{"id":237363,"date":"2024-06-20T16:00:46","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T10:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=237363"},"modified":"2024-07-03T23:25:49","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T17:55:49","slug":"npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"NPP – A Reformed & Mature Political Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Asoka S. Seneviratne<\/a> –<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Prof. Asoka.S. Seneviratne<\/p><\/div>\n

The political landscape of Sri Lanka has been rapidly changing, given this year’s Elections. The National People\u2019s Power (NPP) is gaining popularity. UNP, SLFP, SJB, and SLPP treat the JVP\/NPP as the common enemy. Among many, the killings\/violence in 1971 and 1988\/1989 have been used as the primary weapon to attack JVP\/NPP, which is sold dearly or very cheaply.However, the killings\/violence of JVP in the past is not a concern at all for the majority of people because talking and focusing on them will not help them resolve their problems at this juncture. NPP resulted in a reformed or evolutional process of JVP in 1971 towards parliamentary democracy. The article is based on solid points and is written to defeat or criticize the cheap and malicious arguments of the four political parties combined. Today, the JVP\/NPP is a mature and refined political party backed by the masses, outperforming its rivals in the democratic arena. This counters the notion that the JVP\/NPP is a group of individuals unfit for national leadership, instilling confidence in its ability to lead effectively and generate the fundamental change people have wanted since 1948.<\/p>\n

This article has two Parts. Part I explains the history of the JVP, which the opposition attacks based on its violence, and how the JVP\/NPP views and explains the past. Part II describes how the NPP, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has gained popularity irrespective of the past and reached maturity in the context of parliamentary democracy to lead the nation.<\/p>\n

PART I. Evolutionary process of JVP from violence toward parliamentary democracy<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The political landscape of Sri Lanka has been rapidly changing, given this year’s Elections. Headed by Anura Kumara Dissanayake<\/a><\/span>, the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna – JVP, The National People\u2019s Power (NPP) is a broad-based unification or coalition. The escalation of trust and popularity of the JVP\/NPP has meant that four other political parties, namely, UNP, SJB, SLFP, and SLPP, treat the JVP\/NPP as the common enemy. The four parties mentioned started attacking the JVP\/NPP insolation last year. This year, they are in a coalition, but the only thing we have not heard about is that they have not signed an alliance to work against JVP\/NPP. What has happened is similar to bees attacking when their beehive is disturbed.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Among many, the killings\/violence in 1971 and 1988\/1989 have been used as the primary weapon to attack JVP\/NPP, which is sold dearly or very cheaply. However, the killings\/violence of JVP in the past is not a concern at all for the majority of people because talking and focusing on them will not help them resolve their problems at this juncture. Also, the four parties use many other cheap and malicious tactics to undermine the increasing popularity of the JVP\/NPP. Based on solid points, it is in the above context that this article is written to defeat or criticize the cheap and malicious arguments of the four political parties combined.<\/p>\n

Insurrections in 1971 and 1988\/1989-the Cheap Weapon of the 4-Party Coalition<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It is axiomatic or evident that none in this civilized world approves of any form of killing, murder, aggression, terror, or violence against humanity. So does the JVP\/NPP. No doubt, the JVP\/NPP had been convinced of how the people felt about the so-called brutal killings, murders, aggression, terror, or violence of any form against humanity in 1971 and 1988\/1989. In light of the above, on numerous occasions, both nationally and internationally, the JVP\/ NPP leadership has profoundly and categorically apologized and deeply regretted what had happened in the past. It is a political and broader apology coming from the bottom of their hearts without either a demand or a request made upon them to do so. It has been an admission to the fact on the ground.\u00a0 <\/span>Indeed, such painful memories cannot easily be forgotten or overlooked by an apology.<\/p>\n

The JVP Insurrections may have been marked as somewhat dark chapters of the history of Sri Lanka. However, JVP\/NPP cannot change or bury the past today. Instead, it has to walk to the future uninterrupted with the experience. This is not a weakness at all. It is the strength in the right direction. It should be noted that JVP was founded as a result of highly marginalized farmers\/cultivators, students, labourers, and unemployed youth. This foundation is solid forever. In the above context, the JVP\/NPP is determined to march on the democratic path to accord due value and recognition to the people who lost their lives as a result of the two insurrections in 1971 and 1988\/1989. So, the profound apology extended and the deep regret expressed are both meaningful and logical. Except for apologizing and regretting what else JVP\/NPP has to do at this juncture, the four parties, as mentioned earlier, must explain without looking into cheap politics. In short, UNP and SLFP are not pious people, as I will explain their notorious acts later in this article.<\/p>\n

