Fidel Castro - charismatic leader par excellence

The National Freedom Front (NFF) celebrated the 85th Birthday of former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro under the theme ‘Beloved Comrade Fidel; Happy Birthday to you’. The function was held on August 16 at the Film Corporation auditorium, Colombo. Construction Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa addressing the gathering said that the legendary revolutionary leader, former Cuban President Comrade Fidel Castro is a good example for countries who are trying to stand on their feet. “He showed how to face international forces without fear. The success behind Cuba is that it has a society enriched with high moral values and the country is governed according to collective decisions.”

Following is the text of the speech:

We all are very fortunate today because most of the heroes whom we usually celebrate are dead and gone and amongst them only a very few can be considered as real historical heroes. Nevertheless, if a person is to respect a true living hero, it is a very rare opportunity and that rare opportunity has been given to us today. Now we all have gathered here in this evening to celebrate such a very rare hero. I need not to say that that rare hero is none other than the great leader of Cuban people Comrade Fidel Castro. We are celebrating the 85th birthday of Comrade Fidel Castro; together with that we are celebrating his indefatigable, undefeatable and valiant revolutionary march that gave wisdom from generation to generation of the revolutionary struggle.

His charismatic personality is reflected through the great society he build up and the qualities enshrined in that society. Although most countries in the world are not socialist but we know about the few countries which has adopted a socialist form of government. We all know about the great Russian Revolution. Russia is the first socialist state in the world that gave a tremendous inspiration to hundreds of thousands of proletariat around the world. However, the establishment of socialist system in Russia and its collapse gives us a lot of experiences.

Socialist systems

There are certain differences and similarities in the socialist systems in force in the socialist countries today. Among those countries Cuba remains undefeatable and incomparable. Sometimes Americans would not have ever thought that a country beneath its neck would be a socialist country. Firstly, the mere idea and the determination that Comrade Fidel Castro had in establishing a socialist system in Cuba; being a country under ‘chin’ of USA is in itself the most admirable and significant personality characteristics of Comrade Fidel Castro. However most of the leaders in socialist movements, progressive movements, revolutionary organizations and nationalist movement today do not possess that type of undefeatable charismatic leadership. Many leaders have no self-confidence or courage to have at least a mere idea of that nature. That is the most wonderful and revolutionary initiative taken by the Comrade Fidel Castro. It is due to this idea and inspiration that the Cuban nation is considered as the only nation that is not subjected to exploitation. The secret behind the contended and satisfactory life of Cubans lies in the power of that initial thinking of the great Comrade Fidel Castro.

Revolutionary march

The happiness and contentment of Cuban nation cannot be measured in terms of the economic indices such as Gross Domestic Product or Gross per capita income etc. The Buddha has preached that ‘happiness’ is the most valuable wealth one could possess. Cuban nation is one of the few nations in the world that can be proud of having a population with contended life. The reason as to why the Cuban people have been so capable of socializing and cementing that idea is due to the initial thinking of Comrade Fidel Castro and other leaders of the revolution who fought tirelessly against the destructive imperialist force of the USA.

We all know that at the beginning of his revolutionary march, he never wanted to show to the world that he was contemplating and envisioning to form a socialist form of government in Cuba. Also he never wanted to take hasty decision to establish the Community Party, not only that but also he never wanted to publicize that he was trying to set up a Socialist Party.

After defeating that tyrannical rule of Batista, it is the USA who came forward first to establish diplomatic relationship with Cuba. However after a very short period of time when July 26th Movement converted into the Communist Party, the native patriotic force that gave support to Comrade Fidel Castro was brought under the socialist vision. In all such occasions Comrade Fidel Castro faced numerous threats including death threats. But despite such threats challenges, impediments, economic blockades and also after losing the support from the Soviet Russia due to collapse of Soviet Union; Comrade Fidel Castro stood firm determined and unshaken to march forward the socialist path without having an iota of feeling for submission to the imperialist forces.

Also in the midst of those threats, challenges and impediments and also facing the cruel economic blockades by the imperialist forces by which Cuba was deprived of exporting sugar products to the European markets, Comrade Fidel Castro never went before imperialist forces pleading for relief. It is due to this charismatic personality even in this moment of celebrating his 85th Birthday the World Community dearly calls him ‘our beloved Comrade Fidel’.

In his book entitled ‘Reflections by Fidel’ Comrade Fidel Castro has in a lucid and straight language speaks out his conscience to the world. In this book he expresses his concerns and analysis on the global environmental crises, geo-political power struggle and also sometimes scientific matters. From all these tireless exercises it shows that Comrade Fidel Castro is still a very young, bold and charismatic leader.

Environmental issues

Comrade Fidel as a world leader pays attention to the Tsunami conditions in Japan. He is also very concerned about the global environmental issues that the world community is confronting today.

