SLFP preserved Sri Lankan identity - President

Rasika SOMARATHNA

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) preserved and protected the true Sri Lankan identity in the face of many challenges, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said addressing the party’s 59th grand anniversary meeting at Temple Trees yesterday.

President Rajapaksa pointed out that there was an era when national assets were sold for a pittance and national interest, its heritage and culture were undermined.

“The SLFP stood against all these and built the country on the pillars of our heritage, culture and our unique identity,” he added.

There is no other political party in history that has contributed to develop and strengthen the identity of Sri Lanka, for emancipation of the rural masses, as the SLFP, the President said.

While observing that the SLFP had helped create the strongest Government in Asia today, President Rajapaksa noted that this was the golden era of the party and the country in general.

He said that the SLFP had never resorted to conspiracies to build or topple Governments.

“As a result the SLFP today is a truly national party in which all could flock together sans differences,” he added.

The President said in 1951 the Sinhala Maha Sabha headed by the late Premier S W R D Bandaranaike had adopted a set of resolutions aimed at changing the course of the government and ushering real freedom to the oppressed masses and to safeguard the national interests.

However these were rejected by the then UNP Government and this paved way for the late S W R D Bandaranaike to resign his ministerial portfolio and crossover to the Opposition, he said.

”This was not done hastily but after careful thought. My father the late D A Rajapaksa too followed him keeping the country in mind instead of personal gain,” President Rajapaksa said.

Thus in September 2, 1951, the SLFP was created and in 1952 the party joined the election fray. Eight MPs of the dissolved Parliament contested under the SLFP banner during that election, however only S W R D Bandaranaike and my father entered the next Parliament from the lot. Without being deterred the SLFP joined the MEP in the 1956 election and won for the first time.”

The President noted that the SLFP had suffered its worst defeat in 1977 and the subsequent period was the most difficult in which the Party’s leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike was stripped of her civic rights.

Thousands of SLFPers were affected due to preceding violence. Many died and property was damaged, he added. However Sirimavo Bandaranaike led the party and inculcated the members the value of patriotism, dedication to motherland and the determination to stand in the face of odds without bowing down to pressures for 17 years, he said.

The President pointed out that when he contested the Presidential election in 2005, the Party was in a very low ebb and the SLFP could not even print a simple statement on behalf of its candidate.

Later the party after obtaining a majority could not even appoint its own Speaker in Parliament, he added.

President Rajapaksa pointed out that this rough ride through all weather had toughened the mindset of the cadre which later helped in the fight against terrorism.

Riding on that victory, the SLFPers made the Government the strongest in Asia with a near two thirds majority, he added.

The President said that the introduction of the Mahinda Chinthana had changed the face of the social structure in Sri Lanka. It had inculcated national values, patriotism and the unique Lankan identity in the mindset of the people, he noted.

President Rajapaksa said SLFP could not do this alone but needed the support of all like minded forces. He said there were many such stakeholders and the door was open for others.

SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena also spoke.