In contrast, JVP is rapidly evolving to meet the expectations of the masses that have been deprived since independence in 1948. As mentioned above, the masses expect a better future under a government headed by JVP\/NPP as they have been fed up with the pretty and opportunistic politics of the four parties.<\/p>\n

It is not JVP\/NPP alone for murders\/violence and political apologies. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

We all know about the Nazi Holocaust, which slaughtered 6 million Jews during World War Two. After four decades of denying responsibility, Germany in 1990 apologized for the carnage. \u201cEast Germany\u2019s first free Parliament admits joint responsibility on behalf of the people for the expulsion murderer of Jewish women, men, and children.\u201d It is not intended to contrast and compare what happened during the Second World War and the two insurrections in Sri Lanka. They are neither identical nor similar. It is a fact that realizing the breadth and depth of the wrongdoings by the JVP in the past extends a profound apology and deep regret. Also, in 1990, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev admitted that the Union was responsible for the massacre of Polish POWs at the Katyn forest. Austria, in 2002, apologized for a clinic at Am Spiegelgrund in which 789 mentally handicapped children were subjected to medical experiments and murder during the Nazi regime. In January 1998, British Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized for the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” massacre of 19 civilians in Northern Ireland. If we search, we can find a long list of political apologies extended by the states or authorities, such as Anura Kumara Dissanayake, for brutal killings, murders, aggression, terror, or violence of any form against humanity. \u00a0 <\/span>We cannot generalize world experience or evidence for brutal killings, murders, aggression, terror, or violence of any form against humanity.\u00a0 <\/span>Once an apology has been extended, it cannot be withdrawn at whatever cost.\u00a0 <\/span>On the other side, given the circumstances and situations in which brutal killings, murders, aggression, terror, or violence took place in history.\u00a0 <\/span>The JVP cannot change the history or rewrite it at all. Except the JVP has to walk keeping the unpleasant past on its shoulder, what benefits will it bring to the onlookers and for ourselves? None. The four parties in the opposition should look for other ways and means to engage in constructive and productive politics instead of using rotten ideas and hateful campaigns against JVP\/NPP.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We should not forget that UNP and SLFP were involved in kidnappings, murders, assaults, and harassment.\u00a0 <\/span>In short, they are not pious people<\/b>. As it is well known to the public, I will not detail them. However, it is worth mentioning the broad daylight murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor of the Sunday Leader, disappeared of Prageet Ekneligoda, for which his wife is still searching for an answer, and\u00a0 <\/span>Keith Noyahr of The Nation\u00a0newspaper <\/i>was abducted and severely assaulted.\u00a0 <\/span>Black July in 1983 took place under the regime of UNP, in which innocent people were attacked, looted, killed, and burned. The notorious murderous gang leader Gonawala Sunil was appointed as a JP by the UNP regime.\u00a0 <\/span>Thugs associated with President JR Jayewardene (2008) attacked the houses of the judges. At the same time, President Mahinda Rajapaksa lashed out at the country\u2019s Supreme Court, accusing it of undermining his powers, and issued a barely disguised threat that judges could find themselves the target of violent thugs. Given the two presidents’ anti-governance practices, Sri Lanka is the luckiest country to seek\u00a0 <\/span>IMF bailout for the 17 time in 2023.\u00a0 <\/span>Furthermore, it is so unfortunate that a few young parliamentarians in the government and SJB are shouting at NPP, not knowing the thug’s behavior and responses of JR and MR in the past. It may be that they are following the footsteps of JR and MR differently with NPP.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

JVP Renounced Violence and Entering the Main Stream Politics in 1994<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

