By Imtiyaz Razak –
A significant portion of Sinhala-Buddhists, including monks, supported the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP) in the recent September 2024 presidential election. The results indicate that the JVP captured a considerable share of votes from Mahinda Rajapaksa’s traditional Sinhala-Buddhist base. Emerging in the late 1960s as a radical leftist political entity, the JVP initially advocated for social justice and anti-imperialism. Over time, however, socio-political dynamics among Sinhala-Buddhists shaped the party’s ideology and its relationship with the Buddhist clergy. This commentary examines the interaction between the JVP, Buddhist monks, and Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony, highlighting their mutual influence on Sri Lanka’s political landscape.
Historical Context and Sinhala-Buddhist Hegemony
Post-independence Sri Lanka saw the rise of a dominant Sinhala-Buddhist identity, positioning Buddhism and the Sinhala language at the core of national identity. Political entities like the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) used this identity to gain support from the predominantly Sinhala-Buddhist populace. The Sinhala-only policy of 1956 exemplified this by marginalizing ethnic minorities, particularly Tamils, while intertwining nationalism with Buddhist identity.
The JVP’s political base lies predominantly in southern Sri Lanka, where Sinhala-Buddhists form a supermajority. Historically, this group has exhibited strong nationalist sentiments and is often economically vulnerable. A prevailing sense of minority complex has emerged, leading many Sinhala-Buddhists to believe that Sri Lanka belongs exclusively to them, with minorities existing only under Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony.
When the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) challenged the state and its Sinhala-Buddhist ideology, many Sinhala-Buddhists rallied behind the government. The JVP supported state efforts to combat what it labeled as terrorism and also mobilized young monks to oppose the Indo-Lanka Accord, which aimed to devolve power to Tamils. This context illustrates the JVP’s dual role as both a voice for the disenfranchised and a defender of Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism.
The Role of Monks
Buddhist monks have long held a significant position in Sri Lankan society, serving as moral and spiritual leaders. Their involvement in the JVP’s rise has been complex. Some monks supported the party’s critique of capitalism and colonialism, aligning their teachings with the JVP’s calls for social justice, particularly among younger monks sensitive to socio-economic disparities.
The JVP often incorporated Buddhist symbols and language into its narrative, appealing to the cultural sentiments of Sinhala-Buddhists. Monks, wielding considerable influence, played a crucial role in mobilizing grassroots support, lending moral legitimacy to the JVP’s agenda, particularly during social unrest, such as the 1971 insurrection. Monks who criticized government policies further reinforced the JVP’s image as a voice for the marginalized.
However, tensions also existed within this relationship. The JVP’s radicalism sometimes conflicted with conservative elements of the Buddhist clergy, reflecting the complexities within Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony as different factions navigated their roles in an evolving political landscape.
Why Do Monks Support the JVP?
The JVP has positioned itself as a defender of Sri Lankan sovereignty, voicing strong anti-imperialist sentiments. For many monks concerned with preserving Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage and strengthening the unitary state, this stance holds great significance. They fear foreign influence and the erosion of national identity. The JVP’s rhetoric around nationalism and self-determination resonates with monks who prioritize safeguarding Buddhism and Sri Lankan culture from external pressures.
Additionally, highly nationalistic political monks see Tamil nationalism as a threat. They have historically resisted any meaningful devolution of power to Tamils. During the JVP’s second violent insurrection from 1987 to 1989, the party opposed the Indo-Lanka Accord, and political monks similarly rejected it, enabling the JVP to forge alliances with nationalist monks.
Monks are actively involved in political advocacy, promoting Buddhist values and the rights of their communities. The JVP, with its grassroots organizing strategies, offers a platform for monks to engage politically while upholding their religious convictions. The party’s focus on collective action aligns with monks’ views on the importance of community engagement in both political and spiritual realms.
Growing dissatisfaction with political corruption and governance failures has further fueled support for alternative political movements, including the JVP. As moral authorities, monks are troubled by widespread corruption and mismanagement. The JVP’s promises of transparency and accountability resonate with monks seeking ethical leadership. Their support reflects a desire for a political landscape that embodies their values and serves the public good.
The JVP’s focus on issues like education, healthcare, and social welfare also aligns with the monks’ objectives of uplifting their communities. Monks often engage in charitable activities, and the JVP’s platform of improving public services complements their efforts.
The JVP and Sinhala-Buddhist Identity
The JVP’s ideology has been shaped by the socio-economic conditions of its time, particularly disillusionment with the political status quo. While the party has criticized Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony for perpetuating inequality, it also recognizes the necessity of engaging with this identity to rally support. The JVP frames its struggle as a broader fight against oppression, positioning itself as a defender of Sinhala-Buddhist interests, especially in rural areas. Many key revolutionaries in its failed violent uprisings were primarily rural Sinhala-Buddhists.
