Socialist Students' Union
සමාජවාදී ශිෂ්‍ය සංගමය
AbbreviationSSU
National OrganizerRangana Lakmal Dewapriya
FounderRohana Wijeweera
Founded1965
Headquarters464/20, Pannipitiya Road, Pelawatta, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism-Leninism
Anti-revisionism
Revolutionary socialism
Anti-imperialism
International affiliationWFDY
TypeStudent wing
StatusBanned (from 1983 to 1994)
Legal (1994 – present)
Mother partyJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna
AffiliationsInter University Students' Federation
Website
ssusrilanka.com

Socialist Students' Union of Sri Lanka (SSU) also known as Samajavadi Shishya Sangameya is a students' union in Sri Lanka that operates as the students' wing of the Marxist-Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.[1][2]

It is currently a member of the Inter-university Students' Federation.[3][4]

The SSU was formed in 1968 by Marxist Rohana Wijeweera, initially called Samajawadi Sangamaya, the SSU is the oldest student union in Sri Lanka, and promotes Communism. It was able to start recruiting youths from both universities and independent student councils; by 1970 the SSU was dominant in student politics and was able to operate as the armed wing of the JVP in 1970 especially during the period of The United Front. Shanta Bandara was the founding general secretary of the Socialist Students Union. All the general secretaries who succeeded him (before 1990) were killed in the struggle by the United National Party government that was in power at that time, this included Lalith Wijayaratne, H. B. Herath, D. M. Ananda, Upali Jayaweera, Ananda Idamegama, Dr Nissanka, and Atula Senaratne. The SSU together with the Patriotic Students' Union were banned in 1988. After 1990, the Socialist Students Union was again reformed. Anura Dissanayake was its founding general secretary. Sunil Handunnetthi, Bimal Ratnayake and Mangala Kuruppu became general secretaries after him.

References

  1. ↑ Gunaratna, Rohan (1990). A lost Revolution: Inside story of the JVP. Institute of Fundamental Studies. p. 23. ISBN 9552600049.
  2. ↑ C.A Chandraprema (1991). Sri Lanka, the Years of Terror: The J.V.P. Insurrection, 1987-1989. p. 159.
  3. ↑ ""Protests over an opening of private Medical Faculty"". Sri Lanka Guardian.
  4. ↑ History of the JVP
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