut it 'annot be denied t#at bot# t#e insurre'tionary and 'ounter3insurre'tionary (easures sin'e early 1891 /inally led to t#e April insurre'tion! So(e o/ t#e (easures, #owe,er, su'# as t#e de'laration o/ e(er*en'y and arrest o/ suspe'ts /or se'urity reasons le/t no option but .i;eweera to 'all /or t#e insurre'tion so(ew#at 'arelessly on t#e )t# ni*#t o/ April! >e was in ;ail and kept in $a//na by t#at ti(e! Ene ob;e'ti,e o/ t#e insurre'tion was to res'ue #i( /ro( $a//na ;ail by paraly2in* t#e 'ountry! "#e rape and (urder o/ Jatara*a(a beauty 1ueen, &re(awat#ee 0ana(peri, was a #i*# point o/ ar(y e6'esses! I (ysel/ lost two o/ (y /riends w#o were a'ti,e in t#e tea'#ers union but did not #a,e any 'onne'tions wit# t#e $%&! It was later re,ealed t#at t#ey were killed to a,en*e a personal *rud*e by a poli'e o//i'er!

A re#abilitation 'a(p /or $%& suspe'ts! &i' 'ourtesy t#e $%& on'lusion %iolen'e it appears 'onta*ious! It is like a #orrible epide(i'! "#e insurre'tion '#an*ed t#e (indset o/ (any people, alas ne*ati,ely, bot# in t#e aut#ority and t#ose w#o al(ost naturally opposed it, on bot# sides o/ t#e et#ni' di,ide! "#e reasons /or t#e distin'tion are not easy to /i*ure! "#e insurre'tion opened t#e /lood *ates! Sri Lanka ne,er 'ould be'o(e t#e sa(e! 7e'urrent 'y'les o/ ,iolen'e were to /ollow a/ter s(all interlude a/ter 1891 in al(ost all sp#eres o/ politi'al li/e /ro( ele'tions to et#ni' relations and politi'al party 'o(petition! "#is #as been t#e un/ortunate sa*a o/ Sri Lanka /or w#i'# 'olle'ti,e solutions needs to be sou*#t by all politi'al parties, reli*ious or*ani2ations and 'i,il so'iety (o,e(ents! "#e $%& #ope/ully 'ould play a (a;or role in t#is pro'ess t#rou*# t#eir e6perien'e! "#e $%& #as played (any positi,e /eats lately /or e6a(ple in brin*in* t#e 19t# A(end(ent! In t#e (idst o/ a need /or a re*i(e '#an*e today, w#ate,er t#e te(ptation or pro,o'ation, it s#ould sti'k to non,iolent and pea'e/ul (et#ods as t#ey #a,e e6#ibited 'apable in t#e last de'ade or so! "#e power o/ t#e (ind and ideas (i*#t pro,e to be (ore su''ess/ul t#an t#e power o/ t#e (us'le or t#e ar(s! It only re1uires (ore dis'ipline and (ore deter(ination! It is t#e sa(e pat# t#at t#e re(ainin* rebels in t#e =ort# s#ould /ollow in Sri Lankan politi's! In 'urtailin* ,iolen'e, on t#e ot#er #and, t#e stron* ar( operations or t#e notion o/ +se'urity state- ad,o'ated by t#e present se'urity establis#(ent is not *oin* to be a solution to t#e situation! 0u'# worse would be t#e use o/ stron* ar( ta'ti's a*ainst one se'tor o/ t#e so'iety i!e! t#e =ort# w#ile bein* lenient on t#e ot#er i!e! t#e ::S!