By Shamindra Ferdinando

Accusing the UNP of seeking to return to power with the backing of the TULF-led four-party Tamil Alliance that represents the LTTE, the SLMC and the ex-PA rogues, the JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva on Tuesday vowed that they would not permit the UNP to triumph at the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Delivering the ‘12th November Heroes Commemoration’ speech at the open air theatre of the Viharamahadevi Park, he pledged that the JVP would not let the UNP, responsible for slaying the then JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera, the then General Secretary Upatissa Gamanayake and thousands of activists during their second abortive insurgency, to succeed at the upcoming election.

He said that their beloved leader was tortured and then killed on November 13, six years ago by Ranasinghe Premadasa’s UNP. The leader was killed at the end of the second insurgency.

The JVP suffered its first defeat in 1971, he said adding that despite losing thousands of activists during the two insurgencies, the party was able to bounce back. Expressing ire at the way, the JVP leadership was decimated during the second JVP inspired insurgency, he assured the gathering that the party would do ‘everything possible’ to crush the UNP bid to regain power.

Detailing sacrifices made by their predecessors, he urged the new generation of JVPers to join the leadership in achieving their political goals. He expressed confidence that masses would rally around the party. They have no option, he declared stressing that the JVP is the only party that could change the country reeling under economic, social and security problems.

The JVP did not hold ‘November Heroes Commemoration’ ceremonies publicly before 1994 because there was ‘no political environment.’ Public ceremonies were possible only after the UNP lost the parliamentary elections in August 1994.

The party had to face many challenges, obstacles and threats, he said expressing satisfaction that they succeeded in having 10 seats at the last parliament. Pointing out that their opponents never expected the JVP to gain 10 seats, the General Secretary said that they could not have achieved anything if they did not adopt the late leader’s strategies.

The party achieved a lot in the past few years, he said while describing the 35-day period during which the MoU between the JVP and the PA was in operation from September 5, 2001 to October 10, 2001 as ‘a golden period.’ The ruling party had to kneel down before the JVP, he said. It was a miracle. Our political opponents never expected to the JVP to do what it did in September, he said expressing confidence that capitalist political parties would not be able to put an end to their [JVP] forward march.

The late leader never wanted to enter parliament. He could have achieved a lot for the masses if the UNP did not kill him. However, the party would continue to be benefited by his strategies. For everything, we have accomplished in the past, particularly in the past seven years, the late leader’s strategies played a pivotal role. He was an ordinary man. But, what he did was not ordinary, he said while blasting so-called left politicians who took advantage of the first given opportunity to secure ministerial posts. There is a huge difference between them and the JVP, the General Secretary declared expressing disgust at the way, these politicians took advantage of the people’s support and then abandoned them when they had an opportunity to ‘go places.’

He was also critical of activists who quit the party.

Former JVP MP Anura Dissanayake, in his speech that preceded the one delivered by the General Secretary, said that their beloved leader predicted 35 years ago ‘what we are facing today.’ Dissanayake too urged the people to rally around the JVP and work towards victory while warning that failure to take the right path, at least now would destroy this country.