CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Why Sinhalese are not Responsible for the Black July – Part II – Jayawardena, before and after the Black July

Dilrook Kannangara

The reasons behind maliciously holding the Sinhalese responsible for the Black July were discussed in the previous article. There is no doubt that Jayawardena’s “punish-anyone-who-stand-in-the-way” approach was to be blamed for the ethnic pogrom. However, there are many more interesting things about Jayawardena intricately interwoven with the Black July. The riots were the only instance he and his government came across in six years that was insurmountable. Although he forgave (and rewarded some of) his goons generously, the world community, especially India was not willing to forgive him. His punishment scheme that held him in good thread for so long failed him for the first time. He was overcome by guilt and immediately took some face-save actions apart from blaming the Sinhalese (99.99% of them were not involved) for it. Jayawardena’s change was immediate and tragic. The rampaging elephant that he was, died suddenly and he became a lame duck.

After 1983 there was no instance of imposing civic disabilities on anyone, no political party was banned, no repetition of the 1980 thuggery, no boastful claims as in 1978, no attacks on opposition political activists as before, very less “punishments” levied on his opponents, no referenda in place of elections, more people-friendly welfare schemas, more cooperation with other political parties (Round Table talks) and many other submissive gestures that were unthinkable before July 1983.

Jayawardena’s guilty feelings were overwhelming that he was unable to take stern action against the JVP which recommenced its campaign of terror. Jayawardena had to eat the humble pie when circumstances forced him to seek assistance from the Kumaratungas whom he dispersed, ridiculed, punished and imprisoned before. The “Naxalites” who were allegedly responsible for the riot (according to the then government) became peace ambassadors and Jayawardena could only bow down to their “peace building” activities unashamedly. Vijaya Kumaratunga went on highly controversial missions to the north and there was nothing Jayawardena could do to stop him after July 1983. His generally ominous face became more and more gloomy. At one juncture, he was so desperate and helpless that he called LTTE cadres ‘animals’ conveniently forgetting his own past of elephantine rampage.

His sudden change was fully exploited by the JVP and other terror groups and started killing his ministers and disrupting public administration. This climate of fear was finally tackled by the next administration. His powerful ministers created their own little empires that eventually staged clashes among them that resulted in complete self-destruction.

He was dealt another blow in 1987 when the Indian army came down to Sri Lanka firstly to carve out an area for the North-East Tamils, eventually ended up fighting the LTTE. When he completed his term, the north and the south were both on fire, a foreign army was in the country and the economy which was very promising at the start of his tenure was in jeopardy just like his own predicament.

There were worse cases of terror after his term, but people were not collectively “punished” as in 1977-July1983. Unfortunately this was deliberately misinterpreted by the LTTE attributing it to their acts of terror. It was mainly Jayawardena’s guilty conscience that stopped him “punishing” people any further. The dire need to amass and retain public support also played a part. Today the LTTE is at brink of total annihilation. Tamil people have left them and their alleged “protection”. Only a small fraction of the total Tamil population is still with the LTTE because they are forced to protect the LTTE. The myth of “liberators” has been dashed completely.

LTTE still uses the Black July as its survival kit. The fight over alleged attacks on Tamils in July 1983 has killed many times more. Like a matador inciting a bull for a bullfight which eventually kills the bull, the LTTE is instigating gullible sections of the Tamil population into death and self-destruction. On the other hand the LTTE expects the Sinhalese to assume the sins of Jayawardena (and other politicians who were no better) and part with a large chunk of their country in “compensation”. This terror enterprise cannot last for long; its end is approaching faster than many thought possible. Interestingly the Black July occurred around the sixth anniversary of Jayawardena’s historic win in July 1977 and six years of “punishments” ended at that juncture. He paid for his sins of six years and there is nothing left to be paid by the Sinhalese people who, collectively, had nothing to do with it. Now its time for LTTE terrorists to pay for their sins of more than 32 years. The best way to annul Jayawardena’s fraud is not to give any of LTTE demands.

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