This ability to tap into Sinhala-Buddhist identity has allowed the JVP to transcend class-based politics, appealing to a sense of nationalism intertwined with social justice. This strategy helped the JVP gain traction among disenfranchised Sinhala-Buddhists who felt excluded from political processes. The JVP’s engagement with Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony exemplifies its adaptability, harnessing cultural sentiments while advocating for radical change.
Conclusion
The JVP, leveraging Sinhala-Buddhist support and monk mobilization, now plays a significant role in Sri Lanka’s political landscape. The relationship between the JVP, monks, and Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony reflects the complexities of Sri Lankan politics. While emerging as a radical leftist party advocating for social justice, the JVP’s engagement with Buddhist identity and monk support has been pivotal to its rise. This dynamic illustrates the intricate interplay of ideology, culture, and politics in a society marked by ethnic and religious diversity.
General elections are scheduled for the second week of November, followed by local council elections. These elections are crucial for the JVP as they aim to secure power at both the national and local levels. To achieve this, the JVP will likely reinforce its commitment to a key political symbol for Sinhala-Buddhists: the unitary state structure. Additionally, the JVP is expected to reject any political settlement that involves the demilitarization of the Northern Province.
As Sri Lanka goes through its historical narratives and socio-political realities, the legacy of the JVP and its interactions with Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony remain central to understanding ongoing struggles for identity, justice, and equality. This relationship reminds us that the paths toward social change are often shaped by the very cultural frameworks that seek to dominate them. Analyzing this interplay offers deeper insights into the enduring challenges facing Sri Lankan society today.
*Dr. A.R.M. Imtiyaz’s research focuses on nationalism and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and China. He has published widely in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, including World Affairs, Asian Ethnicity, Journal of Asian and African Studies, and South Asia. His articles explore the intersection of politics, identity, and conflict, providing a nuanced understanding of the complex realities faced by ethnic minorities.
Jaffna Man / October 8, 2024
This bowing before monks will kill all hopes we Tamils and Muslims have that this is a new beginning. As a believing Buddhist he can bow to the monks if he wants to, but when it is done for the cameras it is politics. It is dangerous for us minorities. He should stop it
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Tony / October 8, 2024
Minorities are the danger. They are the ones who have ruined the blessed Sinhala Buddhist national.
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SJ / October 8, 2024
If the minorities were not there, the majority would not have had a chance to unleash violence against them. So the minorities are to blame.
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Rohan25 / October 8, 2024
They have already told him or instructed his that he should safeguard race language and religion meaning the primary position of the Sinhalese, the Sinhalese language and Buddhism in a multiethnic, multilingual, and a multi religious country, where the Sinhalese and Sinhalese Buddhists are only in a majority, but it is not solely their land. Just like the ancient Sinhalese Buddhist history, nation kings and kingdoms, the island also has a far ancient Tamil Saivite history, an Eelam Tamil nation in the northeast and along the northwest coast, Tamil kings and kingdoms. The island had and had an ancient Sinhalese nation as well as an ancient Eelam Tamil nation. ruling their own land before European colonization, especially the British, Therefore how can this be a Sinhalese Buddhist only land, just because the British created a new colony only for their convenience by merging the once separate Sinhalese and Tamil nations and lands in 1833 to create a new colony called Ceylon and made the Sinhalese who were confined to the south of the island, the majority on the whole island?
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Rohan25 / October 8, 2024
Even now 25% of the island’s population speak Tamil and Tamil speakers are the majority in nine of the twenty-five districts and the city of Colombo. As you stated all these utterings and behaviour by the president and leaders dashes the hope of the island’s three Tamil communities and suspected all along the real Sinhalese Buddhist racist face of the JVP/NPP now coming out. As a private citizen and in his private capacity he has every right to bow before these racist yellow pets or fall at their feet or do whatever he wants but not as the president in front of the cameras, He did that during his inauguration bowing only before them and them loudly chanting and giving him his blessings. The other religious leaders were there just for show, he never bowed before them or got their blessings. It was an omen of what was to come. Everything only in Sinhalese and prominence given only to Buddhism. When I observed and commented on this, I was called bigoted racist by Sinhalese Buddhists, their supporters in and out of bed and a self-hating opportunistic Tamils. Like I stated before nothing is going to change. Different players but the same old story, at least for the Tamils and Muslims.
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old codger / October 8, 2024
I sense that some apostles for “System Change” have already realised that nothing is likely to change.
The real rulers of the country reside in Asgiriya and Malwatta. When AKD visited them, he was assigned an even lower chair than the Nilame seated next to him! Unless the NPP has the guts to take on the clergy, nothing will change.
