'Marxists misled Sinhala Buddhists'

(August 06, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Environment Minister and JHU Policy Maker Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday (August 5) that the JVP is again trying to mislead young people and Buddhist monks by getting them to demonstrate in the streets with the idea of promoting the party's dubious political agendas. He recalled the deaths of around 600 bhikkus 19 years ago in a tragic situation for which the JVP was primarily responsible. It was the highest number of Sinhala Buddhist monks since British colonial rule, according to him.

Minister Ranawaka said that when addressed meeting on the topic, 'Nation's Path to progress: Red way or Buddhist way' at the Public Library Auditorium. The Hela Thurunu Saviya organized the meeting. Nearly 1000 were gathered for the meeting including Venerable theros.

He said that during the LSSP-organized Hartal of 1953 the Left parties had imagined that they could use the working class to cripple elected governments through revolution. When the Marxist old guard failed in their attempts the JVP twice tried unsuccessfully to achieve the same objective in 1971 and in 1988-89. Their actions had a very unfortunate and negative impact on Sinhala Buddhist society.

On the earlier occasion the Vidyalankakara and Vidyodaya universities were closed for many months, after large number of young bhikkus were drawn into the insurgency. On the second occasion the same universities – renamed Sri Jayewardenepura and Kelaniya – were closed and around 600 monks were killed.

The Minister said that was about time that that those Sinhala Buddhists - who have been lured by Marxist rhetoric – selected the right path to develop the country in the current global socio-political and economic context.
- Sri Lanka Guardian