1971 JVP Insurrection

1971 JVP Insurrection

The 1971 uprising led by the Sri Lankan People's Liberation Front, or Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, was an unsuccessful Marxist youth rebellion that claimed 15,000 youth lives. The JVP drew worldwide attention when it launched an insurrection against the Bandaranaike government in April 1971. Although the insurgents were young, poorly armed and inadequately trained, they succeeded in seizing and holding major areas in southern and central provinces of Sri Lanka before they were defeated by government forces. Their attempt to seize power created a major crisis for the government and forced a fundamental reassessment of the nation's security needs.