By Lionel Bopage –
Mandela
The master of fate,
the commander of soul
who inspired the world
Mandela the Madiba!
The Light of South Africa
resting in peace tonight!
Though branded a terrorist
caged like an animal,
raising the hopes of a better world
of freedom, democracy and peace
You met brutality with morality
ignominy and insult with dignity
What determines a life’s significance
is not that we have just lived
but the difference we make in others’
You practised what you preached
Madiba!
To inspire our future generations
deserving a decent and better world
free of discrimination and exploitation
today we need many more Madibas!
JimSofty / December 10, 2013
I knew Many JVP king pins. they all were like Lionel Bopage.
They all screwed up innocent youth and they escaped the Struggle. Wijeweera was hiding as a upcountry govigama fellow. Gamanayake did the same thing.
Every body knows about Deshapriya. Now this [Edited out], Lional bopage. He is fighting the socialist war in Australia.
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Maratoni Makalga / December 11, 2013
Jimmy Soft
Fully agreed with your comment. This Bopee was a absolute loser and now has become a parasite in a Western Country. This idiot was fully responsible for 60,000 odd youths got killed in two JVP fuckups. I call them fuck-off socialists.
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SIRIMAL / December 15, 2013
What about Wimal and others ? Are they not parasites being in the country today ?
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Dr Laksiri Fernando / December 11, 2013
It is best the commenters focus on what the writers write than their personalities. It is usually the ‘faceless’ people who make these personal attacks. Lionel Bopage’s contributions have been quite useful for healthy debates on Sri Lanka and overall matters of politics and life. The above comment is also an insult to Nelson Mandela. Bopage was writing on Mandela and not on the JVP. What does it mean to say “Wijeweera was hiding as a upcountry govigama fellow”! It is despicable to see people using caste aspersions. This is not a political criticism of Wijeweera but a caste vilification.
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SIRIMAL / December 15, 2013
Agree with you fully. Unfortunately, majority of the commentators often seem to be focusing only on the personal life of the mentioned ones.
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punchisingho / December 15, 2013
I believe Bopage is and was a very honest person.He was a leader of the JVP whose objective was to form a socialist state.He was imprisoned not because he engaged in terrorist activities but because he was a leader of the JVP which tried to overthrow the Queen’s government which found no solution to the burning issues of the youth.
He was for the rights of the Tamils but he had to resign from the party when Wijeweera turned the JVP into a pro Sinhalese political party.
I do not know Bopage personally but I know he scarified many years of his life as a JVP leader for a better Sri Lanka though he could have led a comfortable life without doing politics as he was already an engineer.
If he had not left SL he would have been killed by Wijeweera’s people during 88-90 period.
I don’t see why he should not write from where he lives.
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Janaka / December 12, 2013
Lionel Bopage should be pardoned for his past political activities provided if he apologizes from the Sri Lankan people for what he did in the past.He never made a clear cut statement about wrong pathway taken by them in 1971 and 1977 to 1983( he resigned in 1983 from all political activities). But Neither he justified their past activities. However, I heard several times he proudly admired his past as a JVP activist.
Lionel Bopage is a peculiar character and exceptional JVP combatant compared to others such as Gamanayake and Sunanda Desapriya who were blind followers of Late Rohana Wijeweera.If I am correct Bopage Tried to divert the JVP in to genuine leftist direction right from the beginning as a solitary struggle within the party unsuccessfully.
We have to respect him due to several reasons, he never joined the capitalist party or he never betrayed his country to imperialist but most of other JVPers did it knowingly or unknowingly. Moreover, he voiced against racism and political murders, probably in both instances (1971 and 1983) he may have no any connection to political murders. According to A JUDGE in 1971 insurgency inquiry ,Lionel Bopage was supposed to be a moderate and intelligent(educated and English language ability) combatant among all including Rohana Wijeweera(Wijeweera probably suffered from a grandiose disorder)
However, all Sri Lankan have big query why he doesn’t open his mouth and educate the new generation against violence,racism , corruption and do self critisim about himself if he follows the great leader NELSON MANDELLA.(Mr.Mandella did what he preached except eradication of corruption in the government)
His Twitter web site has poor quality materials which are not compatible with matured ex-leftist who fought for the justice.
Bopage can answer these questions.
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Mahinda Plihawadana / December 13, 2013
The People of of South African mission and its task was incompleted and unfinished by that time Nelson Mandale was passaway.
Bopege was NOT not undertake liberation of people of Sri lanka.
He was pupet and products of JVP of Wjiweera` politics of by anarcaism and terrorism since 1968 to 1983.An evluation of Bopega`s anarchism need more blance-minded,thinking tank to be search.
Having right to write of Nelson Mandle is one thing, but judge on him,need right thinking people an open mined-set decided his words and deeds.
He is ever-never belongs to Socialism.1971 April revolt was NOT Spring of people of Ceylon?
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punchisingho / December 15, 2013
Mahinda P
Please learn English first and then write comments. We cannot understand what you have written here.
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SIRIMAL / December 15, 2013
JVP as I got to know was the medium to express the grievances of sinhala rural poor. 3 decades ago, they held all kind of discussions rounds after school, on weekends to feed the youth with their kind ideals. Those ideals as I learnt from my school mates, batch mates were very theoretical.
Some of them, broke away from the main party seem to have not respected the key principles of the party. The best example would be none other than the most known character – Wimal Weerawansa. He has become just a puppet of the current regime; being submissive ONLY to the perks, material values offered to him and his existence. Who can have a respect on that kind of politicians ?
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M P. / December 20, 2013
Dear Punchisingho,needless to JVP is terrorist out-fit,very incepation.
Pratice anarchism until now.JVP is not belongs to school of socilism.
Bopega was one of Terrorist leader,under were under the banner of PND (Rohana-alies Attnakye) Wijeweera of JVP.
I am not born in London.My english having mistakes ,that does matter is not apply to be extonrated Bopege from act of terrorism since 1968 to 1983.
You have to study on differance between Socialism and Anarchism-plus Terrorism.Is obvice Bopege is outright-anarchist.
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