Today (05) marks the 51st anniversary of the April 1971 insurrection. The uprising was launched by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and was the first mass armed struggle launched by a political party in Sri Lanka.
Oppressed youth went on strike against the government – led by the then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike – in many parts of the country with the aim of seizing power by attacking the police.
Under certain circumstances, the insurgency failed and the young people were subjected to severe state repression, killing and imprisoning large numbers of others.
However, the courage, commitment and sacrifice they showed then should be commemorated today with a common purpose instead of personal goals.
