NSSP never abandoned their position of defending Tamils’ Rights
January 7th, 2008
by Dr.VICKRAMABAHU KARUNARATNE
The anniversary meeting of the Nava Sama Samaja Party was more than a success. There were enough participants to fill the new town hall. Altogether over 500 participated. Representatives from other political parties included MP for Trincomalee district, K.Thurairatnesingham and the President of the Socialist Party, Mahinda Devage. Both of them addressed the meeting declaring solidarity with our efforts. In addition, there were representatives from the United Socialist Party, the X group and from almost all far left groups. Of course, the organizers did not invite the opportunist left parties that participate in the Mahinda regime. For over one year or so, all left parries out side the coalition worked in a broad front named Forum for Life, together with many social nongovernmental organizations.
This forum was convened by Father Sarath Iddamalgoda. Most of the non governmental organizations that participated in this forum are led by left groups. There is criticism that NGO work is questionable as the funds they get in the final analysis are from the Global capital. However, NGO activists say that they are aware of such pressures and hence they develop their perspectives to go beyond those limitations. Today we do not come across the old Trotskyism verses and Stalinism debates in left circles. The reason is that, now we do not find orthodox Stalinists who defend every thing that happened in the so-called communist world. Yet there are debates which go beyond mere sectarian differences.
Trade unions
Representatives from the trade union sector were remarkable. Bank employee’s union president M.R.Shah made a magnificent speech wishing that the left will emerge again, as in the past before 64, to become a strong support to the trade union movement. He said that it is sad to watch a section of the left becoming prisoners of a chauvinistic power. Even the UNP which took a rational stand on the Tamil national problem during the presidential election has retreated from that position succumbing to the pressure of the chauvinist forces. On the other hand court orders and state decrees are used to control the trade union movement. In this dark situation he was happy to participate in a meeting where all oppressed were represented. Saman Rathnapriya, the convenor of the August 4 Movement of Trade Unions and the President of the Health Trade Union Alliance, spoke of the close connection between the trade union front and the left movement. He mentioned the new action taken by the government to control the Trade Union Movement, including the recent circular proposing serious action against strikers. It is necessary to build a close alliance among all struggles to over come these threats. The left could play a very important role in building such an alliance. Herbert Silva, the Secretary of the Jana Raja Health Workers Trade Union and the President of the Government United Federation of Labour, traced the history of the alliance between the left movement and the Trade Unions. The veteran trade unionist said that at the time he joined a trade union, the movement was dominated by the Lanka Sama Samaja party.
Leaders of the left
There was a great respect for the left leaders as they stood against repression disregarding the caste, the creed or the race of the victim. By abandoning this stand the old movement collapsed, but the efforts of the Nava Sama Samaja party will bear fruit in the coming period. In addition to these giants in the trade union field, the Nava Sama Samaja Trade Union leaders, Linus Jayathilaka, President United Federation of Labour, Dharmasiri Lankapeli, General Secretary of the Media Employee’s Trade union Federation, Gerard Gamage, Secretary of the Government United Federation of Labour and Priyantha, the workers leader of the Ceylon Electricity Board, also participated.
MP Thurairatnesingham made a unique contribution. He said there are only few organizations in the South that show sympathy to the suffering Tamil people in the Tamil homeland. Military resistance was forced on the youth by the continuous repression. LTTE offered to work together with the Government when they gave a draft for a Government appointed interim self rule for the Tamil homeland. This was rejected without even a proper discussion. Secondly, they offered to work together and agreed to accept Governments’ tsunami proposals. That was over ruled by the Supreme Court. Thus every attempt of Tamil leaders including the LTTE, for a solution has been rejected. However Nava Sama Samaja Party has never abandoned their position of defending Tamil people’s rights and they continuously fought on this issue. TNA is happy to participate in this anniversary celebration and wish that the Nava Sama Samaja Party will play an important role in the coming future.
Jayathilaka Bandara, the poet and the singer of the oppressed, and his musical group, contributed six songs in between the speeches, to an enthusiastic audience.
Entry Filed under: transCurrents NewsFeatures
15 Comments Add your own
1. Patriot | January 7th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
My friend, with all due respect for your doctorate, if you are still naive enough to beleive that whatever LTTE offerred in the past were genuine you should take up something other than politics.
It sounds like a nice fairly tale…LTTE tried everything democratically possible to defend the tamil people but the vicious government always chased them away…so they reluctantly decided to take up arms…
Tell this to Norwegians…they might believe you.
2. Maha Raja | January 8th, 2008 at 1:27 am
What a crap this guy makes with 500 strong die hard fools and racists. Bahu still honestly believe that revolution is round the corner. He even thinks it would be much closer than he thought because his friend Praba has promised to suppot him after he gets his homeland. Obviously, it is not far away judging by the events unfolding.
3. SinhalaTigers | January 8th, 2008 at 1:28 am
There is a problem for the minorities – lets solve the problem and leave politics aside. If you are from a political party, then you are inherently part of the problem instead of part of the solution.
Drop your petty politics and be a Sri Lankan so that every morning you can look at yourself in the mirror and say: I’m proud of what I am as a human being not because my political affiliation is NSSP, UNP, TNA, TULF, EPDP, SLFP or some other useless acronym.