According to the experience of the political movements in the world, they move along the theory\/philosophy, practice, and experience. \u2018Marxism is a social and political philosophy that analyses the impact of the ruling class on the laborers, leading to uneven distribution of wealth and privileges in the society that stimulates workers to protest the injustice.\u2019 Given the injustice mentioned above, JVP attacked enemies face to face, but they have retreated and leaned from their experience. The result is that the JVP renounced all forms of violence against humanity and entered mainstream politics in 1994 with only one seat in the Parliament. This marked a significant milestone in the evolving politics of JVP. In 2000, the JVP had ten seats in the Parliament, and it won 16 of the 225 seats in the Parliament in December 2001. The above was significant because the JVP became the country\u2019s third-largest party behind the UNP and the SLFP. The above-mentioned winning spree did not stop there. In 2004, JVP had 39 seats in the parliament. JVP was the Chief Opposition from 2015 to 2018. One crucial point is that the JVP\/NPP leader stated several times that it did not engage in any form of violence after 1994, even though their members faced assaults\/deaths<\/b>. The above facts indicate that JVP emerged as a dominant player within the political mainstream of parliamentary democracy in Sri Lanka, along with the increasing support of the people, irrespective of the past, associated with insurrections in 1971 and 1988\/1989.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, it also highlights the structural changes in JVP politics for future consolidation. The critics of the JVP cannot assess and evaluate the above because they are blind in the absence of constructive arguments and acceptable evidence to convince the public of a meaningful engagement. It should be noted that most of the speakers during the elections from 1994 to 2004 talked against JPV based on the terrorist practices in 1971 and 1988\/1989. But the people did not listen to them or take care of them at all. The winning spree mentioned above provides solid evidence contrasting criticism of the opposition parties. It is so unfortunate that opposition parties totally forgot the above and talked cheaply about the violence of JVP in 1971 and 1988\/1989.\u00a0 <\/span>Since 2004, 20 years have passed by, and the popularity of the JVP\/NPP is rapidly increasing. However, four opposition parties use the same language or waffle to attack the JVP\/NPP, which is in vain and shows nothing but political bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

JVP\u2019s Political Alliance with President Chandrika Kuamratunga Government\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga, the leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Peramuna (SLMP) in 1988 by the Patriotic People\u2019s Movement, the military wing of the JVP, is on record.\u00a0 <\/span>This unfortunate incident has been a black mark carved on the rock of Sri Lanka politics, particularly for the JVP. Many mourners attended the Vijaya Kumaratunga funeral, the first to be broadcast live on Sri Lankan television by the\u00a0 Sri Lanka Rupavahini corporation.<\/p>\n

This funeral was along the history of two insurrections in 1971 and 1988\/1989 in which a large number of people were said to have been dead. The Vijaya Kumaratunga\u2019s assassination took place in 1988, well before the JVP renounced violence and entered mainstream politics in 1994.<\/p>\n

Given the above, expecting or believing that Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga will have a political marriage with her husband’s assassin is challenging. However, when the JVP renounced violence and entered mainstream politics in 1994, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, as the country’s President, forgot the unpleasant past associated with the JVP. Anura became a cabinet minister in her government. Some people may view this as a silent political pardon because the government’s priority then was the country and its people. On the other hand, most people were concerned about their welfare and well-being, given the array of economic and social factors that affected their lives negatively, which is similar today.\u00a0 <\/span>Furthermore, there is no room or benefit for them to focus and talk about the violence of the JVP in the past. \u00a0 <\/span>In this regard, there is no doubt that people will vote for NPP this year; hence, the number of parliamentary seats will increase to over 160. There is no doubt that the outcome of the November Presidential election will be the end of the world for several top politicians, including Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maithripala Sirisena, Dinesh Gunawardena, and a large majority of MPs and ministers of their respective parties. Anura will undoubtedly win, and Sajith will follow him. <\/b><\/p>\n

The turning point in the history of the JVP, marked in 1994, will move uninterrupted in the right direction in the future, too. In other words, a massive jump in the JVP or a landslide victory for the JVP\/NPP is unavoidable.<\/p>\n

In 1971 and 1988\/1989, students from universities and other higher education institutions were active with JVP. However, the above participation was insufficient to make JVP a national movement embodied by the masses. This is one of the reasons for its failure and, hence, its defeat. Now, the NPP movement is supported by the masses from every nook and corner of the country. Given the above, it will undoubtedly succeed, as the struggle of the new generation OR ARAGALAYA witnessed in 2022. <\/b><\/p>\n

