The JVP participated in the 1994 general election under the Nation Salvation Front, concerned that voters might recall the party’s violent history during the 1988-89 period. At the time, the JVP lacked a strong campaign slogan, as their previous anti-Indian and anti-provincial council rhetoric had lost relevance. Instead, they adopted the slogan of abolishing the executive presidency.
During the 1994 presidential election, JVP candidate and MP Nihal Galappatti struck an agreement with then-Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga, the United Front’s candidate. In exchange for her commitment to abolish the executive presidency on a date set by the JVP, Galappatti withdrew from the race. However, after assuming office, Chandrika failed to fulfil this promise, leaving the JVP without a strong political message.
By the time of the 1997 local government elections, the party was in need of a new rallying cry. It was Wimal Weerawansa, contesting for the Colombo Municipal Council, who ultimately provided the JVP with a new slogan.
‘Both are the same – This time, we are with the JVP…’
This is the slogan that Wimal used to rejuvenate JVP. Wimal was the ideal speaker to instill this slogan. With this Wimal became the superstar of the JVP. It did not take very long for Wimal to become the superstar of Sri Lankan politics. The JVP contested the 1999 provincial council elections, the 1999 presidential election, and the 2000 general election carrying this slogan on its shoulders.
In 2001, Mangala, who was a powerful minister in the then UPF government, spotted Wimal and threw a net at the JVP. In 2001, the JVP agreed to enter into a caretaker government with the then President Chandrika, who had lost her parliamentary majority, only after setting conditions. Although the JVP did not take ministerial posts, the JVP was protecting the government. Since then, the slogan ‘Both are the same – This time, we are with the JVP…’ did not work for the JVP.
The reason is that the JVP has become the protector of the UPF government led by the SLFP. After the Chandrika-JVP caretaker government of 2001, the JVP realized that it could not sell the slogan ‘Both are the same – This time, we are with the JVP…’ slogan any more.
JVP was determined to ally with the SLFP after Prime Minister Ranil signed the ceasefire agreement with V. Prabhakaran, Wimal gave the JVP a new slogan. That was the patriotic slogan of protecting the motherland. The JVP patriotic organizations took to the streets together against the peace process launched with the intervention of Norway. They allowed Wimal to form a separate organization called the Patriotic National Movement to stir up patriotism against Ranil and the UNP government throughout the country. They allied with the SLFP and increased the number of JVP MPs to 39 with that patriotic slogan. The JVP took ministerial positions in Chandrika’s government in 2004, left the government, and later contested the 2005 presidential election with this patriotic slogan.
Mangala also danced to the patriotic tune of the JVP during that period. After Mahinda became President in 2005, Mangala became tired of patriotism after becoming Foreign Minister and started travelling around the world. But Wimal did not want to give up patriotism. By now, Wimal and the JVP’s patriotism were well-matched with the patriotism of Mahinda and the Rajapaksa family. Mangala could net Anura, who was taking part with Wimal on the patriotic stage, in Mangala’s anti-patriotic net. Subsequently, the Tamil diaspora and non-governmental organizations started a dialogue with the JVP through Kumar Gunaratnam, a powerful leader behind the scenes of the JVP. Anura, who was in an anti-Wimal position, also supported this. When Mangala joined Ranil and planned to overthrow Mahinda’s government in the 2008 budget, they sought JVP support.
Wimal was unwilling to give up the patriotic slogan. He said that Mahinda’s government should be supported until the war is over, and joining with Ranil, who JVP branded as modern-day Don Juan Dharmapala, would be cutting the JVP’s throat. While Kumar and Anura were pulling the JVP towards the Ranil and Mangala alliance, Wimal was pulling the JVP towards Mahinda’s patriotic alliance. The JVP was split. Wimal joined Mahinda’s government with a group of JVP MPs. From then on, the JVP was in a bad situation.
After the split of the JVP in 2008, the JVP was left without a slogan. In 2012, the Federation of University Teachers or FUTA took to the streets against Mahinda’s government with the minimum amount of powder needed for the slogan of ‘good governance’. FUTA a key body of university teachers who organized the march against Mahinda’s government was led by Harini Amarasuriya, a lecturer at the Open University. FUTA threw the first stone at Mahinda’s government, which was believed could not be overthrown by anyone. Slogans such as allocating more money for education, involving the wealthy in governance, and opposing theft emerged only after this. The impeachment of the then Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike sharpened this.
FUTA, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the JVP are turning the 2015 presidential campaign into a good governance campaign against theft. Maithri and the UNP swam in to power. When the Maithri-Ranil government became a sham, organizations that came together to create good governance united around the JVP. The main character in that was Harini.
Although it is not known who coined the slogan ‘ parliamentary shramadana that expels thieves who plant flowers instead of weeds, that ideology was coined by Harini. Hariniya also gave life to the slogan of sending educated and experienced people to parliament.
If Wimal rose JVP in 1999, Hariniy rose JVP in 2022. Wimal rose in the JVP with a patriotic slogan. Harini rose in the JVP with a liberal slogan. Wimal added patriotic organizations to the JVP. Harini added non-governmental organizations to the JVP.
Even though Harini entered parliament from the JVP national list in the 2020 general election, she was not a popular figure among the people until 2022. The one who became popular during the struggle was Hirunika Premachandra of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. The reason was that she clashed with the Rajapaksas without any fear. Harini came out after the struggle ended and Ranil became President. But she managed to snatch the image of women in the struggle that Hirunika had created. From 2012 to 2022, she gave life to the JVP from behind the scenes. After 2022, she broke through the shade. Today, she is where Wimal was in the 2000s.
Wimal could not go far in the JVP because he tried to sway the JVP to his views and he tried to become an unofficial leader in the JVP.
‘Will the same thing happen to Harini?’
‘Will Harini also create conflicts with the JVP like Wimal …?’
Wimal is a JVP member. Harini is not a JVP member. But both of them play the same role.
