Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist)

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Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist)
ලංකා කොමියුනිස්ට් පක්ෂය (මාඕවාදී)
சிலோன் கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சி (மாவோயிஸ்ட்)
General Secretary Ajith Rupasinghe Surendra (until 2017)
Founders N. Shanmugathasan
Premalal Kumarasiri
Founded1964;61 years ago (1964)
Split from Ceylon Communist Party
Ideology
Political position Far-left
International affiliation RIM (defunct)
Colors  Red
Party flag
South Asian Communist Banner.svg

The Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) is a political party in Sri Lanka. It emerged in 1964 following a split within the original Ceylon Communist Party (CCP). Initially, the breakaway faction also identified itself as the "Ceylon Communist Party," leading to its informal designation as the Ceylon Communist Party (Peking Wing) due to its ideological alignment with the Communist Party of China. By the late 1960s, the party had become one of the country's principal leftist political forces. Its founding leadership included Premalal Kumarasiri and N. Shanmugathasan. [1]

Contents

History

1960s

Background

In June 1963, K. A. Subramaniam and D. B. Alwis signed an agreement with the All-China Youth Federation on behalf of the Ceylon Federation of Communist and Progressive Youth Leagues, establishing cooperation between the two organisations. During their 1963 visit to the People's Republic of China, they met Chen Yi, China's Vice Premier and Foreign Minister. [2] [3] [4]

Initial organising committee

On 17 November 1963, the party formed an organising committee comprising:

  • Premalal Kumarasiri
  • N. Sanmugathasan
  • D. N. Nadunge
  • D. K. D. Jinendrapala
  • Higgoda Dharmasena
  • K. Manickavasagar
  • N. L. Perera
  • K. Wimalapala
  • K. Kulaveerasingham
  • W. S. de Siriwardene
  • A. D. Charleshamy
  • Watson Fernando
  • W. A. Dharmadasa
  • S. M. Wickremasinghe
  • A. Jayasuriya
  • D. A. Gunasekera
  • Cyril Kulatunge
  • Victor Silva
  • K. A. Subramaniam
  • Susima
  • K. V. Krishnakutty
  • S. Janapriya
  • Kanti Abeyasekere
  • E. T. Moorthy
  • Dharmadasa Jayakoddy
  • H. G. A. de Silva
  • S. M. P. de Silva
  • H. M. P. Mohideen
  • D. M. J. Abeyagunewardene
  • O. A. Ramiah
  • D. B. Alwis
  • C. S. Manohar
  • S. Sivadasan
  • Samarasiri de Silva
  • P. Wijayatileke [5] [6]

Founding

The Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) (CCP(M)) was formally established in 1964. Later that year, Premalal Kumarasiri, representing the CCP(M), welcomed Zhou Enlai (the first Premier of the People's Republic of China) during Zhou's official visit to Sri Lanka. [7]

Early years and first splits

In 1964, Rohana Wijeweera joined the CCP(M) as a functionary but grew disillusioned with the party's perceived lack of revolutionary zeal. On 14 May 1965, he founded the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) after mobilising like-minded youth. Around the same time, the Peradiga Sulanga (Broad Wind) faction, led by Gamini Yapa, also split from the CCP(M). [8] [9]

Later in 1965, W. A. Dharmadasa rejoined the original Ceylon Communist Party (CCP), having previously worked to expand the CCP(M)'s influence in Tamil-speaking regions. [10] [11]

Representation in Parliament

From 1965 to 1970, S. D. Bandaranayake represented the CCP(M)'s views in Parliament. He vocally supported anti-caste struggles in northern Sri Lanka, visiting the region alongside N. Sanmugathasan and K. A. Subramaniam to express solidarity with marginalised communities. [12]

In 1966, Bandaranayake raised parliamentary questions about a banned protest procession against caste oppression in Chunnakam on 21 October 1966. The CCP(M) defied the police ban, leading to a violent crackdown in which numerous cadres sustained severe injuries. [13] [11]

On 1 May 1969, S. D. Bandaranayake, D. K. D. Jinendrapala, and Watson Fernando were arrested in Colombo after the United National Party (UNP) government outlawed May Day rallies. Simultaneously, CCP(M) leaders in Jaffna, including K. A. Subramaniam (who required months of recuperation at N. Sanmugathasan's residence), were brutally assaulted by police. Bandaranayake later challenged these actions in Parliament. [14] [11]