But I personally am beginning to like the guy, because he’s continuing with Ranil’s economics. Just yesterday, the government borrowed 200 mn USD from the World Bank. Where are all those economic experts like Prof,. ASS Seneviratna of New Zealand? Those who expected petrol, LPG, chicken, fish, and income tax to fall overnight are in for a long wait.
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Mani / October 8, 2024
OC,
The NPP’s economic whiz kid Chaturanga was expecting US $ 1.5 billion just from the diaspora in the US (the ones going around in pink polo shirts with the compass sign), plus more from New Zealand and Australia, as per his facebook post before the election. Now if that had money arrived on time, the new NPP government might have not have to sign yet another loan agreement for a mere US 200 million from the World Bank. Perhaps the good prof from N.Z is busy collecting what is expected from there, so that AKD doesn’t have to increase Sri Lanka’s debt obligations once again.
And btw, the egg prices have gone up again because the chickens have gotten wise and are now keeping the commission for themselves.
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old codger / October 9, 2024
Mani,
“the egg prices have gone up again because the chickens have gotten wise and are now keeping the commission for themselves.” 🤣🤣
How gullible can some people be?
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SJ / October 9, 2024
Rather childish.
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SJ / October 8, 2024
If something customary is all right, why should one not do it before a camera?
Nowadays cameras are almost everywhere.
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Ruchira / October 9, 2024
“This bowing before monks will kill all hopes we Tamils and Muslims have that this is a new beginning. […] when it is done for the cameras it is politics.”
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Why are you silent of the fact that he went an met Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the Christian clergy the very next after being sworn in?.
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He may not have bowed the same way he bowed in front of the Buddhists monks, in front of them. But that is to be expected, as the bowing you refer to is the particular way of paying respect not just to the monks but also to other senior figures like parents, other elder relatives like grand parenrs, uncle and aunts and even your own elder siblings and teachers included aming the Sinhala Buddhist community.
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When he met the Cristian clergy that too was accompanied by a camera crew, according to your own reasoning is POLITICS.
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It looks like you are attacking the age old cultural norms and practices of Sinhala Buddhists by unduly focusing on this bowing while ignoring he met the Christian clergy the same way with an accompanying crew of camera men!
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TBC
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Ruchira / October 9, 2024
“When he met the Cristian clergy that too was accompanied by a camera crew, and widely televised. According to your own reasoning that too is POLITICS. But you completely ignore the fact.
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It looks like you are attacking the age old cultural norms and practices of Sinhala Buddhists by unduly focusing on this bowing while ignoring that he met the Christian clergy to the same way with an accompanying crew of camera men.
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Furthermore, why his bowing in front of the monks is dangerous to minorities and he should stop it?
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Are you saying Sinhalese Buddhists practicing their culture is dangerous to minorities and therefore should be stopped?
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What exactly is your argument?
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TBC
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Ruchira / October 9, 2024
When Rishi Sunak was sworn in as the Premier of the United Kingdom, he took the oath on Baghavat Githa- was it then not dangerous to Christians in the UK, the Muslims abd other minorities like Buddhists in the UK.
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IT is customery for the Chinese and the Japanese to bow at each other when they greet. Is that dangerous to the Indians, the Hindus, the Muslims, and the Christians, abd therefore should be stopped?
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What is that you try to communicate if not anger and hatred, hostility towards Sinhala Buddhists?
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Ruchira / October 9, 2024
Additionally Harini Amarasooriya having gone to pay homage to the temple of the tooth had gone and met the Cardinal too. She had posed for a photograph with him which was shown on news media. Should we the Sinhala Buddhists consider that as a danger to us and ask Ms. Amarasooriya to stop it?
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TBC
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Ruchira / October 9, 2024
Here’s a quote from the website of the arch bishop of Canterbury on the occassion of the Coronation of King Charles the third which too was done or the cameras.
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Quote
//Coronation […] At its centre is a Christian service in which His Majesty will be anointed as King. It will be rooted in longstanding tradition and Christian symbolism. We offer prayers for the King and the Royal Family for this important occasion.
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We hope that this would be a moment for the nation and many around the world to encounter the person of Jesus Christ, the servant King, and hear His call to each of us to serve others.//
Unquote
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Is that not a danger to the people of other faiths living in the United Kingdom and perhaps other nations of the Commonwealth?
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / October 8, 2024
It is time to abandon community politics and ethno-religious political platforms. For too long, as a counter to the Buddhist “supremacist” notions nurtured to gain political mileage, the minorities adopted wholly communal based political identities. The NPP, after the general elections will gradually change the Sri Lankan identity to one of an inclusive nature that sheds its ethnic and religious flags. No special status will be given to any religion. The seemingly “Buddhist” people in yellow robes masquerading as “monks” have not educated the people on the teachings of the Buddha but perverted their role into a political force that is destructive and very misleading. The population have not become more decent or pious in practice. On the contrary, lying and stealing have almost become the norm and accepted in society. This condition will need to be gradually dismantled along with the endemic corruption that has ruined what was once a resplendent isle of bounty with plenty into an impoverished broken country.
