By Jayantha Somasundaram
The 50th anniversary of the first JVP insurrection falls today. The 1971 rebellion was the first armed uprising against the state in modern times.
The JVP was the brainchild of Rohana Wijeweera. Born in 1943, at Hunandeniya, in the Matara District, his father was a supporter of the Communist Party of Ceylon (CPC). However, while studying medicine in Moscow, Wijeweera became critical of the Soviet Union, and, on his return, he joined the Communist Party (CP), which was Maoist. Not long after, in 1966, Wijeweera, along with his supporters, broke ranks with the CP to form their own movement, which would later become the JVP. Wijeweera had concluded that the agricultural labourer -̶ the rural proletariat -̶ was the largest and most important component of Sri Lanka’s working class, not the urban or plantation worker.
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By Jayantha Somasundaram
In the British and Commonwealth tradition, the Navy is the senior service. In Sri Lanka however it was the Army and the Air Force that came first, both being established in October 1949, followed in December 1950 by the Navy. Though the Sri Lanka Navy is currently celebrating its seventieth anniversary, the roots of the Navy go back much further in time.
The Ceylon Navy Volunteer Force (CNVF) was raised in 1937 at Kochchikade under the Command of VRD with a complement of 12 officers and 18 sailors. When World War II commenced in September 1939, the CNVF was posted to the Ports of Colombo and Trincomalee. Initially the CNVF operated out of the Port Commission’s tugs
Sri Lanka Navy proudly celebrates its 70th anniversary The Sri Lanka Navy which boasts unmatched achievements and held in high esteem as the country’s First Line of Defence, is proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary today (09th December). As part of the anniversary celebrations, a wide range of events are being held in every naval command , giving prominence to time-honoured naval traditions and religious events, under the directives and guidance of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne. On the sidelines of these celebrations, capital ships of the Sri Lanka Navy have been brought to the anchorage off the Galle Face Green and the ships will be there from 09th to 13th December, with a view to reach the general public with better awareness of the Navy. The central theme of this exhibition is ‘This is Your Navy’ and ‘Know Your Navy’. Arrangements have also been made to make the public known about the prowess and role of these ships, through media.