Time to work together
Excerpts of the speech delivered by
Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister DEW Gunasekera at the Sri
Lanka Communist Party’s 67th Anniversary held in Jaffna last Saturday
Today we are back in politics in the North with sad memories of the
past but with full of optimism for our future. I do not propose to
recollect that painful and miserable past during this healing and
reconciliation period.
Although, our Party was formed 67 years back, its origin goes as far
back as 1920s, the historic days of the Jaffna Students Congress, later
Jaffna Youth Congress led by Handy Perimpanayagam. The birth of
All-Ceylon Youth Congress in 1931 and the Sooriyamal Movement in 1933
and the LSSP in 1935 were further developments of the anti-imperialist
struggle.
Independence struggle
Winds of the Great October Revolution in 1917 brought inspiration to
the people of Asia and awakened them to the struggles for independence.
Only a few know that it was Ponnambalam Arunachalam who first broke the
news of the Great October Revolution to the people of Sri Lanka and he
was accused by the British Colonialists for drifting towards Bolshevism.
Ponnambalam Arunachalam in 1917, breaking the news of the Great October
Revolution said “there is nothing to fear we are now in the company of
friends”.
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Minister
DEW Gunasekera |
Today we are here in the midst of our comrades and friends after a
lapse of over 30 years – we were here last in 1976 when we put forward
our candidate V. Ponnambalam at the by-election for KKS Seat. Since then
the loss of precious lives, destruction to the property, economic ruin,
prolonged suffering especially to the lower segments the Tamil society,
emergence of cult of violence, collapse of national unity, emergence of
underworld were all products and by-products of the war.
Lessons from history
I do not want to unearth those unfortunate events. But, they are
facts of history which we cannot forget even though we can forgive. It
is necessary to draw lessons from this history if we are to re-emerge
from catastrophe and move forward.
We have missed so many opportunities offered by history and let us be
determined that we shall not miss, yet again this golden opportunity.
Absence of a national consensus has been the main cause of our failures
in the past and even today. As far as our Party is concerned, we
identified the national question from the very inception of our Party.
The concept of regional autonomy within a united Sri Lanka was
introduced by our Party as early as 1944 based on a scientific analysis
of socio-economic-cultural realities and also international experience.
The ruling bourgeoisie parties since independence failed to
comprehend these realities and were carried away by petty-narrow
political interests and privileges. They abdicated their historical
responsibility in the task of nation building.
It was so in the case of bourgeoisie Tamil leaders in the North
/Tamil Congress and Federal Party. They played a conservative and at
times reactionary role in the realm of politics, prioritizing their
tasks to their narrow class interests.
They opposed everything progressive and radical – Paddy Land Act,
Nationalization of foreign interests, nationalization of transport,
port, some even went to the extent of supporting the disenfranchisement
of workers of Indian Origin and their citizenship rights.
They were identified with the reactionary politics. That is how they
were distanced from the progressive forces and even from people in the
South.
A change
The events of Black July of 1983, and the subsequent notorious
amendment to the 1978 Constitution brought about a change in the
political leadership of the Tamil people from the Tamil bourgeoisie to
the right-wing petty bourgeoisie in 1980s. This was the turning point of
history followed with a policy of blood and iron-chauvinism, terrorism,
and separatism. The right-wing petty bourgeoisie sought refuge in
support of reactionary forces abroad.
The Communist Party and of course the LSSP stood firmly by our
political positions in support of the legitimate rights and aspirations
of the Tamil people. We suffered defeat, setbacks in the political
front. We were targets of attack from both the terrorists in the North
and the chauvinism in the South.
Never embraced terrorism
The left-wing political parties in the North who opted for national
unity, a democratic path of development, for a political solution within
the framework of unity were all marginalized, eliminated or destroyed.
Even the moderate bourgeoisie Tamil leaders were not spared.
Even we who gave support for the 13th Amendment were not spared both
by the terrorists in the North and the chauvinists in the South. I must
reveal and reiterate that the Communist Party lost 48 of its leaders at
the JVP hands and six at the hands of LTTE.
Amazing and mysterious fact of history during the past 30 years is
that the LTTE did not touch the JVP or JHU despite their venomous
anti-Tamil and anti-Indian and anti-LTTE political positions.
Of course, history provides enormous evidence to the effect that the
extremists of either side always nourish and nurture each other for
their mutual existence.
Both in the North and the South, the chauvinists and extremists
survived, thrived, and flourished at the expense of the Left movement
and progressive forces.
The country thereby lost its balance, and sense of direction and an
era of violence and destruction dawned.
The Party never embraced terrorism or violence as a means of
capturing power. Our hands are not stained with blood. Our party has
always been patriots as well as internationalists.
During the 67 years of our Party’s existence we have contributed
much, in many ways for the cause of our people. Above all, we have
enriched the social thinking of our people.
We have made our people more people enlightened, removing from their
minds and thoughts, casteism, mysterious beliefs and obscurantism etc.,
We are proud of our contribution for all those rights of the people –
political, economic, and social – that have been achieved through
struggles of the Left Movement.
Now is the time for the progressive forces both in the North and the
South to work together in the broader interests of our country and our
people.
New economic centres
With the collapse of the Berlin Wall and subsequently the Soviet
Union, many bourgeoisie leaders predicted the end of socialism and the
eternal existence of capitalism. Within 20 years, the face of the world
has changed again and continues to change profoundly.
The citadels of world capitalism, US and Western Europe are
collapsing, faster than we expected. The Asian continent is leading the
world economy – with two giants, China and India emerging.
The reawakening of Latin America with 13 Left-wing Governments has
altered the political map of Latin America, thus isolating the United
States. The democratization of Africa, has set in. Bridges are being
built between China – Africa, Latin America – Africa, Middle East –
Africa, Asia – Euro Asia, Russia – China – India. New economic centres,
Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Argentina are emerging.
Power of the omnipotent Dollar is weakening. Around 75 percent of the
world’s foreign exchange reserves today belong to the developing
countries. One third of the world’s foreign exchange reserve is owned by
China.
These are the new realities of the world developments – This is why
the Western powers could not have their own way and their own on matters
relating to Sri Lanka. This is what Prabhakaran failed to comprehend.
The world’s Left Movement has revived.
Today, there is globalization of Left and progressive forces, the
world over. So, the international and national political environment is
becoming favourable to us. This is the time for the progressive and
democratic forces in the North and the South to work together.
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