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.