A CIA report later revealed that J.R. placed his hopes in America and his foreign allies to help him weather the storm of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord. But as their silence grew louder, he found himself with no option but to strike a bargain with India.
The CIA report stated that JR had told the American envoy to Sri Lanka, Peter Galbraith,
‘I ordered the army to burn Jaffna to ashes and finish off this madman (Prabhakaran). But India would not allow it…’
The CIA report further stated,
‘J.R. was taken to sign the Indo-Lanka Accord like a mad dog being taken for a bath…’
This was said by the then leader of the People’s Party, Vijaya Kumaratunga, who supported the Indo-Lanka Accord. Vijaya was right. J.R. was taken to sign the Indo-Lanka Accord like a mad dog being taken for a bath. But after the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed, a wonderful cartoon was published in The Hindu newspaper. It showed Rajiv running around the tree holding the tiger’s tail and snarling, while J.R. was sitting in an armchair, looking at Rajiv and smiling.
‘Does that mean that J.R. trapped Rajiv, who had come to trap J.R. through the Indo-Lanka Accord?’
India also understood this after Prabhakaran assassinated Rajiv Gandhi.
But JVP leader Wijeweera, who branded J.R. a traitor, told a different story.
Rohana Wijeweera’s own words on how the Indian bourgeoisie swallowed Sri Lanka. At that time, Wijeweera made these statements while narrating to a cassette tape while in hiding. This is a part of a speech he made while narrating to a cassette tape.
‘Indian capitalism has developed into state-dictatorial capitalism today. This state-dictatorial capitalism is following a very aggressive policy towards regional countries. The Indian people are very poor. Therefore, backward Indian capitalism cannot create enough domestic markets for the products of these monopolies. Therefore, Indian bankers and industrialists have to look for markets outside their country. Now, India’s trade policies, foreign investments, contracts, banks, all with its developed weak neighboring countries, are built on this foreign policy. To implement this foreign policy, the Indian bourgeoisie used the Tamil Eelam terrorists to subjugate Sri Lanka in a very cunning way, while on the other hand, the traitor Jayewardene not only concealed the real situation from the people and allowed the country to be swallowed up, but also created a favorable situation for India. The result of this was the fraudulent agreement signed on July 29th that betrayed the country. This fraudulent agreement was not only for the people of Sri Lanka. It was a conspiracy against Jayewardene’s own United National Party, its leaders, the cabinet, and in short, the Prime Minister. Rajiv Gandhi came to Sri Lanka to sign this fraudulent agreement. He came by helicopter from Katunayake and sneaked into the President’s House like a thief coming to commit a robbery. Rajiv Gandhi, who came to sign the gift deed, was hit by the butt of a gun by patriotic soldier Vijitha Rohana. With this agreement, Sri Lanka will become the 20th state of India. It has been promised that India will use the Trincomalee port. It has been promised that the oil tank depot in Trincomalee will be given. It has been promised that Sri Lanka’s foreign affairs and defense will also be handed over to India. Sri Lanka has been turned into an Indian colony….’
This is the speech that Rohana Wijeweera made while in hiding, narrating into a cassette tape and addressing the nation. He called the soldier Vijitha Rohana, who attacked Rajiv Gandhi, a patriotic hero.
Recently, when Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Sri Lanka, Vijitha Rohana gave an interview to a newspaper and said that he still does not regret attacking Rajiv Gandhi.
JVP party leader Anura and the government showed the whole world through Modi’s visit that not only did Vijitha Rohana attack Rajiv Gandhi, but that he regretted that his leader Rohana Wijeweera opposed the Indo-Lanka Agreement and rebelled against the government, and that he branded J.R., who signed that agreement, as a traitor, and that it was a historical mistake.
The agreements that Anura’s government signed with Modi were agreements to do business with India. Agreements to develop the Trincomalee port with India and develop oil tanks. These agreements are an extension of the Indo-Lanka Agreement itself. The Indo-Lanka Agreement states that no foreign countries will deal with Sri Lankan ports without consulting India. Anura’s government has agreed to develop the Trincomalee port with India. Regarding oil tankers, the Indo-Lanka Agreement also stated that no foreign countries would deal with oil tankers without consulting India. Now, Anura has agreed to develop oil tankers with India. Moreover, it has agreed to build the Sampur power plant and a grid connecting electricity with India.
There is nothing wrong with this. This is the second phase of the Indo-Lanka agreement. By signing these agreements and conferring the title of Sri Lankan Friend, J.R. has accepted the Indo-Lanka agreement signed then as a patriotic agreement. Mahinda created the title of Sri Lankan Friend. Mahinda gave it to Maldives President Gayoom and Palestinian leader Abbas. Neither Maithripala, Gotabaya, nor Ranil, who became presidents after Mahinda, gave this honorary title to Modi. Modi visited Sri Lanka several times during the Maithri-Ranil governments.
Anura’s government has given this honorary title to Modi and by signing these agreements, J.R., who was a traitor at the time, has become a patriot.
“So, by the JVP’s logic, are Rohana Wijeweera and the 60,000 young political cadres who died alongside him to be considered traitors?
J.R. once told a journalist that history would be the judge of his decision to sign the Indo-Lanka Agreement. Now, it is J.R.’s moment of reckoning.”