What solutions does your article put forth? The time you spent writing this article is a worthless waste. How have you made this world any better by your existence?
4. Charith Ruckmal | January 8th, 2008 at 4:06 am
This is a rally with all N.G.O and pro-ltte supporters.Wickrama bahu Karunarathne is a real joker.
5. Aristocrat | January 8th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Mr Patriot, please tell me one government that sincerely offered a solution to the Tamils since 1983. (I was not old enough before that to know for sure).
6. Naga UK | January 8th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Yes, take the good advice of the “Patriot” at least for his sake, because ‘ where ignorance is bliss, it’s folly to be wise’. Are we having an overdose of patriotism these days? every Dick, Tom and Silva wants to have a piece of the neo-dutugemunu stuff, least realising the amount of damage they are causing to the iamge of the great King Dutugemunu of yore. I sppose these things are bound to happen when mass insanity spreads and one can only hope that the God will give them (the LTTE and the Card-board patriots) the gift of thinking and acting logically.
7. Thilee | January 8th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
You cannot talk the truth in Sri Lanka. Even if you are a Sinhalese and talk for tamils, that is the end of your story.
You can see this by reading the above comments by ‘proud sri lankan readers’.
As Obama says problem in Sri Lanka is ‘problem of Others’. We never going to sort it out. Wikramabahu might stand as a witness in the history.
8. nava | January 8th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I really appreciate nssp for taking genuine interest to bring out the discrimination meted out to the minority people in this country.those who make comments about this party should realise how the tamils were treated by the sucessive governments since we gained the independace.It is time that the sinhalese make up their mind fortwith to let the tamils go.
9. Realist | January 8th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
The responses so far to to Bahu’s intelligent and sincere position demonstrates how debased the average sri lankan who cliams to be a realist is. They are part of the neocolonial middleclass who can speak a bit of english after licking the white mans arse and then ofcourse gracing these pages. Otherwise they will be reading JHU or JVP Facism as staple realism.
10. ratnam Ganesh | January 9th, 2008 at 12:26 am
It is high time now we get to the solution.We do not want to see people die every day.Look at Lanka academic or Tamil net or any newspaper.Every day we see many people shot or bombed Etc.Etc.
Enough is enogh.Let us all get together and work for a solution respecting individuals right and collective Rights.
It is for the working class of the majority community to stand with all the working class and go forward rather than Just Lip service.Every one in Sri Lanka is suffering and so far the contributions by the trade unions or the left Political parties are not visible or felt by the the common man.Putting the the blame on the old left does not take us anywhere.I would like to see the contribution of the new new left rather than speeches.
11. Sundaram | January 9th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Dr.VICKRAMABAHU KARUNARATNE,
I salute you!
I have immense respect for you. You are a rare person who stood always for your principles and did not care for your popularity.
I always tell my friends that Colombo Tamils should vote for you and not for UNP or SLFP.
Long Live Dr.VICKRAMABAHU KARUNARATNE!
12. Sen | January 9th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Answer to Patriot #1. The real problem in Ceylon/ Sri Lanka is there are so many idiotic or naive patriots who do not understand the history at all. LTTE is the by product of the Sinhala government thuggery on non-violent Tamil political force. There were no LTTE in 1958, when the first ethnic violence was unleased on innocent Tamils by chauvinist forces of the Sinhala government. Was LTTE in existence when Tamil politicians got assaulted by Sinhala thugs led by sri lankan government in 1970s in front of the parliament. Where this patriot was that time, must have been participating in these patriotic events.
13. Thilee | January 9th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Douglus Devananda and Anadasangari are good and genuine politicians compare to Wikramabahu. Even if one day Devananda proved as a killer of T. Maheswaran, many sinhalese will not change stance. And tamils will take exactly opposite stance.
So, this clearly shows where we are heading.
Everyone should remember that only few politicians in the history of Sri Lanka have stood beside their policy or their believe. Almost others were just average or verse ‘politicians’. Wikramabahu is one of those stand for the policy and at least for that only reason we can at least stay away putting mud on him.
Even the ‘true Sri Lankans’ cannot find such guys for their support.
14. Gayan | January 10th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Well after reading this article i realised that Dr Wickramabahu is still alive ! Man long time no see.
I guess the Dollar reserves are dwindeling hence prompted you to write some garbage as usual.Feel sorry for the 50 odd voters who voted for you.
The great communist Starlin may have killed a million people but at least he did something worthwhile than you
The sad part about your politics Dr ,something that may have not crossed your great mind,is that sri lanka is one of the highest literate countries in the world …..& hence you dont have a chance
15. Thilee | January 10th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Hello Editor,
I just mistyped one of the above above comment #13.
I wanted to say “Douglus Devananda and Anadasangari are good and genuine politicians compare to Wikramabahu for many Sinhalese”
But I missed the wording “for many Sinhalese” at the end.
If you can make it correct it is great. Otherwise if you want to remove the comment also is fine with me. But I just do not want a wrong statement stays there.
Thank You in advance.
Thilee
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