Late yesterday I saw a post from Tom Pessah about the JVP* congratulating National Students for Justice in Palestine on largest national conference to date. I decided to send him a PM telling him that for me the JVP was and always will be Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna [Peoples Liberation Front.] I planned on explaining him that I knew how to spell it because I heard several talks by, as well conducted an interview with, Bala Tampoe. So the next thing I knew I looked up Bala whom I havent heard anyone mention for donkeys years. It turned out that Bala Tampoe died on 1 September this year aged 92. You can read more about Bala in Wikipedia below but let me tell you, he was some character: a lecturer in Botany who ended up simultaneously being the the Secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile Union, a top barrister in the Sri Lanka Supreme Court and a Leader of the Lanka Sama Samja Party (Revolutionary). But to me his greatest claim to fame was being one of the four International Guests at the Australian Vietnam Moratorium National Conference in 1971. He was by far the most impressive speaker at the public rally chaired by (I think) Bridget Gilling at the Sydney Town Hall. Its a pity that neither Red Flag nor Green Left Weekly thought it was worthwhile to note Tampoes departure. Perhaps they can do it now, having had their attention drawn to it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala_Tampoe *Jewish Voice for Peace
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 03:18:43 +0000
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