The JVP Bus

By Lionel Bopage –January 26, 2016 

Dr. Lionel Bopage

The necessity for changing the political culture of distorting history and resorting to personal slander: Part VIII

During the Presidential election in January 2010, I had my own personal experiences regarding the sneaky activities of certain JVP leaders that prevented my presence on the opposition candidate’s election platform in canvassing people against the previous regime. An incident similar to this, on 2 April 2015, appears to indicate that the JVP had been behind the influencing of the ITN not to telecast an interview conducted with Kumar. Why the current JVP leadership does not want any erstwhile leaders to appear on political platforms is only understandable in the context of the ongoing power struggle between the two factions, and the way the JVP has previously used falsification of history and personal slander as weapons against their political opponents.

I believe that the political culture of the JVP needs to change in order to embrace and welcome inclusiveness of diversity that exists even within the left movement. In the current environment, this acquires added significance because of the role the JVP plays in national politics, and its relationship with other political entities of the left. The JVP appears to be endeavouring to re-emerge as a significant political force by gaining people’s recognition and support. The people appears appreciative of the role the JVP plays in courageously exposing criminal and corrupt behaviour. Despite this, the JVP has not been able to establish itself as the alternative that people could rely on at least to elect it as the country’s parliamentary opposition.

In the early 1980s Mr. Prins Gunasekara, who currently lives in London used to say that the JVP was like a passenger bus, where people get in from the front door and get down from the back, and it never gets full. Recently what we have witnessed appears to be analogous to more people getting down from the JVP bus. Many wish that the JVP would take bold steps for leading people in a progressive and inclusive direction for building a better society. The JVP may need not only a socio-economic policy calculus to counter neo-liberalism, but also a structure that will value a better political culture, free of falsification of history, personal slander and use of physical violence. Political opposition can be challenged only by taking clear unambiguous positions on the issues of democracy and good governance that have now become controversial and debatable. The JVP does not need to make those who do not agree with its political positions antagonistic. In being honest about its political past, the JVP would be able to win over people’s trust to become the only viable left alternative.

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