1970s

In 1972, some cadres criticized the party leader N. Shanmugathasan's opposition to the United Front government, arguing that UF was a 'progressive force'. Whilst the party leader N. Shanmugathasan was abroad in Albania in April 1972, D. N. Nadunge, Watson Fernando, E. T. Moorthy, D. A. Gunasekara and V.A. Kandasamy tried to seize control over the party. This faction regrouped and at a meeting on November 12, 1972 it took the name Communist Party of Sri Lanka (Marxist-Leninist). They sought to bring the Maoist movement closer to the UF orbit, but this faction remained a minor group compared to N. Shanmugathasan's Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) which had the strong support from Samal De Silva, Kanti Abeyasekere and K.A. Subramaniam. [15] [16] [17]

Following the death of Mao Zedong and the take-over in China by Deng Xiaoping, the party strongly denounced the new line of the Chinese leadership. In 1978, Party, led by N. Sanmugathasan, issued a public statement in defiance of the decision of the Central Committee not to accept the decision of the Tamil's self-determination and reject the Three Worlds Theory. This decision led to a split with Tamil self-determination and TWT defenders, and many, including Samal De Silva, K.A. Subramaniam, S. K. Senthivel, S. D. Bandaranayake left the party and formed a new political party called the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (Left). [18] [19] [20] [16] [11] [21]

1980s onwards

The party regrouped internationally amongst those who reaffirmed Maoism, and was one of the signatories of the founding declaration of the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement.

In 1991 a conference was held which reconstructed it as 'Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist)'. N. Sanmugathasan led the party until his death in 1993.

International affiliations

The party already maintained strong connections with China in the era of Mao Zedong. Following the beginning of the Naxalite insurgency, CCP supported the CPI (M-L) by working as the liaison point between the Naxalites and China. [22] Ajith Rupasinghe Surendra was affiliated the pro-Democracy factions in the Nepalese Civil War. [23] Party was a member of the former Revolutionary Internationalist Movement.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hon. Kumarasiri, Premalal M.P." Directory of Past Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka . Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "KAS Commemoration Volume".
  3. ↑ "Agreement with All-China Youth Federation 1963". 1963. from CIA report
  4. ↑ "Joint Statement with photo on Page 4" (PDF). The Worker (Tholilai) from Sri Lanka. 23 November 1963.
  5. ↑ Peking Review , Issue 50 dated 13 December 1963
  6. ↑ Marxists.org. To All Marxist-Leninists Inside the Ceylon Communist Party
  7. ↑ "Zhou Enlai visit Photo from தொழிலாளி 1964.03.14" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "A Lost Revolution: The JVP Insurrection 1971". LankaLibrary.
  9. ↑ "Peradiga Sulanga team led by Gamini Yapa". Archived from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  10. ↑ "W. A. Dharmadasa".
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Mr. K. Suppiah wrote in Sooddram in 2012".
  12. ↑ "Picture of S. D. Bandaranayake in Jaffna with N. Shanmugathasan and K.A. Subramaniam" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "Uprising Chunnakam procession on 21st October 1966" (PDF).
  14. ↑ "Banned 1969 May Day rally" (PDF).
  15. ↑ Asian Analysis. 1972. p. 46.
  16. 1 2 "Comrade Maniyam Memories by S.K. Senthivel 2014".
  17. ↑ "Mr.LENIN MATHIVANAM wrote in INIORU in 2012".
  18. ↑ "NDMLP 40th Anniversary Seminar and Meeting".
  19. ↑ "The New-Democratic Marxist-Leninist Party in its 35th Year" (PDF).
  20. ↑ "Statement by Samal De Silva and K.A. Subramaniam 1978".
  21. ↑ "Message of Condolence by the New Democratic Marxist Leninist Party on the passing away of SD Bandaranayake" (PDF).
  22. ↑ Singh, Prakash. The Naxalite Movement in India. New Delhi: Rupa & Co., 1999. p. 24.
  23. ↑ "In memory of Ajith Surendra Valentine Rupasinghe (Comrade Surendra)".
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