“It is often said that this movement for liberation is vitiated and made ineffective by unrealistic and Utopian ideas. In particular, it is said that there is an insufficient understanding of the frailties and corruptions of human nature and of the difficulties inherent in transforming society. Some would add that there is insufficient faith in God or development of the spiritual stature of man. Thus, it is said, all attempts to build a new society and a new man sooner or later end in corruption, failure and disillusionment. For instance, this is what has happened – so it is said – in the pioneering experiments of socialism in the Soviet Union and elsewhere.

But nevertheless, the present unsatisfactory state of society is a fact. Injustice, corruption and conflict is widespread. There is a state of crisis everywhere. Laws and institutions that may have served their purpose in former times no longer suffice – no longer produce the goods. Conditions have changed on a vast scale. It is imperative that new solutions and new structures be found. Man himself is incomplete and the spirit of creativity that moves within him is boundless. The challenge of circumstances produces revolutionary hope and a flood of possibilities. All of life and human history is caught up in a conflict of the possible and the real, the future and the past.

So the ideals and methods of socialism continue to be relevant despite failures in achievement. In fact, they become more than ever relevant as time goes on. They have to be understood in greater depth. There has to be continuous further development of awareness, among both leaders and people of the problems involved. (“Revolution of mind and spirit” or “Conscientization”). This development can only take place side by side with determined experiment of action to bring about the radical changes that are necessary. Attempts at change in structures and change in ideas and spirit must proceed together, neither can be achieved without the other. Here the great though costly, pioneering experiments in socialism, in the Soviet Union, China and elsewhere must be studied and certain principles that have proved valid must be followed, with due adaptation. Also, lessons have to be learnt from mistakes and failures. Here, no doubt, there is room for a healthy dialogue between Marx, Christ, the Buddha and Mao! In pursuit of the truth a safe rule is – “ever further beyond and ever deeper within”!

There were, undoubtedly, certain unfortunate aspects in the Revolt of April 1971. These cannot be excused lightly. But attempts to dismiss the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna as merely “petite-bourgeois”, “adventurist”, “ultra-leftist”, “fascist” etc., and their revolt as merely an attempted “putsch” are not convincing. Despite their faults, they were undoubtedly, part of a deep movement of liberation. Thought they lacked widespread mass support, they arose from among the masses of the people. In fact they may well have won such support in due course if they had time to build their movement further and not been provoked into action by the government’s effort to suppress their movement.”

An excerpt from Violent Lanka: The Day of Slaughter, by Yohan Devananda. Published by Devasaranaramaya, Ibbagamuva, N.W.P., Sri Lanka, 1972