{"id":132833,"date":"2014-11-12T11:02:44","date_gmt":"2014-11-12T05:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=132833"},"modified":"2014-11-19T02:46:31","modified_gmt":"2014-11-18T21:16:31","slug":"jvps-second-uprising-and-the-moral-breakdown-of-the-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/jvps-second-uprising-and-the-moral-breakdown-of-the-society\/","title":{"rendered":"JVP\u2019s Second Uprising And The Moral Breakdown Of The Society"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Basil Fernando<\/span><\/a> –<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Basil<\/a>

Basil Fernando<\/p><\/div>\n

The 13<\/span>th <\/sup>of November (<\/span>tomorrow<\/i>) will be the 25<\/span>th<\/sup> Death Anniversary of Rohana Wijeweera<\/span><\/a>, the late leader of the JVP, <\/span>Janatha Vimukthi Peramuana<\/i> (The Peoples Liberation Front). It is perhaps an appropriate moment to recall the cruelty and the violence engaged in by the JVP as well as of the government security forces in during the so called \u2018second uprising\u2019. I propose to do so through a short reflection on a poem which I wrote, of an actual incident that took place during this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The poem talks about a good man, who happened to be a lawyer, and whom I knew very well. I have only disguised his name but the rest of the details are photographically true.<\/p>\n

The poem depicts not merely the utter senselessness and the unabridged nature of the cruelty which the JVP rank and file proved that they were capable of. They were in fact acting under the overall guidance of the JVP leadership including that of Rohana Wijeweera.<\/p>\n

\"Wijeweera\"<\/a>

Wijeweera<\/p><\/div>\n

The JVP was molded on the ideological foundation created by Joseph Stalin and believed in the use of terror as a progressive instrument for change. What this meant was that intimidation and fear were necessary components \u00a0of success and all moral considerations should be abandoned in the pursuit of the objectives of the party.<\/p>\n

The absurdity, to which such an ideology was lead to, became clearly manifested in over, literarily, thousands of incidents that took place throughout the country.<\/p>\n

The security forces acted with even more cruelty and ferocity.<\/p>\n

A sensitive citizen, such as my friend depicted in this poem, could see no purpose in adjusting to the social ethos created by this terror.<\/p>\n

It was the government that took best advantage of this situation to achieve its own ends by creating conditions for suppression of each and every person, living at the time.<\/p>\n

The impact, of this terror, still lives on.<\/p>\n

How Gunadasa Died<\/b><\/p>\n

Go, go, said he,
\nLaughing loud,
\nSmiling, his face radiating\u00a0 happiness.
\nHe was a villager from Baddegama.
\nThough lawyer with a subtle mind
\nCapable of making clever arguments,
\nHe had a rural\u00a0 soul
\nThat had survived through centuries.
\nHis name was Gunandasa Baddegama.<\/p>\n

Yet one day
\nThis man and his smile
\nCame to an end.<\/p>\n

Having received a message
\nOf tragedy befalling
\nOne of his brothers
\nWho walked
\nOn a day the insurgents
\nHad declared a curfew.
\nHe hurriedly left for his village.<\/p>\n

When he went there,
\nWhat he saw
\nOn the road,
\nCovered with a cloth –
\nA body cut into pieces.<\/p>\n

It was a different man
\nThat retuned.
\nNever was there a smile
\nOn his face again,
\nThinner he got each day.
\nHis body shrunk
\nLike a lizard.
\nSome said \u201cit\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0 Cancer\u201d
\n\u201c There\u2019s no disease to be found,\u201d
\nSaid the doctors,
\n\u201cThere\u2019s no medicine for this,
\nExcept a miracle,\u201d<\/p>\n

Said a professor.
\nThinner and thinner he wasted away,
\nIn a final defiance against the inhumanity
\nHe witnessed.<\/p>\n

This poem was originally published in Sinhalese and it was translated by me into English.<\/p>\n

*About the author: Basil Fernando, Director Policy and Programme Development, AHRC\/ALRC<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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