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The Rajpal Abeynayake Colomn

The punchi chanda analysis has thrown up some questions about the relationship between government and JVP. It fell on Chandrika Kumaratunge to say that the JVP 'will now learn about its real standing among the people.'' She can hardly be accused of being loud, or garrulous, because she said something that looks very much like the truth.

The results can be spun, even spun around to say that the JVP may have done better in some statistical department or the other. But, a complete demolition to one potty little local government body is not just a defeat, its closer to annihilation.

The performance has brought forth a muted reaction from the government because gloating is bad, and also because the JVP was a coalition partner. But that has not prevented others such as Chandrika from saying that the JVP's bark was much worse than its bite.

But, there is intellectual dishonesty in ignoring the proportion of the defeat. It would insult the intelligence of the masses, who have spoken and wanted a proper enunciation of their word.

If the media does not place the JVP in proper perspective, it's a let down of boldly spoken mass opinion. To this extent Chandrika Kumaratunge should be told that even though she uttered something in revenge, it had the effect of cutting through the veneer of absurd politeness in some quarters about the JVP's defeat.

When the JVP makes threats at government opposition and all and sundry, its sloganeering sounds as if it was taken straight out of the wall posters. Sri Lankans have all seen the talking-walls, which say, via the crimson of campus poster-lettering, things such as "akulaganivu", "diyavu," "karau'', "palavaharivu."

The posters speak the language of entitlement. Demands could be made in various shapes and forms, but when somebody uses the shrill "ganivu" or "diyavu" the demand carries with it nothing but the edge of the spoilt child's lament.

Eventually its not easy to "diyavu" anything. (Diyavu = we must have it, or else!) But, after the thousandth diyavu poster, every diyavu that follows is a hollow cry, a caricature of the original "diyavu" which would have sounded as intimidating as it was intended to be. Post municipal-election demands by the JVP are sounding as if they borrowed directly from this campus tradition.

Without a pit-stop, a breather to reconsider or reassess, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is making demands from the Norwegian facilitator to move out, while also threatening the President with total abandonment , divorce and much worse.

Theoreticians on behalf of these voices from the wilderness (or should I say voices from Tissamaharama?) have said that this election was not fought necessarily on the national issues, insulating the JVP from the rigours-proper of this defeat.

That's an attempt to disown the JVP's own propaganda campaign, which made it clear that this is an election on national issues such as the Norwegian mediation, etc Ditching the platform you fought on as if it was a wet pair of slippers, is somehow similar to cutting the ground from under ones own feet. The sleight of hand is too transparent, it damages the JVPs vaunted integrity and credibility.

If it bounces back, the JVP could do so by respecting this verdict, listening closely to the vox populi, and by adjusting its worldview to the frequency of the average Janadasa or Jayasinghe. There can be no great solace for the JVP from the fact that the UNP has lost badly also, for the reason that the UNP shows no sign of being knocked into third place, however dismal its performance.

Among unpalatable facts the JVP should consider is the one that perhaps the people are willing to make some compromises towards solving the national question. The JVPs parripu-feed at the election, makes it clear that there is always a different recipe, be it for parripu or for national problem-solving.

Party sloganeering could yet continue to be in the usual condescending manner for the JVP. But if this is business as usual, it could be dangerous for a party that might be caricatured by its own tortured sense of entitlement. If the JVP speaks in the language of 'ganivu'' ''diyavu'' to the government and to others after losing an election badly, the party runs the risk of being transformed into a comic strip.

When the JVP arrived on the electoral scene with thunderclap, riding on the back of the SLFP, the greybeards told us that we have forgotten to herald the advent of a revolution as significant as 1956. That may have been an apt reminder then.

But when the JVP loses, the commentariat cannot be similarly remiss. A victory cannot go unheralded as much as a defeat cannot go unnoticed.

There is more reason to analyse the JVP defeat more closely as the issues involved are not trifling. Chandrika Kumaratunge may have used her spitting dismissal of the JVP to pour maximum scorn on the party, as she has occupied the exact opposite corner the JVP occupies on the political stage.

But, a more dispassionate analysis is necessarily, and its one that considers the JVP contribution as well as its negative impact on our polity. The JVP is a third force in national politics, though not in the sense that analysts have put it - its not a third force on par with the first two forces, but its still a third force that impacts upon the fortunes of the two leading forces.

But, its getting reduced to a solitary pradeshiya sabha needs to be treated as the pinprick that should deflate some oversise egos. Let's record it as an event. Also, what's credible about a polity that does not record its contemporary events dutifully, accurately, faithfully and truthfully?

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