Tilvin Silva
{{Short description|Sri Lankan politician (born 1956)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| native_name = {{nobold|ටිල්වින් සිල්වා}}
{{nobold|டில்வின் சில்வா}}
| name = Tilvin Silva
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| alt =
| order =
| office = 3rd General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
| term_start = 1995
| term_end =
| leader = Somawansa Amarasinghe
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
| predecessor = Somawansa Amarasinghe
| prior_term =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age |df=yes|1956|02|26}}
| birth_place = Mulapitiya Beruwala, Dominion of Ceylon
| party = {{plainlist|
- Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna {{small|(since 1981)}}}}
| otherparty = National People's Power (Since 2019)
United People's Freedom Alliance (2004–2005)
| education = Aluthgama Maha Vidyalaya
| occupation = Politician
| battles = Second JVP Insurrection
| birth_name = Mesthree Tilvin Silva
}}
Mesthree Tilvin Silva ({{langx|si|ටිල්වින් සිල්වා}}, {{langx|ta|டில்வின் சில்வா}}; born 26 February 1956{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sev7zWO2miE |title=🚨"පක්ෂයේ වත්කම් තියෙන්නේ මගේ නමට - අනුරගේ ආණ්ඩුවේ තනතුරක් ගන්නේ නෑ" {{!}}ටිල්වින් කියූ පක්ෂයේ රහස් |date=2024-09-30 |last=Y News |access-date=2024-10-24 |via=YouTube}}) is a Sri Lankan Marxist politician serving as the General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP){{Cite web |title=Our Leaders |url=https://www.jvpsrilanka.com/english/about-us/our-leaders/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.jvpsrilanka.com}} and a founding member of the NPP.{{Cite web |title=BBCSinhala.com |url=https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/highlights/story/2005/02/printable/050225_cwc_jvp |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.bbc.com}} Silva has played a significant role in shaping the JVP's policies and strategies, particularly focusing on social justice, anti-corruption, and economic reforms.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-21 |title=Queering The JVP |url=https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/queering-the-jvp/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Colombo Telegraph |language=en-US}} He has been described as one the closet allies of the president Anura Kumara Dissanayake.{{Cite web |title=Anura Kumara's Ascendancy Within the JVP and Sri Lanka - Opinion {{!}} Daily Mirror |url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Anura-Kumaras-Ascendancy-Within-the-JVP-and-Sri-Lanka/172-293151 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.dailymirror.lk |language=English}}
Early life
Tilvin Silva was born as the eldest of a family of five with three brothers and one sister on 26 February 1956{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sev7zWO2miE |title=🚨"පක්ෂයේ වත්කම් තියෙන්නේ මගේ නමට - අනුරගේ ආණ්ඩුවේ තනතුරක් ගන්නේ නෑ" {{!}}ටිල්වින් කියූ පක්ෂයේ රහස් |date=2024-09-30 |last=Y News |access-date=2024-10-24 |via=YouTube}} in Mullapitiya, Beruwala, Kalutara District. His father was a woodworker near the town of Beruwala. He was educated at Kande Vihara Vidyalaya, Beruwala Mangala Privena and Aluthgama Maha Vidyalaya.{{Cite web |title=SL Vlog.lk |url=https://slvlog.lk/watch |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=slvlog.lk|date=19 July 2024 }} In 1976, Silva started working at a tourist hotel in Moragalla before the start of the Sri Lanka Civil War.{{Cite web |title=Hotel Coconut Bar Sea Lodge |url=https://www.bing.com/travel/hotels/detail?q=Hotel+Coconut+Bar+Sea+Lodge&id=YN8104x13793184163114026056&hname=Hotel+Coconut+Bar+Sea+Lodge&cin=2024-11-24&cout=2024-11-25&guests=2A0C&age=&displaytext=Moragalla%2C+Sri+Lanka&loc=Moragalla%2C+Sri+Lanka&hotellistid=YN8104x13793184163114026056&lat=6.450712&lon=79.97923&type=hotel&hi=1&form=HTLHDE&entrypoint=HTSELI}}
Political career
= 1987-1989 insurrection =
{{main|1987–1989 JVP insurrection}}
Silva joined JVP in 1978 at age 22, after its ban had been lifted by J. R. Jayewardene and the party entered mainstream politics following its failed 1971 JVP insurrection against the Government of Ceylon. The JVP launched its second armed uprising known as the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection against the Government of Sri Lanka for what it called the betrayal of the country to India and the invasion of Indian Forces.{{Cite web |title=It was the heroes of April 71 that gave us the determination to till even on a rock– Comrade Tilvin Silva |url=https://www.jvpsrilanka.com/english/it-was-the-heroes-of-april-71-that-gave-us-the-determination-to-till-even-on-a-rock-comrade-tilvin-silva/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.jvpsrilanka.com}}
Tilvin Silva took part in the JVP revolution leading attacks against the Sri Lankan Government and its armed forces as a JVP district leader. He was one of the few district leaders who survived the brutal counter-insurgency operations of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces that led to the capture and deaths of the JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera and much of its Politburo, except for Somawansa Amarasinghe who fled into exile. Silva survived since he was arrested 1987 and serving seven years in prison. {{Cite web |title=JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera's widow breaks 26-year silence {{!}} Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/article/474441/ft |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}}{{cite journal |last1=VENUGOPAL |first1=RAJESH |title=Sectarian Socialism: The Politics of Sri Lanka's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP) |journal=Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press |date=2010 |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=567–602 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X09004028 |url=https://personal.lse.ac.uk/venugopr/jvp%20modern%20asian%20studies.pdf |access-date=31 October 2024}} Speaking of the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, Tilvin Silva has described it as a patriotic struggle for socialism, which was superior to the Great Rebellion of 1817–1818 and the Matale rebellion.
=== Re-establishing the JVP ===
After release from prison, Silva became the new General Secretary of JVP in 1995, after its ban was lifted and the party began operating in formal politics under the leadership of Amarasinghe.{{Cite web |title=The Sunday Times On The Web - News/Comment |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/970914/newsm.html |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}} Under Silva's leadership, the party has focused on advocating for socialist policies, anti-imperialism, and left-wing nationalism.{{Cite web |title=JVP Renews Its' Challenge for debate |date=8 April 2024 |url=https://island.lk/jvp-renews-its-challenge-for-debate/}} Silva with Wimal Weerawansa became the two high profile leaders of the JVP during Amarasinghe's exile from 1990 to 2004. The party won 39 seats in the 2004 Sri Lankan parliamentary election and became a partner in the government.{{cite news |last1=Kirinde |first1=Chandani |title=JVP hopes to form Govt. soon |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/041114/news/5.html |access-date=31 October 2024 |publisher=Sunday Times}}
References
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Category:Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna politicians