government and the striking
unions. This is something that could backfire, hence some other
strategy must be used to fight the on-coming strike wave.
The government is dead scared of the proposed second edition of the token general strike.
With the support of so-called workers’ parties - LSSP and CP, Mahinda pretends that he has no problem from the working class. However, these parties are also in a crisis as they have no worthwhile reason to give their loyal proletarians as to why they are supporting a reactionary regime.
They want
to link up with the CMU of Bala Thampoe and the Bank Employees’ Union
to show their power, both to the
government and the striking
unions. This is something that could backfire, hence some other
strategy must be used to fight the on-coming strike wave.
Mahinda’s advisors have used the traditional weapon of arousing chauvinism. So, we are told that the Tamil Tigers are behind all these disturbances. I am accused of linking the struggle to the Tamil liberation struggle.
The truth is that no one needs to link this or that. Launching a strike action today automatically reinforces the Tamil liberation struggle that faces the onslaught of the Sinhala armed forces. I only brought out this truth and made it explicit. Suddenly the Thompson and Thompson of the regime have found that Vickramabahu and the Fourth International (FI) are campaigning against the sacred war conducted against the Tamil liberation struggle!
Immigrant workers
Vickramabahu and the FI have pressed the government to release immigrant workers from Lanka in Italy, arrested under the pretext of their being terrorists. If they have committed any crime they should be brought before a court of law instead of being deported under emigration laws. This campaign is equally valid to all workers from this country, not just Tamils.
Now what is wrong with that? In England, they claimed to have found that we have participated in a Pongu Tamil meeting called by terrorists. If it was a meeting of terrorists then Mahinda should ask his friend, British Prime Minister Brown, as to how this meeting was allowed and why some reputed parliamentarians, including a contingent from the ruling Labour Party attended this meeting. Oh, what a shame! Tiger, Tiger, everywhere but not a single one to catch!
The government is trying hard to frighten the JVP with the Tiger label. Unfortunately for the government, Lal Kantha has replied that as already the Tiger card has been pinned on them anything more will not alter their cause for action.
The Tiger label is liberally used to upset all critical activities. For example, take the recent Slave Island tragedy. Hundreds were made destitute by the demolishing of houses and this was done disregarding a restraining court order. The displaced people signed a petition to be presented to SAARC leaders. After a serious investigation the government Thompsons have identified this also as the work of the Tigers!
The proposed agreement with India, CEPA, is now opposed by leading industrialists such as Chairman Ceylon Biscuits Limited Mineka Wickramasinghe, MD of Multichemi group Samantha Kumarasinghe, MD of Samson R Ltd Dr Bandula Perera, OPA Vice President Tudor Munasinghe, etc.
This is a serious problem for the government hell bent on satisfying its Indian master Manmohan Singh. I am sure that they will find that the Tigers are behind this protest as well. The army leaders claim that they are about to smash the last bastions of the Tigers in the north. But the government has found so many activities launched just opposite President’s house as Tiger directed deeds. What a sad state of affairs!
Last bastions
Taking over the last bastions of the Tigers is also not an easy task. The army chief has admitted that around 200,000 civilians are used as a shield. However, the actual figure is closer to half a million. Whatever it maybe, this is the problem identified by the late General Kobbekaduwa, that war cannot be used against people.
The LTTE maybe the most ferocious terror outfit in the world and in no way can it be considered a Marxist or a socialist party. But it has a mass base that will not leave them, no matter what may come. In fact the mass support for this killer outfit has grown in the diaspora as well. Some 1,000,000 persons in Canada, and 40, 000 in England came for the Pongu Tamil - broad Tamil liberation meetings.
One can condemn the LTTE day after day, but that will not alter the fact that it is still the Tamil liberation army, drawing the support maybe grudgingly of Tamil masses that aspire for freedom and dignity.