Introduction

With the Fifth Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) convention held last week, the JVP is emerging as a party which is able to withstand many challenges and difficulties during various times. The Nation spoke to the new Propaganda Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath, a position once held by former JVP strongman Wimal Weerawansa. He revealed the forthcoming plans of the JVP.

Following are excerpts:
Q: You have been chosen as the new Propaganda Secretary of the JVP. What will be your challenges for the new role?
A: More than a challenge, it is a responsibility. I do not consider it as a privilege or a position of power. It is my responsibility to take the party’s principles forward to the people and to inform them that the JVP is a people oriented party. This new position is a challenge for me; however I have the determination and the will to fulfil this challenge.

Q: How do you feel about the 11 breakaways from the JVP?
A: Our Party is built on discipline. Every member in the party has to abide by the principle of the party, if not; they can’t stay in the party. Today, we are in need of a disciplined society. We need a disciplined party to create that society.
Today, what we feel about them is just compassion because we have only become stronger with their departure. Their separation from the party cannot challenge or cause any damage to us. Their departure has only made the JVP cleaner, as now there is no conspiracy against the party from inside.

Q: If the breakaway team including the former JVP strongman Wimal Weerawansa are not a threat to the JVP in any way, why is the party reacting to the statements made by them?
A: We are not reacting to them. However, they are trying to develop and to create a false image regarding the JVP. We have to correct that false propaganda and we have a responsibility to answer to the people and to inform them about the truth. We are not answering them, we are answering the people.

Q: At the fifth JVP convention, your party stated that they plan to ‘topple the government.’ How is your party planning to achieve this?
A: Today, the government has failed to help the people economically, socially and politically. The cost of living is more than what the people can tolerate. The government is destroying democracy while suppressing media freedom. At the end of the day, the people of this country are suffering.
So the need to topple this government is eminent. The JVP plans to do this through a broad national front created through patriotic and progressive elements in Sri Lanka. Through that power of the people, representing various individuals, groups and organisations we will topple this government.

Q: Speaking about the role played by the opposition today in Sri Lanka, do you think it is successful and is there a need for a collective opposition prevailing in the country?
A: The opposition should be a true patriotic front with correct principles. Unfortunately, the UNP doesn’t have those principles. In principle they are not patriotic; instead they are following a pro western foreign agenda. We can never coordinate and associate with such a party. The UNP is responsible for many things that are happening today.

However, they are parading to Colombo in bullock carts against the recent price hike of fuel, while they were the bulls who sold the monopoly of the CPC (Ceylon Petroleum Corporation) to the IOC (Indian Oil Company). We can only enter a collective opposition if we our principles are the same. But, we are hugely different when it comes to our principles, so I don’t see the possibility of a collective opposition. There are times when we do agree on certain issues, such as media freedom, but that doesn’t mean we will enter a collective opposition.

Q: If an invitation to form a collective opposition is submitted will the JVP accept it?
A: No, we are clearly not ready to enter into a collective opposition; especially with the UNP, because our principles are vastly different from theirs.

Q: Do you think the government is successful in conducting this war?
A: First of all, I would like to say that it is not the government who is fighting the war; it is the Sri Lankan forces. We should be proud of them for the job they are doing. However, the government is hiding behind the war today. They are putting everything behind the war. They have made it a mask. The economic crisis, depriving media freedom, the prevailing lack of democracy, violation of human rights and the government is blaming all of these issues on the war. The present government is acting like the Marcos regime by hiding behind the shield called ‘war.’

Q: MP Wimal Weerawansa is saying that the JVP is linked with the UNP. How true is this statement and if not, how are you’ll going to prove this allegation wrong?
A: Well, the truth is that statement is completely untrue. So there is no point or need for us to prove that wrong because there is nothing to prove. It is just fictional. He is trying to depict the idea that there is a split within the party and that a conspiracy supporting the UNP is existing within the JVP. However, that is not accurate. But earlier, there was a conspiracy to hang the JVP on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s satakaya, however that failed.

Q: There were various allegations directed at Weerwansa while he was an active member of the JVP. The party shielded him on many occasions and spoke on his behalf. However, the party’s opinion regarding him has changed now. Does the JVP regret standing by him during those difficult times?
A: Different allegations were levelled against him during various times. Even now, he is charged with many allegations by the party. He has accepted some of them. But in the past, if the JVP ever stood by him, it was not done with the intention of wrongfully defending him. Some of the stories published about him in the media were not true. It was only on those occasions that the party spoke on his behalf. But, when he was committing crimes, we never took his side unlike the present government who always takes Minister Mervyn Silva’s side, no matter what wrong he commits. For the JVP the law is the same for everybody.

Q: Why isn’t the JVP revealing the charges against Weerawansa to the public?
A: It is an internal issue within the party. He has admitted some of the issues against him. But we will not reveal those issues considering him as a person. Our party is still based on ethics and principles. So ethically, it is not correct to reveal those allegations to the public. Therefore, the JVP will not do such a thing.

Q: A new central committee has been appointed for the JVP. What changes will be shown from the party in the future?
A: The party has been given a new, young leadership. JVP has always been known to be a party that changes with society and the times. In Latin America, a struggle for freedom is existing today. This need is rising in Asia as well. We will address the issues of the people, economically, politically and socially. We plan to launch a series of seminars under the theme of ‘present challenges to the national freedom struggle’ in some districts. The Trade Union Federation will be held on July 3. We will have a series of protest campaigns against the government in the future as well.

Q: The Patriotic National Movement (PNM) is also facing a crisis at present. How does the JVP feel about this and which party does the JVP support?
A: The JVP pioneered in creating the PNM. We are the ones who directed Wimal into the Movement. However, today they are going through a difficult time, but we believe that their issues will be sorted out soon. And then the JVP will support the true national movement.