Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP; National Liberation Front) was a political party formed in 1957 by the K. M. P. Rajaratne and his wife, Kusuma Rajaratne.^[1] The JVP received support from local businesses, and anti-Tamil riots were extreme in villages in which it was active.

Following the arrangement for talks between Federal Tamils and the government of Ceylon,^[2] riots broke out against the country's Tamil population. Several Sinhalese mobs broke into Tamil houses and attacked. The attacks included rape. This violence were higher in the Polonnaruwa district.^[3]

Following the riots, the government of Ceylon banned ITAK and the JVP.^[4] The bans lasted for several months.

Once the ban on the JVP ended, the JVP contested in democratic elections, and joined the United National Party (UNP).^[5] The UNP promised positions to several organisations that were opposed to Marxism.