Revolutionary Courage

From C.A. Chandraprema’s book on the second JVP revolt, discussing the JVP’s use of coerced demonstrations in 1989, which were often be fired upon by security forces (p. 279):
“The JVP cadres who ordered the villagers out, however never went in front but always stayed in the rear so that they would not get killed in the forces did open fire. . . . the logic behind this was that the patriots had a duty to live in order to fulfil [sic] the great task of national liberation and could not afford to take unnecessary risks”