The 1971 JVP Insurrection: Sri Lanka's Youth Revolt

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

The 1971 JVP Insurrection: Sri Lanka's Youth Revolt

Listen for free

View show details

In 1971, Sri Lanka's newly independent government faced a sudden armed uprising from its own youth. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, or JVP, launched coordinated attacks on police stations across the island, aiming to topple Sirimavo Bandaranaike's government. This episode traces the insurrection from its ideological roots in Marxist-Leninist thought and the charismatic leadership of Rohana Wijeweera, through the dramatic night of April 5th when the rebellion began, to the brutal government crackdown that followed. We examine the JVP's recruitment among educated but unemployed rural youth, the global context of Cold War tensions, and how the uprising reshaped Sri Lankan politics for decades. Drawing on firsthand accounts and recent scholarship, we explore why thousands of young men and women took up arms, how the government suppressed the revolt with help from foreign powers, and the legacy of state violence and political exclusion that followed. This is a story of idealism, desperation, and the cost of unfulfilled promises. #JVP #1971Insurrection #RohanaWijeweera #SirimavoBandaranaike #SriLanka #Ceylon #Marxism #ColdWar #Insurrection #YouthRebellion #CheGuevara #Wellawaya #Kegalle #Koggala #RoyalCeylonNavy #SouthAsia #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

No reviews yet