We don’t need words but real mass action

As I got down from the platform of the May Day rally at Hyde Park, one media person asked me why I did not speak. I explained that our strategy is to get the widest possible mobilization of workers on May Day and to condemn the Government on three things.

• Firstly the chauvinist war mongering policy that has devastated the lives of poor people throughout the country.

• Secondly the economic sell out to MNCs system under the pretext of development and

• lastly the inflation that has cut into workers’ salaries making them paupers unable to feed their families.

The nearly five thousand working people who turned out on that day, without any argument, agreed to all three points mentioned above and were prepared to display their anger and displeasure in the streets.

The trick is, to be with this five thousand, to march in front of the head banner and to get on to the stage with the speakers to accept the cheers from the crowd. That I achieved without disturbing the alliance or the event.

Challenge

It was a formidable event though the media did not give it the publicity it deserved. To challenge this Government on these policies, in particular about their ‘patriotic war’, is indeed a formidable act. Actually Bala and Shah in their speeches said all I wanted to say and the other two speakers, Linus Jayathilaka and Dharmasiri are leaders of the Nava Sama Samaja Party.

I accepted the advice of Bala and others that if I spoke at the rally it would give the impression of forcing my political identity on a mass activity that has its own momentum to develop into a broad action programme. What we need today is the movement of the proletariat and not the exact party banner. We don’t need words but real mass action that can tear through the frauds of this Government.

Ranil and the UNP are too conservative to face the challenge. All what they do, is directly or indirectly in support of the Government.

The election in the East is a classic example. By giving nominations to contest and then by requesting Mahinda to provide military helicopters, Ranil has certified the elections.

Already Mahinda has won the war even if he loses the election battle. Maybe Mahinda is praying to Allah in secret for the victory of Hakim! Before the start of the march, on May Day, I was mixing with the crowd, greeting and nodding.

There were bankers, machinists, railway men, health attendants, road workers, Bata workers, office workers, media people etc. I strongly felt that everyone I met there was happy to see me.

I remember someone said once that where ever Trotsky went people were inducted with revolution, like a Leyden jar that electrifies the objects it touches. I have nowhere near such a power, but if I was in a crowd that agreed to go into mass action with me, then they would get branded as sympathizers of the Tamil liberation struggle!

In that sense I am like a leper who should be left out. But here is a crowd of five thousand in Colombo city comprising mostly Sinhala, leaders of work places that aggressively marched with me not only condemning the unbelievable inflation rate but also the degenerated war in the North.

Total degeneration

Slowly but clearly the masses are becoming conscious of the total degeneration that this Government has brought to the country. The bullshit of a patriotic war is no match for the hunger, degeneration and plunder created by the Mahinda regime.

Ranga of Lakbimanews says that

“the LTTE is known for its resilience and its fierce fight back in Muhamalai underscored the same contention”.

What is the source of this resilience? Is it the ruthlessness or tyranny of Prabha? No, it is the unrepentant wish for Tamil liberation. No wonder the JVP has broken into two. While one faction is making a second edition of the Desa Premi Viyaparaya, the others are sniffing at work places.

The old Left leaders have finally found that it is time to march separately from their capitalist master! The fire of the rising proletariat and plebeians has done wonders before and it is going to do the same here.

Somawansa is feeling a little ashamed of the utterances of Weerawansa and at the same time Vasudeva is feeling a little ashamed of his friend, Mahinda the Sinha heart. Back to the Red Shirts, these guys are truly wonderful. Be careful as some workers are going to take them seriously. Do not laugh for by their bogus acts for they will gather some workers.

So their lokka did not like all this and in no time both groups got clear warnings from the master. But one thing is clear; the time that chauvinism and Left opportunism controlled the workers struggle is definitely coming to an end.

I am not saying that revolution has been cornered, but rather what I have already said, that mass unrest is steadily approaching that corner.