CPSL to launch fund to protect party organ

COLOMBO:The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, which met on Saturday, July 15 decided to launch a Fund to protect its 56 years old Party Organ "Maubima" and authorised its Political Bureau to take all possible steps to defend its intellectual property and its right to own and publish a Newspaper,a media release issued by party said.

It called upon the Party members, sympathizers, trade unions and other mass organisations to rally round the Party for the protection of "Maubima" and its right to existence as the Party organ, said a press release signed by Dew Gunasekara, General Secretary of the party.

"Maubima" as the Party organ commenced its long journey on September, 1st 1950 consequent to a decision taken at its historic National Congress of 1950 held in Matara.

It is historically significant that the party organ "Maubima" was founded and launched by Dr. S.A Wickremasinghe as the General Secretary of the Party. It should be recalled that Dr. S.A. Wickremasinghe was the first and only Editor in Sri Lanka who served one year in jail for having written an editorial in the Party organ against British Imperialists, the statement added.

The first Editor of "Maubima" was H.G.S. Rathnaweeera and in his first editorial he has explained as to why the name of "Maubima" was chosen as the trade name of the newspaper.

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka recommenced the publication of "Maubima" on June 1st, this year in preparation for the 25th death anniversary of Dr. S.A. Wickremasinghe and for its 18th National Congress to be held in August, 2006, press release said.