The socialist system which was built up by Comrade Fidel Castro has survived amidst all these challenges and threats not due to any mysterious power in the Cuban economy. Cubans have no oil resources nor they have other resources. However, it is due to the highly advanced education system and the deep understanding about the life that Cuban socialist system has survived against all odds of the imperialist camp. The happiness does not mean what you received in your pay packet at the end of the month. Nor does it mean the number of currency notes that you have.

Happiness means something more than this and Comrade Fidel Castro educated the Cuban Society as to the true meaning of happiness by creating an intelligent and rationally thinking community. Comrade Fidel Castro and Communist Party create a community with people who are pleasant and with loving kindness towards the fellow citizens.

In every critical matters Cuban Communist Party consult the public. After the collapse of Soviet Union; to face up the new economic challenges Cuban Communist Party wanted to take some drastic measures for which the public was consulted and asked from them what measures to be taken, whether tax should be increased, etc. and public answered in the negative and the Communist Party stopped the intended measures. Recently when new economic reforms were suggested and before taking any firm stance on them, every village committee was consulted. Subsequently the reforms were amended, changed and modified umpteen times and later the amended resolution was put it into practice.

If this is not democracy, what is democracy? Does the multi-party democratic system in our country truly represent the people’s consensus? Do we consult the public in critical economic issues such fuel and energy crises. If the opinion of the public has been sought and action has been taken in accordance with public opinion, is it not the most democratic way?

Globalization concept

We all are aware the imperialist’s globalization concept. It is a beautifully coined word and under it there are many aspects of globalization, such as economic globalization, cultural globalization and technical globalization. All these beautiful concepts are nothing but innovative imperialist modus operandi for invasion and exploitation.

However, what is happening now is what took place in the 19th Century or even beyond that. The imperialist today have taken off their clothes and behave in complete nakedness. Now they are looting the countries with their power of arms. We saw that in Iraq. We are witnessing that in Afghanistan and still more, we are witnessing that in Libya.

When rioters took to streets in Tunisia and Libya, they are considered as alternative rebel groups. But when the youth groups in Britain took to street, set fire and loot shops, they are not considered as rebels like Bengazi. If these riots took place in Sri Lanka; the media like BBC and CNN could interpret those incidents differently.

They would say, “youths in Sri Lanka have taken to street against Rajapaksa Regime.” They would also report that “there were a lots of human right violations and would further say that “we insist the Rajapaksa Regime not to implement the law against rioters.” Probably Obama too would have issued statements and Ban-ki-Moon would issue two or three statements. But what’s happening in Britain? The USA sends their Police chief to Britain to teach the British Police as to how they should deal with the rioting gang of urchins and underage boys.

This is the world before us today. They attack other countries by violating the sovereignty space right of other countries.

Now the imperialist has been able to get Bengazi rebels to wage war against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, but imperialist camp could not create such counter revolutionary groups in Cuba. The main reason as to why the imperialist forces have failed their every effort in Cuba is due to the gigantic public force behind Comrade Fidel Castro.

The time that we are now passing in this moment in the world is very critical and it is a time that requires a great contribution from all of us against imperialism.

The imperialist camp is ransacking the countries in the world in search of oil and other resources. This is what is happening in Libya now. USA had to increase its credit limit recently. They are in such a fatal crisis that their resources including oil and other revenue sources are getting decreased. To get out of all those problems, the only way out is to invade the countries and loot their resources.

So the problem before us is how to face up to this impending danger from the imperialist camp.

Recently, Sri Lanka commenced oil exploration activities in the Mannar Basin and Sri Lanka is positioned in a strategically important place in the Indian Ocean. The world-renowned oil companies believe that there are substantial oil reserves in those sea area around Sri Lanka. Due to those reasons, the imperialist camp now attempt to do what they did to Sudan. There is no issue of human rights violation in Sri Lanka.

They are trying to divide our country for their benefit and survival. This is why Mrs. Clinton met Jayalalitha and insists us to give more powers to North and East Provincial Councils. She wants to destabilize Sri Lanka. Also there are demands to return Kachchatheevu Island to India. These are all parts of the same transaction and same plot to divide Sri Lanka.

Comrade Castro has once said that we would have done some mistakes and errors but we have never done and will never do the crime of being traitors to Cuba. So Comrade Fidel Castro taught us not be unpatriotic towards once’s own country. This slogan has become our slogan and motto of our heart. Some are talking about the hidden youths of North.

There are no such youths hidden by any one now. These parties are making those statements in line with the Western menu. So we have lot to learn from Comrade Fidel Castro and Cuban revolutionaries. To build up a good economic and social system to Sri Lankan people and to establish people’s friendly long-lasting political and economic systems, we have lot to learn from Comrade Fidel Castro and from Cuba.

Long live Cuban Socialist Revolution. Long live Cuban-Sri Lankan Friendship.