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Tony / October 8, 2024
BECAUSE SRI LANKA IS A BUDDHIST COUNTRY!!!!
BECAUSE BUDDHA VISITED SRI LANKA!!!!
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Besides, as a member of non-indiginiouse community, what right do you have to challenge Buddha-Shasanaya’s place in Sri Lanka? Would you dare challenge Mus11m countries for their strong attachment to their faith?
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AKD’s priority should be serving justice to victim mothers of Kurunegala medical practitioner and Easter day victims. Both crimes have been swept under the carpet to please Mus1m voters.
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old codger / October 8, 2024
Tony,
“Besides, as a member of non-indiginiouse community”
Are you “indigenous “? If so, how long is your tail, and where do you keep it?
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Manel Fonseka / October 8, 2024
What the HELL !!!!! Do u MEAN, Tony!!!!!
by “justice to victim mothers of Kurunegala medical practitioner”?????
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You should be calling for justice for the REAL victim of that concocted falsehood (to put it mildly) — Dr Shafi. His reputation, career/job, his family’s lives, were all devastated by the actions of a jealous doctor, &/or director of the Kurunegala Teaching hospital, spurred on by a political Buddhist monk, & spread throughout the country by a vile element of the Sinhala press.
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Dr Shafi’s innocence, was finally upheld but still didn’t satisfy certain elements (like Dr Gnana Sankaralingam whose response matched the kind of SB racism that he must have experienced ).
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Witness his refusal to back down when one CT contributor took the trouble to write an open apology to Dr Shafi, in CT.
Perhaps you should read that & the supporting comments of so readers. Dr GS insistence on his dissenting position is quite disturbing.
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See:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/an-apologia-concerning-dr-shafi-shihabdeen/
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old codger / October 9, 2024
Isn’t it about time that the NPP government investigated the role of racists like Ratana, Jayasumana, and Padeniya in the Dr. Shafie affair? They have got away scot free for too long. Along with the “Divaina, they should be at least made to pay heavy fines like the accused in the Easter bombing case.
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LankaScot / October 8, 2024
Hello Tony,
I have my wife’s Passport in front of me; it says DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA, It doesn’t mention Buddhism. My Pakistani friend’s passport says ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN, it does mention Islam. My one is now Blue and doesn’t mention the European Union after Brexit. It says UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
Please ask one of the indigenous people (like Native Vedda) for their opinion?
And by the way I think the Easter Bombings have been dropped from political discourse deliberately. I doubt if AKD would survive a full and transparent Investigation of the Bombings. This is not, in my opinion, to satisfy the Muslims, but to protect certain Politicians and ex Military personnel.
Best regards
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leelagemalli / October 8, 2024
Tony,
“AKD’s priority should be serving justice to victim mothers of Kurunegala medical practitioner and Easter day victims”.
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Dr Safi s racial story was made to mislead the Tony or the like [sinhala Buddhist]SB buddists in reptile disguise. Thise fake mothers are said to have their next babies in between.
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Anyways , this became clear with the court decision 2 years ago.
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Nevertheless Tony or the beasts remain as before. These men should be hanged by investigating the cases again.
My million dollar question is if Buddha visited this country 🤔 so as BPs loud repeatedly, how could it be possible poisonous ones are the majority 🤔?
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Btw, hatreds of so called Buddhists are multiple fold stronger than that Israel Zionists. Alas, What a hell filled with sb reptiles? 😳
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Mani / October 8, 2024
An excellent analysis, Dr. Imtiyaz, on why a left party within the specific socio-cultural and political context of Sri Lanka cannot escape being entangled with the Buddhist religious hierarchy and the dominant ideology of the country. This is why any constitutional change the NPP/JVP has in mind will never include a secular state, a scare tactic used by their political opponents. This would be political suicide for the NPP – even with a more secure mandate. The most that might be accomplished with more awareness-raising among people is that all religions are treated equally by the state but even this would be unlikely under a NPP regime. A unitary state, police and land powers within the central government, and the privileged position of Buddhism vis a vis the state are all likely to stay firmly in place under a NPP regime.
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RBH59 / October 8, 2024
Why Does The JVP Need The Support Of Monks?
The National People’s Power (NPP) calls upon the monks to support its efforts in addressing the injustice it faced from past governments, who sidelined the party through false narratives. These governments projected an image that the NPP was incapable of engaging with global platforms, merely because of its rejection of the ‘coat-and-tie’ approach. Without the backing of our respected clergy, this narrative may persist, and support from various quarters could diminish.”
So that they explain to normal people
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