JVP\/NPP is uprooted in villages and semi-urban areas and hence abandoned <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Critics argue that JVP\/NPP cannot face and move with people in villages and semi-urban areas because they have been abandoned by the people. <\/b>They quote that t<\/b>he JVP\u2019s insurrection activities were concentrated and more intensively in rural and semi-urban areas, aiming and attacking police stations than in main cities in the country because most of the JVP members were from the areas described above. Thus, the people in rural and semi-urban areas are not expected to favour or support JVP because of the numerous hardships they encountered along with the two insurrections. However, the JVP has been continuously thriving in rural and semi-urban areas, paving the way for people to organize and come forward to achieve the goals and aspirations that gave birth to the JVP in 1968.<\/p>\n

If the people listened to or swallowed the opposition\u2019s claims, they must have vehemently condemned and rejected JVP. If so, massive political rallies like the sea waves of the NPP cannot take place in every nook and corner of the country.<\/p>\n

It is worth noting that most of those political rallies are organized and managed by the people of the rural and semi-urban areas of the country. NPP is, therefore, more strategically oriented than their rival political parties of the country in winning the less fortunate peasant farmers and labourers. The JVP\/NPP leadership attends and addresses those political rallies without hesitation or fear. The conclusion is that the people suffered hugely and grieved extensively by the two insurrections. However, the same people are at the forefront of the NPP political rallies. This means that the ugly face of the devil or daemon created by the opposition about JVP\/NPP to exert fear, confusion, and uncertainty among the voters is null and void.<\/p>\n

Retired police and army personnel are in no way with JVP\/NPP<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

By giving a score of the innocent and a vast number of police and army officers who were killed during 1971 and 1988\/1989 instructions, opponents argued that retired police and army officers would even never support JVP\/NPP for whatever circumstances or situation. The feeling and acceptance that police and army personnel are the people who help and assist people on all occasions, from life to death, based on law and order, have the reasons for the conviction of the people for such a conclusion not to support JVP\/NPP. It was in the past or 30 years ago. Incredibly, the personnel mentioned above of all ranks are rallying with JVP\/NPP today. Indeed, this was the most unexpected in contrast to the opposition attacking JVP\/NPP. We must admit that we cannot change history. But history teaches us suitable lessons that any form of violence is not tolerated at all. At the same time, quoting history or violence cannot heal the economic wounds that people are suffering from. They need a solution or a long-lasting solution that has been in power since 1948 has failed. The JVP\/NPP, including retired police and army personnel, with their unwavering support and constructive participation, is committed to delivering the fundamental change people have been waiting for since 1948<\/b>. In short, this is part and parcel of the evolutionary process of JVP and the parliamentary democracy<\/b>.<\/p>\n

To be continued in Part II\u2026. <\/b><\/p>\n

*The writer worked as the Special Advisor to the Office of the President of Namibia and was a Senior Consultant with UNDP for 16 years. He worked as a Senior Economist with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (1972-1993) before he migrated to New Zealand. The author can be contacted at <\/b>asoka.seneviratne@gmail.com<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2725,"featured_media":237364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2186,46,8,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-featured-news","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nNPP - A Reformed & Mature Political Movement - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NPP - A Reformed & Mature Political Movement - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-20T10:30:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-03T17:55:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"942\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/\",\"name\":\"NPP - A Reformed & Mature Political Movement - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-20T10:30:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-03T17:55:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":942},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"NPP – A Reformed & Mature Political Movement\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92\",\"name\":\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Asoka. S. Seneviratne\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/asssen\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"NPP - A Reformed & Mature Political Movement - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"NPP - A Reformed & Mature Political Movement - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[…]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2024-06-20T10:30:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-07-03T17:55:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":942,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/","name":"NPP - A Reformed & Mature Political Movement - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg","datePublished":"2024-06-20T10:30:46+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-03T17:55:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg","width":1440,"height":942},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/npp-a-reformed-mature-political-movement\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"NPP – A Reformed & Mature Political Movement"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b111fcf4253ada71e638c0d3ad232b92","name":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9924cc30581258b289539a6a7328050c6f1748b943ca65d2095a928c7dc65a8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Asoka. S. Seneviratne"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/asssen\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Anura-Kumara-Dissanayake.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2725"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237363"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":237375,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237363\/revisions\/237375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}